Giant-wasp
Guides
Megarhyssa macrurus
Long-tailed Giant Ichneumonid Wasp, Long-tailed Giant Ichneumon Wasp
Megarhyssa macrurus is a large parasitoid wasp and one of the biggest ichneumonids in North America. Females possess an extraordinarily long ovipositor—often exceeding body length—that allows them to reach wood-boring host larvae deep inside decaying trees. The species is a specialist parasitoid of pigeon horntail (Tremex columba) larvae. It occurs across the eastern United States and southern Canada, where it is most commonly observed in summer.