Rhyssa

Rhyssa is a genus of ichneumon wasps belonging to the family Ichneumonidae subfamily Rhyssinae.

Rhyssa
Rhyssa persuasoria - Female
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Ichneumonidae
Subfamily:	Rhyssinae
Genus:	Rhyssa Gravenhorst, 1829
Synonyms
Cryptocentrum Kirby, 1837 Pararhyssa Walsh, 1873

Etymology

The Latin name of the genus comes from the Greek and means "wrinkled".

Description

Female of this parasitic species drills deep into wood by its hair thin ovipositor (terebra) and lays its eggs on larvae living in timber, which become a food supply and an incubator for the progeny, until it is fully grown.

Distribution

Species of this genus are present in most of Europe, the Australian region, the Near East, in the Nearctic realm, the Indomalayan realm, and in North Africa.

Selected species

• Rhyssa alaskensis Ashmead, 1902
• Rhyssa amoena Gravenhorst, 1829
• Rhyssa crevieri Provancher, 1880
• Rhyssa curvipes Gravenhorst, 1829
• Rhyssa hoferi Rohwer, 1920
• Rhyssa howdenorum Townes, 1960
• Rhyssa kriechbaumeri Ozols, 1973
• Rhyssa lineolata Kirby, 1837
• Rhyssa nigricornis Ratzeburg, 1852
• Rhyssa nigritarsis
• Rhyssa persuasoria Linnaeus, 1758
• Rhyssa petiolata Brues, 1906
• Rhyssa ponderosae Townes 1960

References

• zipcodezoo.com
• BugGuide Genus Rhyssa
• Fauna Europaea