Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) of the Canadian Prairies Ecozone

The parasitoid family Ichneumonidae is the largest family in the order Hymenoptera. This chapter provides a checklist of 1,160 ichneumonid species (299 genera) known from the Canadian Prairies Ecozone. The list is primarily drawn from literature records and also includes 35 newly recorded species from the ecozone. The number of species on the list is a vast underestimate of the number of ichneumonid species present, as many genera lack revisions and few biodiversity surveys have been conducted. Most species recorded from this ecozone are only known from the Nearctic region, but are not restricted to the Prairies Ecozone. Little is known about the ecology, habitat requirements, or host associations of most ichneumonid species, with 43% of the species on the checklist lacking any host records. Future research should include revisions of the many genera that have not been studied in the Nearctic region, as well as biodiversity surveys in prairie habitats, rearing of potential host species, and the creation of user-friendly identification resources.