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Giant Ichneumon Wasp - Megarhyssa atrata *Note the jumping spider sizing up the wasp!<br /> <br /> This snag had several ichneumonid wasps drilling into it! It was so cool. There were two individuals of this species, but one was dead and dangling off the tree with its ovipositor still in the wood. The one in this photo was just finishing up, but I managed to get a couple photos and a video of her fixing her abdominal segments while resting on a nearby fern.<br /> <br /> Habitat: Snag; deciduous forest<br /> <br /> <section class="video"><iframe width="448" height="282" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/iKsDAJDImgk?hd=1&autoplay=0&rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></section><br /> <br /> <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/150560/giant_ichneumon_wasp_-_megarhyssa_atrata.html" title="Giant Ichneumon Wasp - Megarhyssa atrata"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/3232/150560_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=9eRNVSAaIds14NkVywrV2dDcYow%3D" width="122" height="152" alt="Giant Ichneumon Wasp - Megarhyssa atrata This snag had several ichneumonid wasps drilling into it! It was so cool. There were two individuals of this species, but one was dead and dangling off the tree with its ovipositor still in the wood. The one in this photo was just finishing up, but I managed to get a couple photos and a video of her fixing her abdominal segments while resting on a nearby fern.<br /> <br /> Habitat: Snag; deciduous forest<br /> <br /> https://youtu.be/iKsDAJDImgk<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/150560/giant_ichneumon_wasp_-_megarhyssa_atrata.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/150562/giant_ichneumon_wasp_-_megarhyssa_atrata.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/150561/giant_ichneumon_wasp_-_megarhyssa_atrata.html Geotagged,Giant Ichneumon Wasp,Megarhyssa,Megarhyssa atrata,Spring,United States,ichneumon,ichneumonidae,wasp" /></a></figure><br /> <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/150562/giant_ichneumon_wasp_-_megarhyssa_atrata.html" title="Giant Ichneumon Wasp - Megarhyssa atrata"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/3232/150562_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=S%2FfMeQfcbpvBloZGCQORjtcJDZ0%3D" width="200" height="156" alt="Giant Ichneumon Wasp - Megarhyssa atrata *Note the jumping spider sizing up the wasp!<br /> <br /> This snag had several ichneumonid wasps drilling into it! It was so cool. There were two individuals of this species, but one was dead and dangling off the tree with its ovipositor still in the wood. The one in this photo was just finishing up, but I managed to get a couple photos and a video of her fixing her abdominal segments while resting on a nearby fern.<br /> <br /> Habitat: Snag; deciduous forest<br /> <br /> https://youtu.be/iKsDAJDImgk<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/150560/giant_ichneumon_wasp_-_megarhyssa_atrata.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/150562/giant_ichneumon_wasp_-_megarhyssa_atrata.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/150561/giant_ichneumon_wasp_-_megarhyssa_atrata.html Geotagged,Giant Ichneumon Wasp,Megarhyssa atrata,Spring,United States" /></a></figure><br /> <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/150561/giant_ichneumon_wasp_-_megarhyssa_atrata.html" title="Giant Ichneumon Wasp - Megarhyssa atrata"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/3232/150561_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=EUE9Z192VuDgKLt7g64OWf3oLcY%3D" width="200" height="144" alt="Giant Ichneumon Wasp - Megarhyssa atrata This snag had several ichneumonid wasps drilling into it! It was so cool. There were two individuals of this species, but one was dead and dangling off the tree with its ovipositor still in the wood. The one in this photo was just finishing up, but I managed to get a couple photos and a video of her fixing her abdominal segments while resting on a nearby fern.<br /> <br /> Habitat: Snag; deciduous forest<br /> <br /> https://youtu.be/iKsDAJDImgk<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/150560/giant_ichneumon_wasp_-_megarhyssa_atrata.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/150562/giant_ichneumon_wasp_-_megarhyssa_atrata.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/150561/giant_ichneumon_wasp_-_megarhyssa_atrata.html Geotagged,Giant Ichneumon Wasp,Megarhyssa atrata,Spring,United States,wasp" /></a></figure> Geotagged,Giant Ichneumon Wasp,Megarhyssa atrata,Spring,United States Click/tap to enlarge

Giant Ichneumon Wasp - Megarhyssa atrata

*Note the jumping spider sizing up the wasp!

