David Element's Wildlife Web Page Hymenoptera 7

David Element

Wildlife Photography

and Digital Video Images

______________________ Hymenoptera 7

EUROPEAN BLUE HORNTAIL Sirex juvencus (m)

SABRE WASP Rhyssa persuasoria

ICHNEUMON FLY Excaverus apiarus

VELVET ANT Mutilla europaea

SOUTHERN WOOD ANT Formica rufa with RED WASP Vespula rufa

BLACK ANTS Lasius niger

Shown above are a few token examples of the Horntails (or Woodwasps), Ichneumon Flies, Velvet Ants and Ants.

The larvae of Horntails live in wood and the male European Blue Horntail shown above had almost certainly emerged from a wooden pallet originating in Germany.

The female Sabre Wasp is fascinating to watch as she lays her eggs directly into the bodies of horntail larvae living inside pine trees using her extraordinarily long and rather fragile looking ovipositor (as shown). The unfortunate larvae are presumably detected by vibrations passing through the feet of the parasite.

Ants are social insects and all of the other species illustrated are parasitic on other insects.

Some of these families are relatively small, but there are numerous Ichneumons and identification to species is difficult, even for experienced entomologists. Excaverus apiarus is a rarity amongst Ichneumon Flies in that it can be identified macroscopically by experts. With thanks to Dr. Gavin Broad Coordinator of Zoological Data & Research, Biological Records Centre, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Monks Wood – another rarity as he is an expert in Ichneumon Flies – for confirming the identity of this striking wasp mimic which parasitises Sawflies.