Found in the eastern United States and up into southern Canada.
This species is a parasitoid of the larvae of the pigeon horntail, which bore tunnels in decaying wood. Female wasps detect larvae in the wood and use their long ovipositor to drill to them, paralyzing and laying an egg on the horntail larva. The wasp larva will then consume the body of the horntail larva before pupating and emerging as an adult wasp.
Photos 1-3 by kueda, 4-6 by tshahan, 7-8 by claggy, 9 by nashuagoats, and 10 (for scale) by shloftus
still quivering in my boots from last summer when i saw an ichneumonid wasp for the FIRST TIME. god it was so COOL it was like meeting a celebrity irl like IVE READ ALL ABOUT YOU OMG!!!!
@mariemaniacmagic submitted: Hello bug magician. Any IDeas for this tiny man?
Probably a wasp. A christmass wasp? Happy holidays from Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul <3
Bug magician! I like that. I wish I could perform bug magicks. She's an ichneumonid wasp, but I couldn't say exactly which species. I think we can call her a Christmas wasp for fun though :)
As every expecting mother knows, finding the perfect place to lay your eggs is of the utmost importance. That's why the long-tailed giant ichneumonid wasp has such a long ovipositor! This special organ is more than twice the wasp's body length, and is used to tunnel deep into decaying wood in order to deposit their egg on the body of their host species the pigeon horntail (Tremex columba).
(Image: A female long-tailed giant ichneumonid wasp (Megarhyssa macrurus) depositing her egg by Richard Orr)
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