Ophion luteus - an ichneumon wasp - Family: Ichneumonidae

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Ophion luteus - an ichneumon wasp
© Roger Key/English Nature

This is a yellow-orange ichneumon which is active at night and is most often seen flying around outside lights, or caught in the web of spiders in such places. There are several similar looking species, some of the larger ones of which are able to defend themselves if picked up with a sting like a pin-prick. There is a huge number of other species of ichneumons that inhabit gardens, in a very wide variety of shapes and colours. They are very important in controlling the numbers of most other species of insect.

Food

Parasitoid: meaning that it kills its host rather than just feeds on it. Victims are large caterpillars, mainly of noctuid moths.

Prey

Angle shades moth, Dot moth, Flame moth, Golden plusia moth, Heart and dart moth, Herald moth, Large yellow underwing moth, Lesser yellow underwing moth, Marbled beauty moth, Red underwing moth, Spectacle moth, The mullein moth

Predators

House spider