Apechthis compunctor (Linnaeus, 1758)
(a pimpline ichneumon wasp)

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesApechthis compunctor (a pimpline ichneumon wasp)
GenusApechthis (a genus of pimpline ichneumon wasps)
TribePimplini (pimpline ichneumon wasps s.s.)
SubfamilyPIMPLINAE (pimpline ichneumon wasps)
FamilyICHNEUMONIDAE (ichneumon wasps)
SuperfamilyICHNEUMONOIDEA (braconid and ichneumon parasitic wasps)
SuborderAPOCRITA (bees, wasps, ants and parasitoids)
OrderHYMENOPTERA (ants, bees and wasps, sawflies and parasitoid wasps)
Division Endopterygota (bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects with wings developing internally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
Records of Apechthis compunctor (a pimpline ichneumon wasp) :
1: Apechthis compunctor (a pimpline ichneumon wasp)
30 Aug 2022 OSGR: SU10 50° 50’ N, 1° 50’ W Vice County: South Hants (VC 11) England
Female, trapped in roof of open-sided conservatory
Image 1: Female - dorsal view - close-up - silver backgroundImage 2: Female - dorsal view - silver backgroundImage 3: Female - lateral view - close-up - silver backgroundImage 4: Female - lateral view - silver backgroundImage 5: Female - head and antennal bases - dorsal view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 6: Female - head and antennal bases - lateral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 7: Female - head and antennal bases - postero-dorsal view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 8: Female - head and mesosoma - antero-dorsal view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 9: Female - head and mesosoma - lateral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 10: Female - head and mesosoma - postero-dorsal view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 11: Female - head and thorax - ventral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 12: Female - head - ventral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 13: Female - mesosoma and petiole - dorsal view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 14: Female - mesosoma - lateral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 15: Female - mesosternum and mid coxae - ventral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 16: Female - petiole and T2 - lateral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 17: Female - propodeum and T1-2 - lateral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 18: Female - propodeum - lateral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 19: Female - scutellum and propodeum - dorsal view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 20: Female - ventral view - close-up - enlarged - silver backgroundImage 21: Female - head and antennal bases - anterior view - microscope low magnification - silver backgroundImage 22: Female - head - anterior view - microscope low magnification - silver backgroundImage 23: Female - petiole and T2 - dorsal view - close-up - microscope low magnification - silver backgroundImage 24: Female - petiole and T2 - dorsal view - microscope low magnification - silver backgroundImage 25: Female - scutellum and propodeum - dorsal view - microscope low magnification - silver background
2: Apechthis compunctor (a pimpline ichneumon wasp)
22 Aug 2017 OSGR: ST43 51° 10’ N, 2° 50’ W Vice County: North Somerset (VC 6) England
Male, flying through vegetation (hunting)
Image 1: Male - dorsal view - silver backgroundImage 2: Male - dorsal view - silver background (2)Image 3: Male - ventral view - silver backgroundImage 4: Male - head and antennal bases - anterior view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 5: Male - head and thorax - dorsal view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 6: Male - head and thorax - lateral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 7: Male - head - anterior view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 8: Male - head - dorsal view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 9: Male - head - lateral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 10: Male - metasoma - dorsal view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 11: Male - propodeum and metasoma base - dorsal view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 12: Male - propodeum and metasoma base - lateral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 13: Wings - highly enlarged - white background
3: Apechthis compunctor (a pimpline ichneumon wasp)
22 Aug 2017 OSGR: ST43 51° 10’ N, 2° 50’ W Vice County: North Somerset (VC 6) England
Female, visiting Hogweed
Image 1: Female - dorsal view - wings apart - close-up - silver backgroundImage 2: Female - dorsal view - wings apart - silver backgroundImage 3: Female - dorsal view - wings apart - silver background (2)Image 4: Female - ventral view - wings apart - close-up - silver backgroundImage 5: Female - ventral view - wings apart - silver backgroundImage 6: Female - head and thorax - dorsal view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 7: Female - head - anterior view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 8: Female - head - dorsal view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 9: Female - lateral view - wings together - close-up - enlarged - silver backgroundImage 10: Female - lateral view - wings together - enlarged - silver backgroundImage 11: Female - metasoma - dorsal view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 12: Female - metasoma - lateral view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 13: Female - terminalia - lateral view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 14: Female - ovipositor tip - microscope low magnification - silver background
4: Apechthis compunctor (a pimpline ichneumon wasp)
5 Jun 1997 OSGR: SU67 51° 30’ N, 1° 0’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Female, flying round Nettle
Image 1: Female - lateral view

Apechthis compunctor (a pimpline ichneumon wasp) may be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Apechthis compunctor (a pimpline ichneumon wasp)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 0 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for Apechthis compunctor (a pimpline ichneumon wasp)

One of the Pimpla rufipes look-alikes, it is a small to medium black ichneumon with orange legs. The female has a characteristic down-curved ovipositor sheath. This conceals a wicked hooked ovipositor which it uses to crowbar its way between the sclerites of Lepidoptera pupae, espcially butterflies.

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