Ichneumonidae and Braconidae: Ichneumons and Braconids

Biology

This group of parasitic wasps comprises many species that target caterpillars, beetles and flies. The Ichneumonidae is the largest family of wasps with more than 24,000 species worldwide, and about 1,000 species in the Pacific Northwest.  The Braconidae is also very large at almost 20,000 species worldwide.  Adults usually measure from ½ to 1 ½ inches in length and are slender and long-legged with the abdomen longer than the head and thorax combined. Many have a long ovipositor which is a needle-like structure at the end of the female abdomen used for inserting eggs into the host.  Aside from their important function as regulators of other insect populations, Ichneumons and braconids are also incidental pollinators as adults because of their need for nectar and pollen as nourishment.  How important they are in pollination is unknown, but their sheer number likely makes them significant pollinators in some habitats.

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