Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Ichneumonid wasp?

Posted by Sergey Golubev on 27-02-2007 14:46
#1

Hi! This giant wasp has been caught in Voronezh region (Central Russia) in cereals. It came down into the pitfall trap. I think it belongs to Ichneumonidae family, but what genus or species exactly. Whoes parasite is it? Its body length is 2 cm, but including its ovipositor it gives 4.5 cm!
By the way, I thought maybe it is a sawfly (Simphyta). Uhh... I'm confused. So, what is it! Help me to ID it.
Thanks in advance

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 27-02-2007 17:53
#2

no. I think this is Symphyta. Sawfly...
Ordo Hymenoptera
Subordo Symphyta.
no constriction between thorax and abdomen.
BUT... I strange about 2 possible CERCI???? :| OR are they two artificial lines??? :S

Posted by ChrisR on 27-02-2007 18:02
#3

A sawfly with a long ovipositor? Not likely - a 'sawfly' ovipositor is blade-like, like a 'saw' ;) Though I can see why jorge might think so because it does look like there is no waist. But I think that's just the angle it has been photographed from - a view from the side would show there is a narrowing.

Without checking my collection too rigorously, I'd guess it is a ichneumonid from the family Pimplinae - possibly genus Dolichometus? The long ovipositor suggests it parasitises hosts burried in a very deep substrate, such as wood. Was there any old wood nearby?

Posted by Gerard Pennards on 27-02-2007 18:16
#4

Well,
Chris is quite right. This is a Ichneumonid, subfamily Pimplinae. If you would see it from a different angle you would indeed see a constricted waist, although the first abdominal tergite is short and thick!
I think this could indeed be Dolichomitus imperator, in western Europe the biggest together with Rhyssa persuasoria.
And jorge, this is the ovipositor and one of the two parts of the ovipositor sheet, that covers the ovipositor when not in use. The second one is broken off, you can see it sticking up at the end of the abdomen!

Edited by Gerard Pennards on 27-02-2007 18:17

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 27-02-2007 19:00
#5

ok. you are rigth, now. :) Thanks. ;)

Posted by cthirion on 27-02-2007 23:20
#6

Dolichomitus, it is a difficult group to separate the species! :(

Hello Chris! ?
It is the opinion of those which are tested there, I never worked this group...... Zwakhals, a Dutch ichneumonologist begins the revision and seeks material in Dolichomitus! ?

Edited by cthirion on 01-03-2007 00:27

Posted by ChrisR on 28-02-2007 02:28
#7

I don't find them too difficult in UK, with Fitton, Shaw & Gauld (1988). Is the situation in Europe more confused than in the UK? :)

Posted by Sergey Golubev on 28-02-2007 14:42
#8

Thank you, guys for your detailed discussion. I've searched Dolichomitus imperator on the Internet and found its fotos at www.biopix.dk which are very similar to mine.
Sergey

Posted by Pierre-Nicolas Libert on 28-02-2007 15:18
#9

The problem with a Dolichomitus foto is that they all look very similar to yours because Dolichomitus species are indistinguishable on fotos...

Sorry for that,


Posted by ChrisR on 28-02-2007 20:25
#10

Yes, here in the UK the key to Dolichomitus reqires the reader to look at grooves/ridges on the tip of the ovipositor, so you'd have to be an amazing photographer to get all of that into one photo! :D