Ichneumon, (family Ichneumonidae), any of a large and widely distributed insect group (order Hymenoptera) of considerable economic importance. The name sometimes refers to any member of the superfamily Ichneumonoidea, which includes the families Stephanidae, Braconidae, and Ichneumonidae. The Stephanidae, a largely tropical group, consists of several hundred species, and the Braconidae is a large, widely distributed group found in both temperate and tropical regions.
About 40,000 ichneumon species are known. Adults vary considerably in shape, colour, and size, averaging about 1.2 cm (about 1/2 inch) long. The largest ichneumons of North America, those of the genus Megarhyssa, reach 5 cm in length. Most species resemble wasps in having a long, slender, curved abdomen. They usually differ from the stinging wasps in having longer antennae with more segments, or sections. The ovipositor, or egg-laying organ, is often longer than the body. Many species have a dark spot on the fore wing.
Ichneumons parasitize many insect groups, especially Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies), Coleoptera (beetles), and other Hymenoptera. Some utilize spiders as hosts. Thus, the group as a whole is beneficial to humans because it parasitizes many insect pests. A relatively small number of species parasitize beneficial insects.
The females lay their eggs in or on the larvae or pupae (rarely eggs or adults) of the host. The ichneumon larva feeds on the fats and body fluids of the host until fully grown, then usually spins a silken cocoon. The species that parasitize hosts in open habitats usually develop as internal parasites, whereas those that attack hosts in concealed places, such as wood burrows, usually feed on the host externally. In most cases a single larva develops in one host. However, in some cases, many larvae develop in a single host.