Imperator (Dolichomitus imperator)

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Pakor, 13.08.2006 5:14

user posted image

From the photo gallery Pavel Korzunovich

Dolichomitus imperator (Kriechb.)
Order Hymenoptera-Hymenoptera
Family of Horsemen-Ichneumonidae

A forest species, an ectoparasite of hidden wood larvae of xylophage insects - large goldenrods and woodcutter beetles - pests of pine. Adults feed on the nectar of flowers and sap of woody plants. The female runs along the trunks of pine trees and looks for larvae located at a depth of several centimeters under the bark and wood. Finding the larva, the female spreads her legs wide, bends the jagged ovipositor at the end and, sticking it between her legs, begins to rotate around, screwing in the ovipositor like a drill. The whole egg-laying procedure takes several hours. Ephialt lays the egg directly into the body of the victim's larva, first paralyzing it. The rider larva develops ectoparasitically on the surface of the host's body. One of the biggest riders. The body is black, the legs are red. The ovipositor significantly exceeds the length of the body. Lower ovipositor valves with lateral lobes covering the upper valves. The total length of the body with the ovipositor is 40 mm.

Population: Low everywhere.

Limiting factors: The population is low, probably due to natural causes, which is aggravated by human forestry activities.

Description from the site Red Data Book of the Ulyanovsk Region