The Ichneumon wasps are insects classified in the parasitica group of the suborder Apocrita within the Order Hymenoptera. Sometimes incorrectly called Ichneumon flies, they are solitary insects, and most are parasitoids - the larvae feeding on or in another insect which finally dies. As with all hymenopterans, Ichneumons are closely related to ants and bees.
The superfamily Ichneumonoidea (consisting of two families: the Ichneumonidae and the Braconidae) has been estimated to contain well over 80,000 different species. Some members use many different insects as a host, others are very specific in host choice. Various Ichneumons are used successfully as biological control agents in controlling pests such as flies or beetles.
An Ichneumon wasp attacking a case moth caterpillar pupa.
Ichneumon species are highly diverse - ranging from 1/8-inch to 5 inches long. Most are slender, with many species having an extremely long ovipositor for laying eggs. The female finds a host and lays an egg on, near, or inside the host's body. Upon hatching, the larval Ichneumon feeds either externally or internally, killing the host when they themselves are ready to pupate.
Members of the (usually larger) Ichneumonidae are distinguished from the Braconidae by observing wing structures.
O mesmo aconteceu com a superfamília Ichneumonoidea, onde se registaram, para a abundância, riqueza e índice de Simpson, diferenças significativas entre o local 2 da Herdade da Ferraria e o local 2 da Herdade da Apostiça.
Ao nível da superfamília Ichneumonoidea, apenas a humidade relativa, o número de espécies presentes no subcoberto e o número de espécies em floração apresentaram correlações significativas com a abundância, riqueza e equitabilidade.
In the superfamily Ichneumonoidea the insects were identified up to the subfamily and different species were separated.
The species of Ichneumonoidea vary tremendously in size, from approximately 1 mm in length to 5-6 cm (even larger if the ovipositor of some larger species is included).
Ichneumonoidea have been present since at least the early Cretaceous, being represented by Tanychora from Transbaikalia (Townes, 1973), as well as several genera of Eoichneumonidae from Australia, Siberia and Mongolia (Jell and Duncan, 1986; Rasnitsyn and Sharkey, 1988).
New Eoichneumonidae from the early Cretaceous of Siberia and Mongolia (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea).
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