Enicospilus repentinus (Holmgren, 1860)

Figs 2D, 11B, 13B, 19B

Ophion repentinus Holmgren, 1860: 11 .

Status

New to Britain. Found in a few localities in southern England, particularly along the eastern end of the Chilterns; all specimens have been collected in the past 30 years, all but one at light. Previous records of E. repentinus in Britain (e.g., Gauld 1973) refer to E. merdarius (= tournieri). We know of no reliable host records.

Material examined

ENGLAND: 1 Ƌ, Horse Down (VC 8), 30 Jun 1984 (G. R. Else); 2 ♀♀, Tilshead (VC 8), 13 Jul. 2013 (P. Sharpe) (T. Newton coll.); 1 ♀, Newlands Corner (VC 17), 4 Jul. 2010 (P. Wheeler); 8 ♀♀, 1 Ƌ, Aldbury (VC 20), 2, 15 Jul. 2008, 8, 20, 21 Jul. 2010, 23, 25 Jul. 2012, 1 Ƌ, 7 Jul 2013 (G. R. Broad); 1 ♀, 1 Ƌ, College Lake (VC 20), 15 Jul. 2006 (M. Albertini); 1 ♀, Ellesborough (VC 24), 21 Jul. 2006 (M. Albertini); 1 ♀, Incombe Hole (VC 24), 22 Jul. 2005 (M. Albertini) (all BMNH); 1 ♀, Incombe Hole (VC 24), 22 Jul. 2005 (M. Albertini) (NMS); 1 ♀, Ivinghoe Hills (VC 24), 31 Jul. 2011 (S.N. Fletcher) (S.N. Fletcher coll.); 1 ♀, Radnage (VC 24), 18 Jul. 2010 (A.M. George) (A.M. George coll.); 1 ♀, Rushbeds Wood (VC 24), 12 Jul. 2007 (M. Albertini) (M. Albertini coll.); 2 ♀♀, Pitsford Water Nature Reserve (VC 32), Aug. 2012, 13 Jul. 2013 (M. Furfaro) (M. Furfaro, T. Newton colls).

Additional material in NMS

FRANCE: 1 ♀, Hautes-Alpes, Briançon 22 Jul. 2005 (M. R. Shaw); 1 Ƌ, Hautes-Alpes, Col du Lautaret 6-9 Jul. 2005 (M. R. Shaw).

TURKEY: 1 Ƌ, Ankara, Beynam 15 Jul. 1999 (M. R. Shaw).

The flight time is basically limited to July, other than one specimen collected at the very end of June and one in August.

Remarks

Smaller than E. merdarius (46–49 flagellar segments, modal value 47 in repentinus), with which it has been confused, lacking both the transparent central sclerite in the discosubmarginal cell and the elongate pigmented strip (distal sclerite) along the distal edge of the glabrous patch in the discosubmarginal cell. There are also subtle differences in the propodeal sculpture, which is less raised and shinier in E. repentinus . The two species are found in very different habitats: mainly calcareous grassland or woodland edges in the case of E. repentinus, sandy coasts in E. merdarius .