Photo ©2012 Hectonichus
Click any photo for a larger image
Photo ©2015 GailHampshire
Photo ©2012 Hectonichus
Click any photo for a larger image
Photo ©2015 GailHampshire
Black Slip Wasp - Pinpala ruffles
Family - Ichneumonidae
The Black Slip Wasp is a species that is widely distributed across Europe, Asia, and northern Africa, they can be found mainly during the autumn in hedgerows and vegetated areas. At a length of about 15mm (0.59in) with a rather slender body, they are generally black with bright orange legs, of which the hind legs are larger than the others.
It is a parasitoid of butterfly and moth larvae and pupae, laying an egg in each host which do not mature after parasitisation. The main hosts of this parasitic wasp are the Large White butterfly - Pieris brassicae and the Spongy moth - Lymantria dispar. Whilst the larvae feed on their hosts, the adults can usually be seen visiting flowers.
Pimpla rufipes can be mistaken for Apechthis compunctor as they are similar in shape and size at 10–15mm, although some Pimpla rufipes are very large. The key difference between the two is in the female ovipositor which in P. rufipes is straight and lacks the downward curved tip. For this reason, the males, which don’t have an ovipositor, are indistinguishable from photographs.
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