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Nature as a Quilt: Inchneunomid Wasps

August 24th, 2024 by Michael Dyet

Hmmm, what has five eyes, lives only a week and escapes your notice unless you look for it?

This post is the first in a series I will be developing over time. The metaphorical theme is nature as a quilt – an intricate tapestry of ecosystems interwoven like patches in a quilt and dependent upon one another.

I am launching this series with Ichneumonid Wasps because they fascinate me – and because they can be quite striking like the Genus Cratichneumon sample at the head of this post.

What is so special about Ichneumonid Wasps?

They are notable for their sheer number. There are roughly 26,000 species identified to date. But experts estimate that there are at least 60,000 species worldwide while some believe there may be as many as 100,000. There are 2,500 Ichneumonid Wasps in Canada. I have laid eyes on 37 of them so I have lots yet to find.

What do they look like?

They superficially resemble other wasps with a slender waist, two pairs of wings, a pair of large compound eyes on the side of the head and three simple yes on top of the head. You have to watch closely to spot them as they are small – ranging from a few millimetres to a few centimetres in length.

How long do they live and where?

Live is very short if you are an Ichneumonid Wasp – 7 to 10 days only as adults. They overwinter in cocoons as mature larvae. Larvae hatch from eggs inserted into tunnels in tree bark and live as parasites inside caterpillars and other insects.

Where do they fit in the quilt?

The parasitism pressure exerted by Ichneumonid Wasps helps to regulate many invertebrate populations. In turn, they are a food source for birds, dragonflies, robber flies, frogs, spiders and mantises.

Ichneumonid Wasps are found in all continents except Antarctica and in virtually all terrestrial habitats. One more fascinating patch in the quilt of nature stitched together by threads of interdependence and natural balance.

Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

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