Family Tryphoninae - Ichneumon Wasps

Order Hymenoptera, Family Ichneumonidae

This page contains pictures and information about Ichneumon in subfamily Tryphoninae Wasps that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.

Ichneumon Wasps in Tryphoninae are from small to large in size. Females are with ovipositor relatively short, not projecting beyond apex of abdomen. Their young are external parasites of sawfly larvae and moth caterpillars.



Ichneumon Wasps in subfamily Tryphoninae can be distinguished with the followings characteristic;
- on the forewing usually with the areolet absent or with small diamond-shaped areolet.
- forewing with a single bullae (unpigmented area of vein) in 2m-cu,
- ovipositor is very short and never projected beyond abdomen,


Reddish-orange Ichneumon Wasp

Netelia sp., body length 20mm
Most Netelia species are uniformly reddish orange insects.

Reference:
1. Insects of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University Press, 2nd Edition 1991, pp 943.
2. An introduction to the Ichneumonidae of Australia - Gauld, I.D. 1984, British Museum, p72.
3. Northern Territory Insects, A Comprehensive Guide CD - Graham Brown, 2009.
4. Netelia producta - Australian Insect Common Names, CSIRO, 2005.