Citrus Leafminer Parasitoid vs Ichneumon Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Citrus Leafminer Parasitoid Ichneumon Wasp
Scientific Name Cirrospilus ingenuus Megarhyssa macrurus
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Eulophidae Ichneumonidae
Size 1-1.5 mm 25-50 mm body plus 100+ mm ovipositor
Habitat Orchards Woodlands
Diet Parasitoids Parasitoids
Regions Asia, Africa, Americas, Australia North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Citrus Leafminer Parasitoid

A tiny ectoparasitoid wasp that attacks citrus leafminer larvae inside their leaf mines. It has been introduced to many citrus-growing regions.

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Did You Know?

The wasp stings through the leaf tissue to paralyze the leafminer larva hiding inside.

Ichneumon Wasp

A large parasitoid wasp with an extremely long, thread-like ovipositor that can exceed the length of its body. Females drill through solid wood to reach their host larvae deep inside.

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Did You Know?

The female can somehow detect horntail larvae vibrations through several centimeters of solid wood and then drill her flexible ovipositor to reach them with remarkable accuracy.