The superfamily Ichneumonoidea contains one extinct and three extant families, including the two largest families within Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae and Braconidae. The group is thought to contain as many as 100,000 species, many of which have not yet been described. Like other parasitoid wasps, they were long placed in the "Parasitica", variously considered as an infraorder or an unranked clade, now known to be paraphyletic.
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 25,000 species described as of 2016. However, this likely represents less than a quarter of their true richness as reliable estimates are lacking, along with much of the most basic knowledge about their ecology, distribution, and evolution. It is estimated that there are more species in this family than there are species of birds and mammals combined. Ichneumonid wasps, with very few exceptions, attack the immature stages of holometabolous insects and spiders, eventually killing their hosts. They thus fulfill an important role as regulators of insect populations, both in natural and semi-natural systems, making them promising agents for biological control.
Bryan Patrick Beirne was an Irish entomologist who emigrated to Canada in 1949. He specialized in pest management.
Claude Morley was an English antiquary and entomologist who specialised in Hymenoptera and Diptera. He has been described by Peter Marren as "Suffolk's best-known entomologist".
Banchinae is a subfamily of ichneumonid parasitoid wasps containing about 1,500 species; the genera Glypta and Lissonota are very large. The three tribes are all distributed worldwide.
Ophioninae is a worldwide subfamily of Ichneumonidae, comprising 32 genera and exhibiting high diversity in tropical regions. They are koinobiont endoparasitoids of larval Lepidoptera, although at least one species parasitizes Scarabaeidae (Coleoptera). Notably, they are among the few species within Parasitica whose ovipositors are capable of stinging vertebrates. Pupae of Ophioninae are ovoid and feature a distinct central clear band, which is a characteristic trait of this subfamily. These insects are typically large, slender, and orange, with compressed and curved abdomens. They possess prominent ocelli and are primarily active during the night, often being attracted to light sources.
Lycorininae is a monotypic subfamily of ichneumon wasps. The mere thirty species or so comprise the single genus Lycorina. In older sources, they may be included in the Banchinae.
Ichneumoninae is a worldwide subfamily of the parasitic wasp family Ichneumonidae.
The Labeninae is a subfamily within the parasitic wasp family Ichneumonidae . There are 12 extant genera, grouped within four tribes, that exhibit a predominantly Gondwanan distribution - most genera and species are found in Australia and South America. A few species of Labena and Grotea are found in North America, with hypotheses suggesting that the group radiated on Gondwanaland prior to the separation of Australia but after the separation of Africa/India/Madagascar.
Rhyssa persuasoria, also known as the sabre wasp, is a species belonging to the family Ichneumonidae subfamily Rhyssinae. Members of this subfamily, including those of Rhyssa and the allied Megarhyssa, are also known collectively as giant ichneumonid wasps or giant ichneumons.
Ichneumon is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Ichneumonidae.
Diadegma insulare is a wasp first described by Ezra Townsend Cresson in 1865. No subspecies are listed. It is a parasitoid of the diamondback moth, which is a pest of cruciferous crops.
Amblyteles armatorius is a species of parasitic wasp in the family Ichneumonidae first described by Johann Reinhold Forster in 1771.
Cratichneumon coruscator is a species of the parasitic wasp family Ichneumonidae.
Trogus is a genus of parasitoid wasp found in the Holarctic and Neotropic regions. It is placed in the subfamily Ichneumoninae and the tribe Ichneumonini. Trogus species are parasites of larvae and pupae of the swallowtail butterfly family, Papilionidae. The genus consists of twelve extant and one extinct species.
Ichneumonini is a tribe of ichneumon wasps in the family Ichneumonidae. There are more than 350 genera and thousands of described species in Ichneumonini.
Habronyx is a genus of parasitoid wasps belonging to the family Ichneumonidae. The species of this genus are found in Europe, Australia, and North and South America.
Acrotaphus wiltii is a species of ichneumon wasp in the family Ichneumonidae. It can be found in North America.
Alomyini is a tribe of ichneumon wasps in the family Ichneumonidae. There are two genera in Alomyini.
Platylabini is a tribe of ichneumon wasps in the family Ichneumonidae. There are at least 40 genera and about 8 described species in Platylabini.
