''Certonotus fractinervis'' is a

parasitic wasp Parasitoid wasps are a large group of hymenopteran superfamilies, with all but the wood wasps ( Orussoidea) being in the wasp-waisted Apocrita. As parasitoids, they lay their eggs on or in the bodies of other arthropods, sooner or later causi ...

found in

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, one of only two species of Labeninae found in New Zealand. It preys on the elephant weevil.

Description

''Certonotus fractinervis'' is the largest endemic wasp in New Zealand. It has three long

ovipositors The ovipositor is a tube-like organ (anatomy), organ used by some animals, especially insects, for the laying of Egg (biology), eggs. In insects, an ovipositor consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages. The details and morphology of t ...

Ecology

''Certonotus fractinervis'' lays its eggs exclusively on the

larvae A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect developmental biology, development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typical ...

of the elephant weevil. It bores into trees using its ovipositor to lay its eggs on the larvae. Occasionally, adults may feed upon water droplets that have gathered on fungus, which may be a source of sugar.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1889818 Insects described in 1873 Ichneumonidae Parasitic wasps Endemic insects of New Zealand Taxa named by Samuel Constantinus Snellen van Vollenhoven