Ischnojoppa luteator (Fabricius)

Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea: Ichneumonidae: Ichneumoninae

Body more or less completely bright yellow-orange; antenna basally reddish brown, apically dark pitchy brown to black, with middle segments somewhat paler in female, more or less uniform reddish brown in male; legs yellowish except hind femora and tibiae apically black, hind tarsi with basitarsus apically dark brown, others more or less dark brown; apical segments (6 and 7) of gaster black, last segment whitish. Head (Fig. 1) swollen, almost cuboidal with relatively small eyes. Antenna posteromedially distinctly expanded with transverse segments, thereafter strongly tapering towards apex in female (Fig. 2), gradually tapering towards apex in male (Fig. 3). Gaster with petiole distinctly narrower at base, spiracle of first tergite behind midlength (Figs. 4, 5).

This is the only species of the genus occurring in the Oriental region.

 Fig. 1. Head, frontal view
 Fig. 2. Antenna, female
 Fig. 3. Antenna, male
 Fig. 4. First gastral tergite (T1)
 Fig. 5 . Propodeum (Pr) and first gastral tergite (T1) showing spiracle (Sp)

     Adult female, dorsal view

Widely distributed in the Oriental region, including India. Erroneously reported from Africa (Zwart, 1998).

Species of Ischnojoppa are reported as larval and pupal endoparasitoids of lepidopterous stem borers. Oviposition may be in mature larvae and not in pupae and may hatch from pupae or prepupae of their hosts (Zwart, 1998).

The recorded hosts include Scirpophaga incertulas (Walker), S. innotata (Walker), S. nivella (F.), Chilo polychrysus (Meyrick), Chilo spp., Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenee), Pelopidas mathias (F.), and Borbo cinnara Wallace. Commonly collected from rice ecosystem.