Ichneumon Wasps are parasitic wasps.
Achaius oratorius
Length 11 to 15 mm. A striking black and white coloured parisitoid. The larvae feed on butterfly and moth larvae. Hedgerows and copses
Alomya debellator
length 10 to 18 mm. The head and thorax of this species are black, but on the abdomen the black is broken by a very broad orange band. The lower joints of the legs are also orange, whilst the thighs are black, The adults feed on nectar and aphid honeydew. The female lays her eggs into the caterpillars of butterflies and moths. The larvae feed on the body .
Ichneumon suspiciosus Banded antenna legs and thorax
Amblyteles armatorius
Very often found in summer on flowers feeding on pollen, especially umbellifers such as Hogweed.
Ichneumon extensorius POSS
Length: 8-16 mm. A sexually dimorphic species. The female has a white tip to the abdomen, a white mark at the base of the thorax, and white banded antennae. woods edges
German wasp vespula germanica hinds
Very similar in appearance to the Common Wasp, though very slightly bigger. The best way of telling them apart is by looking at the face.
Common Wasp - Vespula vulgaris
DescriptionAbout 2 cm long, they have bright yellow and black bands along the body, with an obvious 'waist' between the thorax and abdomen
ectemnius continuus digger wasp hinds They nest in wood, excavating tunnels with several cells which are then stocked with food (various Flies) for the developing brood. Recorded South GMC
pemphredon lugubris mournful wasp found bury but also recorded south west GMC
Ruby-tailed Wasp. Chrysis ignita Crow Tree
Parasitoid. The larvae eat the grubs of burrow-dwelling solitary bees. Prey: Red Mason Bee. Adults feed on nectar and pollen only recorded south west GMC
Eumenes fraternus wasp
The wasp nests in sandy soil, often in flat places and preys on Homoptera hoppers (Cicadellidae, occasionally including nymphs)
Braconidae Wasp Aleiodes similis
Parasitic on various moths. The first generation on low feeding noctuids especially Xestia xanthographa, but the next generation is on Conistra and various (but not all) Orthosia species on deciduous trees
torymidae wasp
Torymidae is a family of wasps that consists of attractive metallic species with enlarged hind legs, and generally with a long ovipositor. Many are parasitoids on gall-forming insects, and some are phytophagous (plant-eating) species, sometimes usurping the galls formed by other insects
Potter Wasp (Eumenes fraternus
The name Potter Wasp derives from the shape of the mud nests built by species of Eumenes and similar genera. They look like little pots
Flightless parasistib Gelis wasp. another type of Ichneumon Wasps
Ichneumon Wasps are parasitic wasps. In th UK there are several thousands species almost all of which are impossible to ID like those above by the naked eye. Several new species have recently been identified in the UK. The long ovipositor is used to lay eggs. Little is known of many species but they do look impressive. All pictures taken in Elton Reservoir area