This snag had several ichneumonid wasps drilling into it! It was so cool. There were two individuals of this species, but one was dead and dangling off the tree with its ovipositor still in the wood. The one in this photo was just finishing up, but I managed to get a couple photos and a video of her fixing her abdominal segments while resting on a nearby fern.

Habitat: Snag; deciduous forest



Giant Ichneumon Wasp - Megarhyssa atrata This snag had several ichneumonid wasps drilling into it! It was so cool. There were two individuals of this species, but one was dead and dangling off the tree with its ovipositor still in the wood. The one in this photo was just finishing up, but I managed to get a couple photos and a video of her fixing her abdominal segments while resting on a nearby fern.<br /> <br /> Habitat: Snag; deciduous forest<br /> <br /> https://youtu.be/iKsDAJDImgk<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/150560/giant_ichneumon_wasp_-_megarhyssa_atrata.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/150562/giant_ichneumon_wasp_-_megarhyssa_atrata.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/150561/giant_ichneumon_wasp_-_megarhyssa_atrata.html Geotagged,Giant Ichneumon Wasp,Megarhyssa,Megarhyssa atrata,Spring,United States,ichneumon,ichneumonidae,wasp

Giant Ichneumon Wasp - Megarhyssa atrata *Note the jumping spider sizing up the wasp!<br /> <br /> This snag had several ichneumonid wasps drilling into it! It was so cool. There were two individuals of this species, but one was dead and dangling off the tree with its ovipositor still in the wood. The one in this photo was just finishing up, but I managed to get a couple photos and a video of her fixing her abdominal segments while resting on a nearby fern.<br /> <br /> Habitat: Snag; deciduous forest<br /> <br /> https://youtu.be/iKsDAJDImgk<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/150560/giant_ichneumon_wasp_-_megarhyssa_atrata.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/150562/giant_ichneumon_wasp_-_megarhyssa_atrata.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/150561/giant_ichneumon_wasp_-_megarhyssa_atrata.html Geotagged,Giant Ichneumon Wasp,Megarhyssa atrata,Spring,United States

Giant Ichneumon Wasp - Megarhyssa atrata This snag had several ichneumonid wasps drilling into it! It was so cool. There were two individuals of this species, but one was dead and dangling off the tree with its ovipositor still in the wood. The one in this photo was just finishing up, but I managed to get a couple photos and a video of her fixing her abdominal segments while resting on a nearby fern.<br /> <br /> Habitat: Snag; deciduous forest<br /> <br /> https://youtu.be/iKsDAJDImgk<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/150560/giant_ichneumon_wasp_-_megarhyssa_atrata.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/150562/giant_ichneumon_wasp_-_megarhyssa_atrata.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/150561/giant_ichneumon_wasp_-_megarhyssa_atrata.html Geotagged,Giant Ichneumon Wasp,Megarhyssa atrata,Spring,United States,wasp

    comments (2)

  1. View Calbost Niel's profile
    Calbost Niel
    Lion
    View Lion class
    Quite wonderful Christine Posted 2 years ago
    1. View Christine Young's profile
      Christine Young
      Lion
      View Lion class
      Thanks Niel :) Posted 2 years ago

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The Giant Ichneumon Wasp

''Megarhyssa atrata'' is a species of large ichneumon wasp. It is known from North America, where it is found from Quebec, Michigan, Ohio and North and South Carolina to Florida. Adults are on wing from May to July. The larvae are parasitoids of the larvae of the woodwasp ''Tremex columba'' in dead deciduous trees.

Info 8 0
Similar species: Wasps, Bees, Sawflies And Ants
Species identified by Christine Young
View Christine Young's profile

By Christine Young

Attribution Non-Commercial
Uploaded Jun 21, 2023. Captured Jun 20, 2023 11:32 in 91 Main St, Sharon, CT 06069, USA.
country flag of United States of America Explore United States of America 39,925 9,640 8
  • Canon EOS 90D
  • f/11.0
  • 1/256s
  • ISO800
  • 100mm