More than 2200 species of the wild flora and fauna photographed in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico and the surrounding area.
Optimized for viewing on desktop or laptop
Wasps of Zihuatanejo
ORDER HYMENOPTERA
-Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)
-Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)
-Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)
-Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies (Order Hymenoptera)
-Narrow-waisted Wasps, Ants, and Bees (Suborder Apocrita)
-Ichneumonid and Braconid Wasps (Superfamily Ichneumonoidea)
-Braconid Wasps (Family Braconidae)
-Subfamily Braconinae
-Tribe Aphrastobraconini
-Genus Atanycolus
Atanycolus is a genus of medium- to large-sized parasitoid wasps in the family Braconidae. These wasps are typically slender and elongated, often brown to reddish-brown with darker markings. Atanycolus species are primarily parasitoids of wood-boring beetle larvae, especially longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) and sometimes other beetles that tunnel in trees. The female wasp locates a host larva beneath bark or within wood and inserts her ovipositor through cracks or directly into the wood to deposit an egg. The developing wasp larva feeds internally on the beetle larva, eventually killing it.
Atanycolus Braconid Wasps
Atanycolus (Genus)
Description
• Atanycolus is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Braconidae. These slender wasps typically have elongated bodies, long antennae, and a narrow waist. Colouration is often dark brown or black, sometimes with reddish or yellowish markings. Females possess an ovipositor used to lay eggs in or on the larvae of other insects, particularly wood-boring beetles.
Range
• Species of Atanycolus occur in several regions, including North America, Europe, and Asia, with distributions varying by species. The genus is represented in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and the surrounding area.
Habitat
• Atanycolus wasps are associated with wooded habitats, forests, orchards, and areas containing dead or dying trees. Adults search tree trunks, branches, and bark crevices for suitable hosts, especially beetle larvae developing beneath the bark or within wood.
Diet
• Adult Atanycolus feed on nectar, honeydew, and other sugary sources when available. Their larvae are parasitoids that develop by feeding on the larvae of wood-boring beetles, including certain longhorn beetles and other beetle groups. This life cycle makes them important natural enemies of some wood-boring insect pests.