Coelichneumon opulentus (Taschenberg, 1871)

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 : 71-72

Coelichneumon opulentus (Taschenberg, 1871)

Coelichneumon opulentus is a bigger species (measuring 18–20 mm) with a distinctive yellow coloration: two lines on mesoscutum, scutellum, mesopleura, propodeum and orbits clearly yellow or with yellow marks ( RIEDEL, 2012). Superficially it somewhat resembles Hepiopelmus variegatorius (Panzer, 180), but C. opulentus has a metasoma and hind femora that are completely black. No scopa is present on the hind coxae. This species has to be rather (very) rare in the Low Countries. With Panthea coenobita (Esper, 1785) ( Lepidoptera : Noctuidae ) there is one rather rare lepidopteran that should be a plausible host ( SOKOLOV, 1990). Its distribution is very local, with stable populations in the eastern part of the Netherlands (where our parasitoid wasp was found) and in the south-eastern part of Belgium in Wallonia.

First report for the Netherlands; unreported in Belgium.

MATERIAL EXAMINED:

THE NETHERLANDS: • 1 ♀; Bennekom , Veluwe (GE); 52°00’07”N 5°43’55”E; 25/viii/2015; H. Derks leg.; field observation; F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 105736665) .