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.
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