Rhyssa is a genus of ichneumon wasps belonging to the family Ichneumonidae subfamily Rhyssinae.
Etymology The Latin name of the genus comes from the Greek and means "wrinkled".
Description Female of this parasitic species drills deep into wood by its hair thin ovipositor (terebra) and lays its eggs on larvae living in timber, which become a food supply and an incubator for the progeny, until it is fully grown.
Distribution Species of this genus are present in most of Europe, the Australian region, the Near East, in the Nearctic realm, the Indomalayan realm, and in North Africa.
Selected species
Rhyssa alaskensis Ashmead, 1902 Rhyssa amoena Gravenhorst, 1829 Rhyssa crevieri Provancher, 1880 Rhyssa curvipes Gravenhorst, 1829 Rhyssa hoferi Rohwer, 1920 Rhyssa howdenorum Townes, 1960 Rhyssa kriechbaumeri Ozols, 1973 Rhyssa lineolata Kirby, 1837 Rhyssa nigricornis Ratzeburg, 1852 Rhyssa nigritarsis Rhyssa persuasoria Linnaeus, 1758 Rhyssa petiolata Brues, 1906 Rhyssa ponderosae Townes 1960
References
BugGuide Genus Rhyssa Fauna Europaea