Ophionid Wasp (Short-tailed Ichneumon Wasp)

Found in gardens, woodlands, and fields; commonly enters homes as they are attracted to artificial lights at night.

Adults feed on nectar and honeydew; larvae are koinobiont endoparasitoids of lepidopteran (caterpillar) larvae.

They are nocturnal and strongly phototropic (attracted to light). Females search for host caterpillars at night to lay a single egg inside them. The host remains alive while the larva develops.

Beneficial to the ecosystem as biological control for many moth species. They do not have a true stinger like social wasps, but the female's ovipositor is sharp and can deliver a small, painful prick if the insect is handled roughly; they are not aggressive to humans.