Habronyx is a genus of parasitoid wasps belonging to the family Ichneumonidae.[1] The species of this genus are found in Europe, Australia, and North[1] and South America.[2]
Distribution
Habronyx species are found in most realms, with the exception of the Afrotropical realm.[2]
Reproduction
Habronyx adults lay their eggs inside Lepidopteran larvae (i.e. caterpillars) by piercing them with their ovipositor.[2]Habronyx eggs consist of an equatorial disc and a caudal stalk, making them look a bit like the cartoon oil lamp from Aladdin.[3] It's thought that the shape is adapted to attach the egg to the inside of the caterpillar's integument.[4] Once the eggs hatch, the Habronyx larvae consume the caterpillar from the inside. They emerge from the deceased caterpillar as adults.
Description
The adult of most Habronyx species are generally about 30 mm (1.2 in) in length.[3]
Like all ichneumons, the genitals of the male Habronyx consists of a capsule formed by two lateral gonosquamae. The membraneous part of the aedeagus is covered in small spines; Habryonx shares this feature with several other genera but some genera have a smooth aedeagus.[3]
^ abTownes, Henry; Momoi, Setsuya; Townes, Marjorie (1965), "A Catalogue and Reclassification of the Eastern Palaearctic Ichneumonidae", Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, no. 5, Ann Arbor, Michigan: American Entomological Institute