The ichneumons are protected by a covering of mud, in which they roll, and then dry themselves in the sun.
The ichneumonsdestroy not only the eggs of the latter, but the animals themselves.
Some of the ichneumons even bore into trees in order to deposit their eggs in the larvae of wood-boring insects.
It is safe to say that the ichneumons save millions of dollars yearly to this country.
Lozieres, large quantities of a very beautiful silk, of dazzling whiteness, may be collected from the cocoons even of the Ichneumons that destroy the larvae of some moth in the West Indies which feed upon the indigo and cassada[656].
Most Ichneumons and Sphecina prey each upon a single species of insect only, which therefore they would seem to have been formed for the express purpose of keeping within due limits.
The Ichneumonsdevour the flesh of the insects into which they have insinuated themselves.
We recently met with a remarkable instance of this at Lee, in the cocoons of one of the larger ichneumons (Ophion Vinulae?
We have a specimen of the case of a puss-moth, in which, notwithstanding its strength, one of the ichneumons had contrived to deposit its eggs.
The animal when taken from the tree on which it feeds, though supplied with its leaves, loses this faculty, with which it is probably endowed to drive off the ichneumons that infest it[364].
This horn smells strongly of fennel, and probably is employed by the insect, by means of its powerful scent, to drive away the flies and ichneumons that annoy it.
These tails form a kind of double whip, the tubes representing the handle, and the horns the thong or lash with which the animal drives away the ichneumons and flies that attempt to settle upon it.
Several of the minute ichneumons also jump with great agility, but by what means I am unable to say.
Reaumur could not ascertain the fly that should legitimately come from this cocoon, for different cocoons gave different flies: whence it was evident that these ichneumons were infested by their own parasite[464].
Ichneumons are therefore decidedly parasitical at this first period of their life.
The ichneumons would seem to take into consideration the too great fecundity of this moth, and instead of one species, as is often the case, thirty-five different species direct their attacks upon it.
We find others, the ichneumons for example, which are perfectly at liberty in their old age, but require protection while young.
These ichneumons discover with astonishing ingenuity the caterpillar which can bring up their young, and they often reach it with their ovipositor in the midst of a fruit, or in the substance of a branch of a tree.
The mother ichneumon knows perfectly how to discover the beetle which bores into our furniture, and winged ichneumons have often been seen to proceed from worm-eaten wood.
In three other cells "several hundred minute Ichneumons (Anthophorabia megachilis) were seen, which came forth as soon as the cells were opened.
Still a larger proportion of insects are directly beneficial from their habit of attacking injurious species, such as the ichneumons (Fig.
Must not a chrysalis in an open cocoon be exposed to the attacks of those ichneumons of which you have said so much, and of numerous other enemies, which will find admittance through this vaunted door?
In the order Hymenoptera there are often differences equally great; the sexes of many of the Ichneumonsand Saw-flies are of quite different colours.
Vallisnieri appears to have been the first naturalist who discovered that Ichneumons were appropriated to the eggs of other insects.
The Ichneumons that are parasitic upon larvae are the most numerous of all.
At this time many minute Diptera and Ichneumons take shelter from the weather in the windows of our apartments.
I once placed a number of the larvae of the gnat upon a sheet of paper, at no great distance from each other, and then set down one of these last Ichneumons in the midst of them.
In the ants andichneumons there is an approach to a gizzard[530].
Even those larvæ which feed in concealment are readily discovered by the Ichneumons destined to live upon them, and the farmer is often made aware of the presence of his enemies by observing the activity of his friends.
Over the larvæ of this order the ichneumons reign with undisputed sway; attacking all indiscriminately, from the minute insect that forms its labyrinth within the thickness of a leaf, to the giant caterpillar of the hawk moth.
The ant saved the larva, and it is probable that ichneumons would in no case get an opportunity to sting so long as such vigilant guards were about.
Many of the defensive weapons and habits of larvæ are doubtless means of protection from ichneumons and other parasitic foes.
While spiders most commonly mimic ants, we hear also of their imitating beetles, snail-shells, ichneumons and horseflies.
Great destruction is caused byichneumons which lay their eggs on the bodies of the live spiders, and the disguise probably protects the spider by leading the fly to mistake it for one of its own species.
The larval ichneumons pupate either within the body of its host, or in a tiny silken cocoons outside of its body (fig.
From the cocoons the winged adult ichneumons issue; and after mating the females find another caterpillar on whose body to lay their eggs.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "ichneumons" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
