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The Ichneumonidae are a parasitoid wasp family within the order Hymenoptera. They are important parasitoids of other invertebrates; common hosts are larvae and pupae of Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera. Over 24000 species have been described worldwide. Estimates of the total species range from 60000 to over 100000 – more than any other hymenopteran family. The distribution of the ichneumonids has traditionally been one of the most notable exceptions to the common latitudinal gradient in species diversity, since the family was thought to be at its most species rich in the temperate zone instead of the tropics. This view has recently been questioned after the discovery of numerous new tropical species. Charles Darwin discussed the Ichneumonidae with regard to his views on religion; see Darwin and the Ichneumonidae, below. ==Etymology== Insects in the family Ichneumonidae are commonly called ichneumon wasps or ichneumonids. Less exact terms are ichneumon flies (they are not closely related to true flies), or scorpion wasps due to the extreme lengthening and curving of the abdomen (scorpions are arachnids). Simply but ambiguously, these insects are commonly called ichneumons, which is also a term for the Egyptian mongoose (''Herpestes ichneumon''). The name is derived from Latin 'ichneumon', from Ancient Greek ἰχνεύμων (ikhneúmōn, "tracker"), from ἴχνος (íkhnos, "track, footstep"). It apparently refers to the ichneumonids' habit of searching leaves, leaf litter or the ground for hosts. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ichneumonidae」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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