| Ichneumonoidea | |
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| Megarhyssa greenei female | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Suborder: | Apocrita |
| Superfamily: | Ichneumonoidea Latreille, 1802 |
| Families | |
The superfamilyIchneumonoidea contains one extinct and three extant families, including the two largest families withinHymenoptera:Ichneumonidae andBraconidae. The group is thought to contain as many as 100,000 species, many of which have not yet been described.[1] Like otherparasitoid wasps, they were long placed in the "Parasitica", variously considered as aninfraorder or an unrankedclade, now known to beparaphyletic.
The name is derived from Latin 'ichneumon', from Ancient Greek ἰχνεύμων (ikhneúmōn, "tracker"), from ἴχνος (íkhnos, "track, footstep").[2] The name is shared with the Egyptian mongoose,Herpestes ichneumon.
The superfamily is defined by fusion of the costal and radial veins of the fore wing, and almost all species have more than 11antennal segments.[3] Both included families have acosmopolitan distribution. Ichneumonoids have morphological similarities with relatives within the order Hymenoptera, includingants andbees. Ichneumonoidea contains a great deal of morphological diversity, with species ranging in size from 1 to 130 mm (0.039 to 5.118 in) long. Most are slender, and the females of many species (particularly in the genusMegarhyssa) have extremely longovipositors for laying eggs.
The ichneumonid wasps may be more familiar to non-entomologists than braconids, as they are generally larger. The two families are distinguished from each other primarily by details of wing venation.
Most are brownish or black, not brightly colored.[4] Forewings lack vein 2m-cu.
Ichneumonids vary greatly in size and their color varies from brightly colored to uniform black. Forewings with vein 2m-cu present and tubular.[3]
Parasitoidism evolved only once in theHymenoptera during thePermian, leading to a singleclade which contains theApocrita and theOrussoidea, but has been secondarily lost multiple times. The Apocrita emerged from that clade during theJurassic.[5][6][7][8]
| Hymenoptera |
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Ichneumonoids are solitary insects, and the vast majority areparasitoids; thelarvae feed on or in another insect until it finally dies. Most hosts areholometabolous insect larvae, but there are many exceptions. In general, ichneumonoids are host specific, and only attack one or a few closely related host species. Many species usepolydnaviruses to suppress the immune systems of their host insects. Due to the wide variety in hosts and lifestyles, see subfamily pages for more detail.
The female ichneumonoid finds a host and lays an egg on, near, or inside the host's body.[9] Theovipositor of ichneumonoids generally cannot deliver a sting as many wasps or bees do. It can be used to bore wood and lay eggs on hosts deep inside, or reach hosts hidden inside leaf shelters. Upon hatching, the larva feeds either externally or internally, killing the host when it is ready topupate.
Various ichneumonoids are used asbiological control agents in controlling horticultural or forest pests. An example is the relationship between the speciesIchneumon eumerus and its host butterflyPhengaris rebeli.[10] The butterfly larva is a parasite withinMyrmica ant nests. The adultI. eumerus searches for ant nests and only enters when they containP. rebeli caterpillars.[10] Once inside, theyoviposit within the caterpillars and escape the nest by releasing a chemical which causes the worker ants to fight each other rather than the intruding wasp.[10] The wasp eggs then hatch inside the caterpillar and eventually consume and kill the host.
Data related toIchneumonoidea at Wikispecies
Media related toIchneumonoidea at Wikimedia Commons| Aspects ofinsects in culture |
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