Therion morio
{{Short description|Species of wasp}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Ichneumon Wasp - Therion morio, Carderock Park, Maryland.jpg
| genus = Therion
| species = morio
| authority = (Fabricius, 1781)
| synonyms = Exochilum Mundum (Say)
Ophion Mundus (Say)
}}
Therion morio is a species of parasitic ichneumon wasp in the family Ichneumonidae. It is a parasite of the webworm caterpillar in North America.
Reproduction
T. morio adults lay their eggs inside webworm caterpillars by piercing them with their ovipositor.{{Cite book |last=Tothill |first=John D. |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.63051 |title=The natural control of the fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea Drury) in Canada : together with an account of its several parasites |date=1922 |publisher=F.A. Acland, King's Printer |location=Ottawa |pages=88–102|doi=10.5962/bhl.title.63051 }} Like H. fulvipes, their eggs consist of an equatorial disc and a caudal stalk, making them look a bit like the cartoon oil lamp from Aladdin.{{Cite journal |last=Gauld |first=I. D. |author-link=Ian D. Gauld |date=1976 |title=THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE ANOMALONINAE HYMENOPTERA ICHNEUMONIDAE |url=https://biostor.org/reference/113561 |journal=Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology |volume=33 |pages=1–135}} It's thought that the shape is adapted to attach the egg to the inside of the caterpillar's integument. The egg partially hatches, and the next stage is termed a "feeding embryo", as this first stage larvae feeds through the inner membrane of the egg which still contains it. The second stage larva emerges from this inner membrane and continues to feed on the caterpillar. The head capsule of the second stage larva is much less chitinised than the first. The third stage larva is similar in appearance to the second stage larvae; Tothill describes it as a "dirty-looking, whitish grub." However, the third stage has spiracles.
References
{{Reflist|refs=
{{Cite web| title=Therion morio Overview
| url=http://eol.org/pages/3777767/overview
| website=Encyclopedia of Life
| accessdate=2018-04-11
}}
{{Cite web| title=Therion morio species details
| url=http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/details/species/id/91eafb1c6f47acecfaa4ae84fd36cf8f
| website=Catalogue of Life
| accessdate=2018-04-11
}}
{{Cite web| title=Therion morio
| url=https://www.gbif.org/species/1294299
| website=GBIF
| accessdate=2018-04-11
}}
{{Cite web| title=Therion morio Species Information
| url=https://bugguide.net/node/view/337815
| website=BugGuide.net
| accessdate=2018-04-11
}}
{{Cite web
| accessdate = 2018-04-11
| last1 = Carlson | first1 = Robert W.
| title = Superfamily Ichneumonoidea, Discover Life
| url = http://www.discoverlife.org/proceedings/0000/6/html/Ichneumonidae.html
}}
}}
Further reading
{{refbegin}}
- {{Cite book
| last1 = Arnett | first1 = Ross H. Jr.
| date = 2000
| title = American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=DKzAmSDdLtsC
| publisher = CRC Press
| edition = 2nd
| isbn = 0-8493-0212-9
}}
- {{Cite web
| accessdate = 2018-04-11
| editor-last1 = Krombein | editor-first1 = Karl V.
| editor-last2 = Hurd Jr. | editor-first2 = Paul D. Jr.
| editor-last3 = Smith | editor-first3 = David R.
| editor-last4 = Burks | editor-first4 = B.D.
| date = 1979
| title = Catalog of Hymenoptera in America North of Mexico
| url = https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/catalog-hymenoptera-america-north-mexico
| publisher = Smithsonian Institution Press
}}
{{refend}}
External links
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- {{Commons-inline}}
{{refend}}
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{{Taxonbar|from=Q2619464}}
Category:Insects described in 1781
{{ichneumonidae-stub}}