Megarhyssa
Encyclopedia
Megarhyssa is a genus
of large ichneumon wasp
s, with some species known for having the longest ovipositor
s of any insect
s. They are idiobiont endoparasitoids of the larvae of wood-boring horntail
wasps.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of large ichneumon wasp
Ichneumon wasp
The Ichneumonoidea are insects classified in the hymenopteran suborder Apocrita. The superfamily is made up of the ichneumon wasps and the braconids...
s, with some species known for having the longest ovipositor
Ovipositor
The ovipositor is an organ used by some animals for oviposition, i.e., the laying of eggs. It consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages formed to transmit the egg, to prepare a place for it, and to place it properly...
s of any insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s. They are idiobiont endoparasitoids of the larvae of wood-boring horntail
Horntail
Horntail or wood wasp is the common name for any of the 100 non-social species of the family Siricidae, of the order Hymenoptera, a type of xylophagous sawfly...
wasps.
External links
- Photo Essay: Giant Ichneumon Wasps Ovipositing
- Reference Photos: Giant Ichneumon Wasps - Male Megarhyssa sp.
Species
Species within the genus include:- Megarhyssa atratus
- Megarhyssa greenei
- Megarhyssa macrurusMegarhyssa macrurusMegarhyssa macrurus , is a species of large ichneumon wasp.It is a predatory insect, notable for its extremely long ovipositor...
- Megarhyssa nortoniMegarhyssa nortoniMegarhyssa nortoni is a species of large ichneumon wasp.-Description:Megarhyssa nortoni is black, reddish brown, and yellow and has distinguishing round yellow spots down the side of the abdomen. Its legs are mostly yellow. Its wings are transparent, and the body is elongated with a length of...