| Odontocolon | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Ichneumonidae |
| Subfamily: | Xoridinae |
| Genus: | Odontocolon Cushman, 1942 |
Odontocolon is a genus of ichneumon wasps in the family Ichneumonidae. There are at least 40 described species in Odontocolon. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Female wasps of the Odontocolon genus lay their eggs onto the skin of larvae that live in the inner bark of trees. Each species of Odontocolon has its own host preference, such as beetles or sawflies. [6] [7]
Odontocolon larva hatch and develop on the exterior of the host larva, killing it. They then build a cocoon under the tree bark before and emerge as adult wasps the next spring. [6]
These wasps are not aggressive. The long appendage on females resembling a stinger is an ovipositor and is used for piercing into wood to lay eggs. [8]
These 42 species belong to the genus Odontocolon:
Data sources: i = ITIS, [9] c = Catalogue of Life, [1] g = GBIF, [2] b = Bugguide.net [3]
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