Representative Families

• Ichneumonidae – Generally slender wasps, often large, very numerous, parasites of larvae of lepidoptera, coleoptera, diptera, or other hymenoptera.
• Braconidae – Small to medium-sized wasps, often black or brown, with similar behavior but distinct morphological traits.

Habitat

Ichneumonoidea can be found in a wide variety of environments:

• Deciduous or coniferous forests
• Edges, fallows, gardens, meadows
• Agricultural zones, hedgerows, and orchards
• Anywhere their insect hosts live (caterpillars, beetles, aphids…)

Biology

• Koinobiont or idiobiont parasitoids:
  • Koinobionts: the host continues to develop after egg-laying
  • Idiobionts: the host is paralyzed or killed immediately
• The ovipositor may be long and rigid in some species, used to lay eggs deep within bark, wood, or tunnels
• Host specificity varies by species: some are generalists, others highly specialized on a single host

Distinctive Features

• Very high morphological diversity (especially in Ichneumonidae)
• Complex wing venation, used for identification
• Life cycle closely linked to that of the host
• Many species used in biological control (e.g., Cotesia, Aphidius, Microplitis)

Notable Genera

• Ichneumon, Pimpla, Ophion, Netelia (Ichneumonidae)
• Cotesia, Bracon, Aphidius, Microplitis (Braconidae)

Ichneumonoidea (Parasitic Wasps)

Mainly parasitoids (lay their eggs inside other insects).

• Ichneumonidae: large wasps with a long ovipositor, important for pest control.

• Braconidae: usually smaller than Ichneumonidae, parasitoids of aphids and other insects.

• Family Braconidae

• Family Eoichneumonidae

• Family Ichneumonidae

• Family Praeichneumonidae

Braconidae
Eoichneumonidae
Ichneumonidae
Praeichneumonidae