Cratichneumon w-album
This record describes Cratichneumon w-album (species). Recorded family: Ichneumonidae. Recorded order: Hymenoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
- Superfamily
- Ichneumonoidea
- Family
- Ichneumonidae (Ichneumonid Wasps)
- Subfamily
- Ichneumoninae
- Tribe
- Ichneumonini
- Genus
- Cratichneumon
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Heinrich applied the name w-album to Cratichneumon signatipes (Cresson) based on his rejection of the lectotype that Cresson had selected for w-album . Heinrich did not prove that Cresson's lectotype had not been one of his original syntypes and merely assumed that it must have been a specimen that Cresson used in making his 1877 expanded redescription of w-album . Disagreement with the original description does not constitute proof, as it wasn't infrequent for Cresson's syntypes to include what were later recognized as being separate species. Therefore, the lectotype that was originally selected by Cresson must stand as the valid one for the name Ischnus W-album Cresson, 1864. - Bob Carlson
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Hymenoptera, the group containing Cratichneumon w-album. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Hymenoptera includes over 150,000 described species of ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies. Earth harbors approximately 20 quadrillion (20×10^15) ants, with a combined biomass of ~12 megatons of dry carbon - exceeding the combined biomass of all wild birds and mammals (PNAS, 2022).
Ecological role of the group
About 35% of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators. The chocolate industry, valued at over $100 billion, depends on pollinating flies and midges. Ants are the dominant soil engineers in most terrestrial ecosystems, turning more soil than earthworms in many habitats.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Pollinators contribute $235-577 billion worth of annual global food production (FAO). In the U.S., bee pollination alone benefits crops valued at $18 billion annually, and honey bees are responsible for $5.4 billion in agricultural productivity. Between April 2023-2024, 55.1% of managed honey bee colonies were lost. The U.S. bee population dropped from 5 million to 2.5 million.
Recorded sources for this group: FAO, USDA, EPA, PNAS (2022), US Fish & Wildlife Service. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Cratichneumon w-album (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Bob Carlson; Additional contributions by PaleoJon