Mesoleptus vigilatorius (Förster, 1876)

Verheyde, Fons, Hoekstra, Paul, Libert, Pierre-Nicolas, Meijer, Hilco, Ketelaere, Augustijn De, Vandaudenard, Thibaud, Belgers, Dick & Brosens, Edwin, 1880, Two hundred and five ichneumonid wasps reported for the first time in Belgium and the Netherlands (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), Belgian Journal of Entomology 122, pp. 1-142 : 96

Mesoleptus vigilatorius (Förster, 1876)

As mentioned above, Mesoleptus spp. look like Atractodes spp. , but with the lateral crease of the second tergite extending from base to apex of the tergite. Their first tergite is straight from the base to the zone behind the spiracle ( TOWNES, 1970a).

Mesoleptus vigilatorius belongs to the group with vein M+CU fully pigmented in the hind wing. Its frons and its vertex are polished and smooth and its first tergite has distinct lateral carinae ( JUSSILA et al., 2010). Our findings seem to suggest this species flies somewhat earlier in the year than other Mesoleptus spp. First report for Belgium and the Netherlands.

MATERIAL EXAMINED:

BELGIUM: • 1 ♂; Bekkevoort (VB); 50°54’37”N 4°56’21”E; 8/v/2015; C. Deschepper leg.; coll. FV; field observation; F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 207716351)

THE NETHERLANDS: • 1 ♂; Twijzel (FR); 53°14’53”N 6°04’56”E; 28/v/2012; Landschapsbeheer Friesland leg.; coll. HM; malaise trap 215 (24-28); H. Meijer det.