Odontocolon


Odontocolon is a genus of ichneumon wasps in the family Ichneumonidae. There are at least 40 described species in Odontocolon.

Description

Female wasps of the Odontocolon genus lay their eggs onto the skin of larvae that live in the inner bark of trees. Each species of Odontocolon has its own host preference, such as beetles or sawflies.
Odontocolon larva hatch and develop on the exterior of the host larva, killing it. They then build a cocoon under the tree bark before and emerge as adult wasps the next spring.
These wasps are not aggressive. The long appendage on females resembling a stinger is an ovipositor and is used for piercing into wood to lay eggs.

Species

These 42 species belong to the genus Odontocolon:Odontocolon abdominale c gOdontocolon aethiops c gOdontocolon alaskense c gOdontocolon albotibiale c g bOdontocolon appendiculatum c gOdontocolon apterus Kasparyan, 1997 c gOdontocolon atripes c gOdontocolon atrum Chandra, 1978 c gOdontocolon bicolor c gOdontocolon brevicaudum c gOdontocolon canadense c gOdontocolon cilipes Townes, 1960 c gOdontocolon curtum Townes, 1960 c gOdontocolon dentifemorale Wang & Gupta, 1995 c gOdontocolon dentipes c gOdontocolon depressum Townes, 1960 c gOdontocolon dichroum c gOdontocolon dreisbachi Townes, 1960 c gOdontocolon formicoides Townes, 1960 c gOdontocolon geniculatum c gOdontocolon hungaricum c gOdontocolon indicum Chandra, 1978 c gOdontocolon jezoense cOdontocolon mellipes c gOdontocolon microclausum Uchida, 1955 c gOdontocolon minutum c gOdontocolon nikkoense c gOdontocolon ochropus Townes, 1960 c g bOdontocolon parvum Townes, 1960 c gOdontocolon polymorphum Cushman, 1942 c gOdontocolon pullum Townes, 1960 c gOdontocolon punctatum c gOdontocolon punctulatum c gOdontocolon quercinum c gOdontocolon rufiventris c gOdontocolon rufum cOdontocolon sierrae Townes, 1960 c gOdontocolon spinipes c gOdontocolon stejnegeri c gOdontocolon strangaliae c gOdontocolon thomsoni c gOdontocolon vicinum c
Data sources: i = ITIS, c = Catalogue of Life, g = GBIF, b = Bugguide.net