Enicospilus undulatus (Gravenhorst, 1829)

Figs 2A, 3B, 20B

Ophion undulatus Gravenhorst, 1829: 697 .

Ophion arcuatus Brullé, 1846: 146 .

Status

A very rarely collected species, found on southern coastal heaths where it has been reared from Lasiocampa trifolii (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) (Lasiocampidae) . The host is now very local and E. undulatus has not been found in Britain since 1971.

Material examined

ENGLAND: 1 ♀, 1 Ƌ, Dungeness (VC 15), ex Lasiocampa trifolii coll. as larva 6 Jun. 1945 (G. V. Bull) (BMNH); 1 ♀, 1 Ƌ, Ilfracombe (VC 4), Jul. 1971 (I.D. Gauld); 1 ♀, Lowestoft (VC 25), Jul. 1971 (I.D. Gauld) (latter two records taken from Gauld, 1974; specimens not in BMNH).

Additional material in NMS

SPAIN: 1 ♀, Zaragoza, Montes de Torrero, 230 m, 24 May 1998 (G.E. King).

Remarks

Enicospilus inflexus has been separated from E. undulatus on the basis of differences in head shape (Gauld 1974) which seem to be consistent, based on the limited material in BMNH. Although there may be a difference in host use, this is based on only two rearings of E. undulatus, from one place and date; although Lasiocampa trifolii is rather smaller than L. quercus, E. inflexus and E. undulatus do not differ significantly in size.