Is That a Stinger?

Photo by Joe Venturo

At first glance, it might look like a huge stinger that would make a big welt on your skin. But you don’t have to worry about this thing stinging you. Or do you? . . .

The ichneumon wasp is a large wasp that lives worldwide. There are many different species of ichneumon wasp, but one species, the Giant Ichneumon grows to 3 inches long, plus a 4 3/8-inch ovipositor. Most ichneumons do not sting, but some are able to inject venom through their ovipositor!

The Giant Ichneumon has an interesting life cycle. A wasp will press its antennae against a tree to feel vibrations from larvae inside. It then inserts its ovipositor into tunnels made by the larvae and lays an egg. When the egg hatches, the ichneumon larva attacks the host larva!

Adult Giant Ichneumons sometimes do not eat, but other species eat nectar.

In Cavalier, North Dakota, we found a Giant Ichneumon in our gazebo. We wondered if they could sting with the long ovipositor. We knew that this wasp could only have been created by an ingenious God!

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Information from: Milne, Lorus, Margery Milne, and Susan Rayfield. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1980.