What is it? - Rhyssa alaskensis

Moved

Moved from Rhyssa.

… Aaron Schusteff, 9 October, 2017 - 8:26pm

That "tail" . . .

is an ovipositor. I don't think it's retractable. Some kinds of female parasitic wasps have impressive ones.

… R. Berg, 2 October, 2010 - 10:11pm

It was enough

...to make me nervous when I got up close to take its picture, since we didn't know then if that was a stinger or what. :)

… KatieBee, 2 October, 2010 - 10:33pm

Moved

Oviposition by this species into your freshly split spruce indicates that siricid wood wasps of some kind are living in it. In fact, the frass in the lower left of image 461077 suggests a point where the split has gut through a wood wasp gallery. As for your concern about getting close to the Rhyssa female, it might be able to prick you with the ovipositor if you hold the individual with your fingers--I once had a female Megarhyssa prick me when I was removing it from my net--but there wouldn't be a jolt like there would be in the case of some Ichneumonidae of genera like Ophion or Netelia.

Moved from ID Request.

… Bob Carlson, 2 October, 2010 - 10:05pm login or register to post comments

Thank you.

I don't believe I'll be holding one, but interesting to read about and observe. I saw two fight, a brief battle, while one of them had her larger ovipositor stuck in the wood. She was knocked sideways, but managed to right herself and go on about her business. Thanks also for the tip about the siricid wood wasps.

… KatieBee, 3 October, 2010 - 5:33pm login or register to post comments

Interesting

As far as I know, I have never encountered a mention of a female rhyssine attempting to remove another in its attempt to oviposit into a host. Hence, it is a very interesting observation.

… Bob Carlson, 3 October, 2010 - 6:34pm login or register to post comments