Female Ichneumon

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Ken Ramos
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Female Ichneumon

Post by Ken Ramos »

Wish there was more information as to the identification of these wasps but it seems that with so many species, putting together a comprehensive guide would be a massive undertaking, though I did read some where, “BugGuide” I think, that there was one being translated for publication. So, all we or I can say is that this is a female ichneumon. This is the first female I have found here lately and I find the eyes and antennae of these wasps to be the most attractive feature, well to me anyway. :-k

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beetleman
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Post by beetleman »

You captured her very will Ken. She does have a lot of eye makeup on :wink: If you look at Bugguide, It looks like it would be a nightmare getting to a species level with this group of wasps :shock:
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Ken Ramos
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Post by Ken Ramos »

Doug replied:
If you look at Bugguide, It looks like it would be a nightmare getting to a species level with this group of wasps
That pretty much seems to be the consensus there Doug, there are just to many of them. Though someone on there, BugGuide, did make a comment in relation to the fact that someone or interested parties were working on translating a guide that covers a good many of them. :D

Thanks Doug :D

Erland R.N.
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Post by Erland R.N. »

I love the looks of these "hard to ID" wasps.
Great captures Ken

Erland

Ken Ramos
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Post by Ken Ramos »

You know I have never paid much attention to these wasps, though I have often seen them and I now find that they are some amazing little creatures.

Thanks Erland :D

rovebeetle
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Re: Female Ichneumon

Post by rovebeetle »

Ken Ramos wrote:with so many species, putting together a comprehensive guide would be a massive undertaking,
With virtually 1000's of species in N-America (incl. many undescribed ones) a hopeless task indeed :) , and pointless for a non specialist if you ask me. A comprehensive monograph would be useable only by a dedicated specialist and even he would be hard put without a good voucher collection.

I know what I am talking about - I am a specialist in Staphylinidae, a family with close to 50.000 species described world wide. I narrowed down my expertise to two or three subtribes in the Old World and even those account for roughly 5000 species, bringing me on the edge of despair at times.

Cheers
Harry

Ken Ramos
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Post by Ken Ramos »

Mind boggling isn't it Harry! :lol: Yes, I suppose there will never be much a laymans guide to such things but still it gives one something to ponder over and I find things such as these wasps, to be much better out viewing and studying than that CRT I have on the entertainment stand in the living room. :lol:

rovebeetle
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Post by rovebeetle »

Ken Ramos wrote:to be much better out viewing and studying than that CRT I have on the entertainment stand in the living room. :lol:
I wish more people would show such wisdom.

Cheers
Harry

Harold Gough
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Post by Harold Gough »

Apparently, the World's leading expert on Ichneumonids was known for travelling all over the world to examine specimens of species he had not seen before. He would take one (possibly rather long) look at a specimen or two. He would not make drawings or notes but would then have the characters of that species permanently fixed in his mind.

Harold
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rovebeetle
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Post by rovebeetle »

Harold Gough wrote:Apparently, the World's leading expert on Ichneumonids was known for travelling all over the world to examine specimens of species he had not seen before.
That's common procedure - I do that as well, mostly to keep record on what is stored in which collection (not only type material) to be able to ask specifically for a certain loan, which is usually done by mail.
Do you know his name by chance?
Harold Gough wrote:He would take one (possibly rather long) look at a specimen or two. He would not make drawings or notes but would then have the characters of that species permanently fixed in his mind.
Which disqualifies him, utterly. If he really worked like that I can imagine what his publications look like ... No person can keep in mind a set of dozens of characters for 1000s of species, unless he is autistic. Even though I make notes, drawings, whatever, in certain cases I have to have a second look because I did not pay attention to a certain character in the first place, or compare species next to each other.

Cheers
Harry

Harold Gough
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Post by Harold Gough »

These days I'm doing well if I can remember my own name! I can still remember the names of the leading workers in my own speciality (Collembola, and, less so, Protura) but not of groups I had to work with, to identify, but never studied taxonomically.

I also worked with borrowed (Collembola) material, some types, and even set up a lectotype of one species. I described one new species (from up a Spanish mountain) and had one, from down a Spanish cave, which I recognised as a new species, named after me (two paratypes are in a box behind me as I sit here). That is about the limit of my glory.

I'm not sure whether the memory man was a British Museum specialist or from the states but he was highly respected. You should be able to find out. Of course, it is not impossible that his modus operandi was slightly exaggerated.

Harold
My images are a medium for sharing some of my experiences: they are not me.

rovebeetle
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Post by rovebeetle »

Harold Gough wrote:Of course, it is not impossible that his modus operandi was slightly exaggerated.
That's the case very often :) , so until I know his name I will postpone any judgement.

So you worked on Collembola, interesting - possibly, the name Penny Greenslade might convey something to you. Funny lady and also a springtail specialist - I met her personally on my first trip to Burma where we both worked as instructors during an arthropod field course. You can imagine the difficult stand she had as a (typical) British lady among a bunch of American scientists. Well, there was also a Brazilian spider specialist and an Austrian coleopterist (me) :) .

Cheers
Harry

Harold Gough
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Post by Harold Gough »

Penny (Penelope in those days) Greenslade was in New Zealand in my most active years. I can't remember the context but I had some correspondence with her on one occasion and found her very helpful.

I had a correspondence over many years with Peter Laurence at the BM(NH). Otherwise, most of my dealings were with Maria Mauela da Gama (Gisin's protege) at Coimbra University, Portugal; latterly with Romano Dallai, Sienna, Italy (he still has some of my material) and Arne Fjelberg, Bergen, Norway.

Only last week, I purchased a copy of the first key to the British species by Steve Hopkin, who was killed in a car crash last year.

Harold
My images are a medium for sharing some of my experiences: they are not me.

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