Ichneumon wasp. High-speed photograph of an ichneumon wasp (family Ichneumonidae) in flight. Ichneumon wasps parasitise 'host' organisms such as cater

---

Ichneumon wasp. High-speed photograph of an ichneumon wasp (family Ichneumonidae) in flight. Ichneumon wasps parasitise 'host' organisms such as caterpillars and sometimes the larvae of other insects. The female lays her eggs inside the host's body, inserting them with her long ovipositor (not seen). The developing larvae eat the still-living host from within; once the larvae are fully grown, they leave the body and begin to spin their cocoons on the surface of the dead or dying host.

---

Size: 3411px × 5151px
Photo credit: © DR. JOHN BRACKENBURY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, flight, high-speed, ichneumon, ichneumonidae, insect, insecta, invertebrate, invertebrates, nature, parasite, photo, wasp, wildlife, zoology