Ichneumon Wasp

Ichneumon wasps are parasitoids; females lay their eggs on a caterpillar and the wasp larva burrows into and develops inside this host, eating its internal tissues and eventually killing it after it pupates. The adult ichneumon flies emerge from the remains of the dead host and are active at night (1) (2). Two generations are produced each year; the adults of the first generation are present from May to June, those of the second generation from November to December (1).

Conservation action has not been targeted at this common species.

This slender parasitic wasp has a yellowish or orange coloured body with a distinctive 'waist' (2) and a very short ovipositor (3). They are sometimes mistakenly called flies, but they are wasps, with two pairs of clear membranous wings (3) and long antennae (4). There are 1200 species of ichneumon wasp in Britain alone (3) and this is the largest family of insects known, with over 60,000 species worldwide (4).

Ophion species are found in a wide range of habitats, but tend to occur in woodlands and farmland (5).

Common in Britain (1). Species belonging to the genus Ophion are found around the world (5).

Not threatened.

This species is not threatened at present.