Giant Ichneumon
Rhyssa persuasoria
This slender parasitoid wasp is found in coniferous and mixed woodlands, especially around dead or dying trees. Adults fly along trunks and fallen timber, using smell and vibration to locate wood-boring horntail larvae hidden deep inside. Adults feed mainly on nectar and honeydew, while the larva develops by consuming a single concealed host larva. The female’s extremely long ovipositor can drill through several centimeters of wood, but it is not a true defensive sting and the wasp is harmless to people.
- Type
- Stealth / Wing
- Conservation status
- NE
Growth chain
- ?
- ?
- Giant Ichneumon