Hepiopelmus variegatorius (Panzer, 1800)
Length: 15mm.
Flight period: late June till mid-October, in Britain.
This is a very attractively marked, Ichneumon wasp, widespread in Britain, but it is not a common Ichneumon wasp, being a parasitoid of, Buff and White Ermine moths. The female will search for the caterpillars of these moths, to take to her prepared nest. By using her ovipositor, she will inject her eggs into the caterpillar’s body, which will then automatically become a host, for her young to feed on. The host will die, then the larvae pupate and will emerge as an adult, to complete the life cycle.
Habitat: Woodland edges, hedge rows, well vegetated meadows and unkept gardens.