Megarhyssa atrata

Megarhyssa atrata, also known as the black giant ichneumonid wasp, is a species of large ichneumon wasp. It is known from North America,^[1] where it is found from Quebec, Michigan, Ohio, Connecticut, and North and South Carolina to Florida.^[2]

Megarhyssa atrata
Megarhyssa atrata female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Ichneumonidae
Subfamily:	Rhyssinae
Genus:	Megarhyssa
Species:	M. atrata
Binomial name
Megarhyssa atrata (Fabricius, 1781)
Synonyms
Ichneumon atratus Fabricius, 1781

Adults are on wing from May to July.^{[citation needed]}

Behavior

The larvae are parasitoids of the larvae of the woodwasp Tremex columba in dead deciduous trees.^[3]

Female M. atrata burrow into wood with their ovipositor while secreting a substance that breaks down the wood.^[4]