British Insects: the Families of Hymenoptera
| British Insects: the Families of Hymenoptera | |
Ichneumons.
Adults small to large. Insects associated with plant galls, or not associated with galls.
Head. Sub-antennal grooves absent. Antennae not geniculate.
Thorax. Pronotum long, extending back to the tegulae; vertically grooved to receive the fore femur. Cenchri absent (generally), or present (if ‘piliferous lobes’ recorded on the anterior angles of the metanotum of some species are interpreted as cenchri). Wings present (usually), or absent (females, sometimes). Fore-wings with a conspicuous pterostigma; with the venation well developed (usually), or with very reduced venation. Hind-wings with closed cells; with the median cell elongated beyond the base of the marginal vein. Hind femur with a clear trochantellus. Hind tibiae without specialised spurs.
Abdomen. The abdomen usually with a marked basal constriction (but see illustration of Metopius); long petiolate (usually, fairly), or short-waisted. Gaster concolorous, or colour-patterned; attached low on the propodeum. Ovipositor of females visibly protruding; adapted for piercing.
Larvae. Larvae with segmented legs; parasitic on hosts selected by the mother (on larvae and pupae of endopterygote insects, immature and adult spiders and their egg sacs, etc.; including Agriotypus armatus, the only known parasite of Caddis larvae); when gall-associated, parasitic on other gall occupants.
General comments. Fore-wings usually with 2 recurrent veins, the cross vein ‘2 m cu’ usually being present.
Classification. Species in Britain more than 1500; genera about 350 (with numerous species in Campodorus, Diadegma, Dusona, Campoplex, Gelis, Ichneumon, Lissonota, Mesochorus, Phaeogenes, Phygadeuon, etc.). Suborder Apocrita; Series Parasitica; Superfamily Ichneumonoidea.
Illustrations. • Alomya debellator (Scotch Alomya: B. Ent. 120). • Alomya debellator (detail: B. Ent. 120). • Alomya debellator (dissections: B. Ent. 120). • Alomya debellator (B. Ent. 120, legend+text). • Alomya debellator (text, cont.: B. Ent. 120). • Agriotypus armatus Curtis (Spined Agriotypus: B. Ent. 389). • Agriotypus armatus (detail: B. Ent. 389). • Agriotypus armatus (dissections: B. Ent. 389). • Agriotypus armatus (original genus and species descriptions: B. Ent. 389). • Sphecophaga vesparum (Wasps' Ichneumon: B. Ent. 198). • Astiphromma sericans (Curtis): (B. Ent. 464). • Astiphromma sericans (B. Ent. 464, legend+text). • Astiphromma sericans (B. Ent. 464, text cont.). • Hecabolus sulcatus (4-stigmared Ichneumon: B. Ent. 507). • Callajoppa exaltatoria (Death's Head Ichneumon: B. Ent. 234). • “Lampronota crenicornis Hal. mss”: Broken-horned Lampronota: B. Ent. 407). • Pimpla aethiops Curtis (Whittlesea Pimpla: B. Ent. 214). • Hemiteles varitarsus (B. Ent. 399). • Metopius dentatus (B. Ent. 004). • Metopius dentatus (details: B. Ent. 004). • Metopius dentatus (dissection details: B. Ent. 004). • Metopius dentatus (B. Ent. 004: legend+text). • Metopius dentatus (B. Ent. 004: text, cont.). • Xorides fuligator (B. Ent. 353). • Stilpnus dryadum Haliday in Curtis (B. Ent. 388). • Stilpnus dryadum (B. Ent. 388, legend+text). • Stilpnus dryadum (B. Ent. 388, text cont.). • Agrothereutes abbreviator (B. Ent. 536).
To view the illustrations with detailed captions, go to the interactive key. This also offers full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa.
Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. British insects: the families of Hymenoptera. Version: 9th April 2007. http://delta-intkey.com’.
