Ichneumonidae of New Zealand
| This website provides a directory for diagnostic information and updates of scientific publications relating to Ichneumonidae for New Zealand. |
The Ichneumonidae is the largest family of all the parasitic wasps, with an estimated 100 000 species in the world. To date just over 20 000 are described and classified into 38 subfamilies. This makes Ichneumonidae one of the largest families of organisms on Earth, and far exceeds the number of species of vertebrates.
Ichneumonids occur in all virtually all terrestrial habitats and are often abundant and conspicuous. There is tremendous biological diversity within the Ichneumonidae; more information can be found at http://www.amentinst.org/GIN/
Ichneumonids are parasitoids and attack a wide range of hosts, most frequently the larvae and pupae of Lepidoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera or other Hymenoptera, although some also attack the immatures of other insects and spiders. Generally, an adult female lays an egg inside a host, and the ichneumonid larva feeds selectively within its host, avoiding damage to the host, which continues to feed and grow like a normal larva. When the host is almost fully grown, the ichneumonid larva consumes its insides entirely and breaks free from the host, then spins a cocoon under or next to the host's larval remains (Source: http://www.amentinst.org/GIN/).
New Zealand is missing many of the subfamilies found overseas, and their diversity does not seem to be as great as might be expected. However, there are still 132 taxa named at present (72% endemic, 11 species as biological control agents), but over 300 species have been tentatively recognised, with a total diversity estimated closer to 500 species. In New Zealand the most species-rich subfamilies are Ichneumoninae (85 spp.), Campopleginae (80 spp.), Cryptinae (50 spp.), and Tersilochinae (30 spp.).
These subfamilies can be identified using Ward (2010). Key to the Subfamilies of Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) in New Zealand v1.0. Online LUCID Phoenix key.
New Zealand Ichneumonidae groups
Subfamily |
Key reference(s) for identification |
Approx. Number |
Genera |
| ANOMALONINAE | under revision | 2 [4] |
Aphanistes, Habronyx |
| BANCHINAE | Bain 1970 | 1 [7] |
Lissonota |
| CAMPOPLEGINAE | 6 [80] |
Campoletis, Campoplex, Casinaria, Diadegma,Dusona, Venturia | |
| CREMASTINAE | 2 [2] |
Temelucha, Trathala | |
| CRYPTINAE | 14 [50] |
Aclastus, Aclosmation, Amblyaclastus, Anacis, Gelis, Glabridorsum, Isdromas, Sphecophaga, Xanthocryptus, Xenolytus | |
| CTENOPELMATINAE | 1 [1]# |
Lathrolestes | |
| DIPLAZONTINAE | under revision | 2 [3] |
Diplazon, Woldstedtius |
| EUCEROTINAE | 1 [1] |
Euceros | |
| ICHNEUMONINAE | 8 [85] |
Aucklandella, Ctenochares, Degithina, Diadromus, Eutanyacra, Ichneumon, Levansa, Lusius | |
| LABENINAE | Parrott 1962*, Ward 2011 | 2 [2] |
Certonotus, Poecilocryptus |
| MESOCHORINAE | 1 [?] |
Mesochorus | |
| METOPIINAE | Berry 1990 | 3 [5] |
Carria, Hypsicera, Sciron |
| OPHIONINAE | Parrott 1954* | 2 [6] |
Enicospilus, Ophion |
| ORTHOCENTRINAE | 4 [16] |
Helictes, Megastylus, Stenomacrus | |
| PIMPLINAE | Parrott 1952*; 1962* | 4 [4] |
Liotryphon, Echthromorpha, Lissopimpla, Xanthopimpla |
| RHYSSINAE | Zondag & Nuttall 1961; Parrott 1962*; Nuttall 1980 | 2 [3]# |
Megarhyssa, Rhyssa |
| TERSILOCHINAE | under revision | 7 [32] |
Diaparsis, Zealochus |
| TRYPHONINAE | Parrott 1951* | 2 [3] |
Netelia, Phytodietus |
| Total | 64 [304] |
*nomenclature changed, care needed
#introduced members only
References for identification
Bain J 1970. New Zealand species of Lissonota (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). New Zealand Entomologist 4: 80–87.
Berry JA 1990. The New Zealand species of the subfamily Metopiinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). New Zealand Journal of Zoology 17: 607–614.
Gauld ID 1984. An introduction to the Ichneumonidae of Australia. British Museum. (Natural History), London. 413 p
Nuttall MJ 1980. Insect parasites of Sirex (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae, Ibaliidae, and Orussidae). Forest Timber Insects of New Zealand No.47. 12 p.
Parrott AW 1951. New Zealand Ichneumonidae. I. The genus Netelia Gray. (Paniscus of authors) (Tryphoninae: Phytodietini). Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand (Zoology) 79: 286–293.
Parrott AW 1952. New Zealand Ichneumonidae. II. Tribe Echthromorphini (Pimplinae). Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand (Zoology) 80: 155–170.
Parrott AW 1954. New Zealand Ichneumonidae. III. Subfamily Ophioninae. Tribe Ophionini. Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand (Zoology) 81: 627–645.
Parrott AW 1962. Notes and synonymy of New Zealand Ichneumonidae. Subfamily Pimplinae. Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand (Zoology) 1: 349–353.
Ward DF 2011. Poecilocryptus zealandicus sp. n. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Labeninae) from New Zealand. New Zealand Entomologist. 34: 37–39.
Zondag R, Nuttall MJ 1961. Rhyssa lineolata (Kirby) (Hymenoptera; Ichneumonidae; Pimplinae). A species new to New Zealand. New Zealand Entomologist 2 (6): 40–44.
Funding
This work has been funded by: Terrestrial Freshwater and Biodiversity Information System (TFBIS-#256), and the New Zealand Foundation for Research, Science and Technology through funding of the 'Defining New Zealand’s Land Biota' programme.
Primary Contact:
 | Darren Ward Email  |
Landcare Research | |
Phone: +64 9 574 4100 |