Virgichneumon albilineatus

Virgichneumon albilineatus is a black Ichneumon wasp of the tribe Ichneumonini. Its main identifying characteristic is a large ivory mark extending from the inner orbit almost to the ocellus. Males have face and clypeus broadly ivory laterally. The scutellum is also ivory and it has ivory markings to tergites 6 and 7 or 5 - 7. The female has black antennae with white bands centrally. the male has all black antennae. The legs are mainly black with males having ivory markings to hind tibia and tarsal segments 2, 3 & 4 together with the middle tibia and tarsi. Males also have a long white stripe to the upper lateral margin of the pronotum. In females the oviposito is relatively short and barely extends beyond the last abdominal segment.

Body Length females 12 - 14 mm, males 13 - 16 mm  

Other Virichneumon species

• Large ivory mark extending from the inner orbit almost to the ocellus
• Ivory scutellum or the majority ivory in males
• Black femora
• White bands centrally to black antennae in females, all black antennae in males
• Ivory/white marking to hind tibia, tarsi and middle tibia, tarsi in males
• White stripe to the upper lateral margins of pronotum in males

Identification advice should be sought from British Ichneumonoidea Facebook

We recommend that this species is verified by an expert before sending to NatureSpot

Hedgerows, gardens and woodlands wherever the host moth species are prevalent

Flight period late July - October

Females lay eggs in the pupae of particular moths notably in the families Erebidae and Noctuidae. The larvae then consume the host before pupating and then emerge as adults

Common and widespread but underrecorded