Rhyssinae is a subfamily of
parasitoid wasp
Parasitoid wasps are a large group of hymenopteran Superfamily (zoology), 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, ...
s in the family
Ichneumonidae
The Ichneumonidae, also known as ichneumon wasps, ichneumonid wasps, ichneumonids, or Darwin wasps, are a family of parasitoid wasps of the insect order Hymenoptera. They are one of the most diverse groups within the Hymenoptera with roughly 25 ...
. It contains eight genera and 259 described species, but there are likely many undiscovered species.
All possess long ovipositors, which are used by females to bore into tree trunks to lay eggs on the larvae of horntails and wood-boring beetles.
Females in genus
Megarhyssa
''Megarhyssa'', also known as giant ichneumonid wasps, giant ichneumons, or stump stabbers, is a genus of large ichneumon wasps, with some species known for having the longest ovipositors of any insects. They are idiobiont ectoparasitoids of th ...
show very long ovipositors, with
M. atrata reaching 14 cm in length.
Fossil record
The oldest reliable discovery of the subfamily in fossil form was made in a German
Messel pit
The Messel Formation is a Formation (geology), geologic formation in Hesse, central Germany, dating back to the Eocene Epoch (geology), epoch (about 47 Ma). Its geographic range is restricted to the Messel pit. There it unconformably overlie ...
(
Eocene
The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...
, about 47 Ma).
Genera
The following genera belong to the subfamily Rhyssinae:
* ''
Cyrtorhyssa''
Baltazar, 1961 i c g
* ''
Epirhyssa''
Cresson, 1865 i c g b
* ''
Lytarmes''
Cameron, 1899 i c g
* ''
Megarhyssa
''Megarhyssa'', also known as giant ichneumonid wasps, giant ichneumons, or stump stabbers, is a genus of large ichneumon wasps, with some species known for having the longest ovipositors of any insects. They are idiobiont ectoparasitoids of th ...
''
Ashmead, 1900 i c g b
* ''
Myllenyxis''
Baltazar, 1961 i c g
* ''
Rhyssa
''Rhyssa'' is a genus of ichneumon wasps belonging to the family Ichneumonidae subfamily Rhyssinae.
Etymology
The Latin name of the genus comes from the Greek and means "wrinkled".
Description
Female of this parasitic species drills deep into ...
''
Gravenhorst, 1829 i c g b
* ''
Rhyssella''
Rohwer, 1920 i c g b
* ''
Triancyra''
Baltazar, 1961 i c g
Data sources: i = ITIS,[ c = Catalogue of Life,][ g = GBIF,][ b = Bugguide.net]
References
Further reading
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External links
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Parasitic wasps
Ichneumonidae
Hymenoptera subfamilies
{{ichneumonidae-stub