Ophion obscuratus parasitoid wasp, lateral view
Ophion obscuratus is one of the more conspicuous species of Ichneumonidae, a very species-rich family of parasitoid wasps. As parasitoids develop, their larvae feed on their host, and eventually kill it. There are around 6,000 species of parasitoid wasps in the UK. Most are parasitoids of other insects such as moths and butterflies - especially their eggs and caterpillars - flies, beetles, greenflies, whiteflies, scale insects and other wasps. Some parasitoid wasps are used commercially as biological controls of pest species. Importantly, their control is specific, limited to only one or a few species, with most wildlife left unaffected. Encarsia formosa, for example, is used worldwide to control whiteflies, a greenhouse pest that affects many crops.
Size: 4724px × 3150px
Photo credit: © Scenics & Science / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: biological, caterpillar, control, entomology, lateral, obscuratus, ophion, parasite, parasitoid, view, wasp
