Saturday 2 August 2008

Rhyssa persuasoria (Ichneumon fly), RW.


An extremely impressive Ichneumon reaching about 10cm long. It locates the larvae of the Horntail (photos below), which are deep inside wood and drills its hair thin ovipositor in to the wood to reach them. When it finds one it then lays its egg on to the side of the Horntail grub and gradually consumes it.