The Ichneumon Wasps are an incredibly diverse group ranging in size from the very small to the very large. In Britain alone there are over 2000 species.
Most members of both the Ophion (above) and Pimpla (below) genera are Koinobiont endoparasitoids of butterfly and moth larvae. These species lay their eggs inside a host larvae, which is at most only temporarily paralysed by the venom from the wasp's sting. The caterpillar then continues to develop while the wasp's larvae hatch and grow within its body. The caterpillar is eventually killed when the wasp's reach maturity.
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