''Megarhyssa'', also known as giant ichneumonid wasps, giant ichneumons, or stump stabbers, is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of large

ichneumon wasp The Ichneumonidae, also known as the ichneumon wasps, Darwin wasps, or ichneumonids, are a family of parasitoid wasps of the insect order Hymenoptera. They are one of the most diverse groups within the Hymenoptera with roughly 25,000 species cu ...

s, with some species known for having the longest

ovipositor The ovipositor is a tube-like organ used by some animals, especially insects, for the laying of eggs. In insects, an ovipositor consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages. The details and morphology of the ovipositor vary, but typical ...

s of any

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pa ...

s. They are

idiobiont In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionary strategies within parasitis ...

endoparasitoids of the larvae of wood-boring horntail wasps. The ovipositor can be mistaken for a large stinger.

Species

Species within the genus: *'' Megarhyssa arisana'' *'' Megarhyssa atomistica'' *''

Megarhyssa atrata ''Megarhyssa atrata'', also known as the black giant ichneumonid wasp, is a species of large ichneumon wasp. It is known from North America, where it is found from Quebec, Michigan, Ohio and North and South Carolina to Florida. Adults are ...

'' *'' Megarhyssa aurantia'' *'' Megarhyssa babaulti'' *'' Megarhyssa belulliflava'' *'' Megarhyssa bicolor'' *'' Megarhyssa bonbonsana'' *''

Megarhyssa cultrimacularis ''Megarhyssa'', also known as giant ichneumonid wasps, giant ichneumons, or stump stabbers, is a genus of large ichneumon wasps, with some species known for having the longest ovipositors of any insects. They are idiobiont endoparasitoids of the ...

'' *'' Megarhyssa fulvipennis'' *'' Megarhyssa gloriosa'' *''

Megarhyssa greenei ''Megarhyssa greenei'', also known as Greene's giant ichneumonid wasp, is a species of large ichneumon wasp. It is known from the United States and Canada. Description and identification It is very similar in appearance to ''Megarhyssa macruru ...

'' *'' Megarhyssa hainanensis'' *'' Megarhyssa indica'' *'' Megarhyssa insulana'' *'' Megarhyssa jezoensis'' *'' Megarhyssa laniaria'' *'' Megarhyssa lenticula'' *'' Megarhyssa longitubula'' *''

Megarhyssa macrurus ''Megarhyssa macrurus'', also known as the long-tailed giant ichneumonid wasp or long-tailed giant ichneumon wasp, is a species of large ichneumon wasp. It is a parasitoid, notable for its extremely long ovipositor which it uses to deposit an egg ...

'' *'' Megarhyssa middenensis'' *'' Megarhyssa mirabilis'' *''

Megarhyssa nortoni ''Megarhyssa nortoni'', also known as Norton's giant ichneumonid wasp or the western giant ichneumonid wasp, is a species of large ichneumon wasp. Subspecies There are two described subspecies of ''Megarhyssa nortoni'': *''M. nortoni nortoni'' ( ...

'' *'' Megarhyssa obtusa'' *'' Megarhyssa perlata'' *'' Megarhyssa praecellens'' *'' Megarhyssa recava'' *'' Megarhyssa rixator'' *'' Megarhyssa rotundamacula'' *'' Megarhyssa strimacula'' *'' Megarhyssa superba'' *'' Megarhyssa taiwana'' *'' Megarhyssa vagatoria'' *'' Megarhyssa verae'' *'' Megarhyssa weixiensis'' *'' Megarhyssa wugongensis''

References

External links

Bugguide.net

* ttp://naturedocumentaries.org/3843/giant-ichneumon-megarhyssa-macrurus-ovipositing/ Video: Giant Ichneumon Wasp Ovipositing Insects used as insect pest control agents Biological pest control wasps Ichneumonidae genera Ichneumonidae Taxa named by William Harris Ashmead {{Ichneumonidae-stub