Enicospilus inflexus (Ratzeburg, 1844)

Figs 3A, 12, 20A

Ophion inflexus Ratzeburg, 1844: 102 .

Status

A relatively widespread parasitoid of Lasiocampa, and possibly other Lasiocampidae, particularly on heaths and moorland.

Material

NMS: 16 ♀♀, 7 ƋƋ, 1 unsexed; BMNH: 12 ♀♀, 8 ƋƋ, 1 unsexed; material from other collections: 17 ♀♀, 3 ƋƋ, 1 unsexed.

Distribution (Fig. 20A)

England: VCs 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 28, 31, 39, 50, 57, 64, 67, 69; Scotland: VCs 72, 87, 89, 95, 97, 98, 99, 102, 104, 105, 110; Wales: VC 49.

Flight time (non-reared material)

June–September, with the majority in August.

Hosts

Lasiocampa quercus (Linnaeus, 1758) (including f. callunae Palmer, 1847) (10) ( Lasiocampidae) (T.H. Ford, J.L. Gregory, Harwood, A. Kennedy, D.K. Kevan, M. R. Shaw, C.H.S. Vimter, L.Wakely, P. Yarlett) (BMNH, NMS); one specimen in BMNH labelled as reared from Euthrix potatoria (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lasiocampidae) (R. South), and another labelled as ex Cerura vinula (Linnaeus, 1758) (Notodontidae) (A.H. Sperring), which seems very improbable.

Remarks

Along with E. undulatus, with which it has frequently been confused, E. inflexus belongs to a distinctive group of species (in older literature sometimes referred to as the genus Allocamptus) that lack fore wing sclerites, are very large and have a strongly sinuous fore wing vein Rs+ 2 r. Compared to E. undulatus, E. inflexus has more narrowed temples, giving it a less buccate head, but it is otherwise very similar.