Black Giant Ichneumon Wasp

image of Black Giant Ichneumon Wasp on tree trunk
Scientific Name
Megarhyssa atrata
Family
Ichneumonidae (ichneumon wasps) in the order Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps)
Description

The black giant ichneumon wasp, Megarhyssa atrata, belongs to a genus of ichneumons called the giant ichneumons. The female’s body can be 1½ inches long, and her ovipositor 5 inches long. The larvae parasitize the larvae of wood-boring insects. Look for this species in deciduous forests.

Learn more about the black giant ichneumon wasp and other ichneumons in their group page.

Media Gallery
image of Black Giant Ichneumon Wasp on tree trunk
The black giant ichneumon wasp, Megarhyssa atrata, belongs to a genus called the giant ichneumons. The female’s body can be 1½ inches long, and her ovipositor 5 inches long.
Donna Brunet
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image of Black Giant Ichneumon Wasp on tree trunk
Similar Species
About Land Invertebrates in Missouri
Invertebrates are animals without backbones, including earthworms, slugs, snails, and arthropods. Arthropods—invertebrates with “jointed legs” — are a group of invertebrates that includes crayfish, shrimp, millipedes, centipedes, mites, spiders, and insects. There may be as many as 10 million species of insects alive on earth today, and they probably constitute more than 90 percent all animal species.