Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Dipter unknown... please help me on ID.

Posted by ChrisR on 08-06-2006 16:22
#10

I think there is a little confusion here - a few Ich* words have been used, which you might not be familiar with:
* Ichneumonoidea = a superfamily
* Ichneumonidae = a family
* Ichneumoninae = a subfamily
* Ichneumonini = a tribe
* Ichneumon = a genus

So, genus Amblyjoppa is in: superfamily Ichneumonoidea; family Ichneumonidae; subfamily Ichneumoninae. But NOT tribe Ichneumonini and certainly not genus Ichneumon. Amblyjoppa (in my books) is actually in tribe Protichneumonini. :)

As for online keys, that is very very unlikely. Most of the keys to the parasitic hymenoptera are very old, very out of date and were published many years ago - though you can still find them if you go to a good entomological library. But remember you must spend a long time keying a specimen through before you'll get an identification. :o

You might be able to find some images out on the web (though I couldn't find any) but, as I said before, there are very many species that look similar so images are a very bad way to identify most parasitic hymenoptera. ;)

Sorry to sound so pesimistic but I have done a fair bit of work with parasitic hymenoptera and I know they are one of the hardest groups for a beginner to get in to. :(

Edited by ChrisR on 08-06-2006 16:23