Phobocampe confusa (Thomson, 1887)

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 : 47

Phobocampe confusa (Thomson, 1887) (Fig. 17A–B)

Phobocampe spp. are small but robust wasps which can be recognised by the strongly sloping fore wing 1cu-a, the apical margin of their clypeus which is truncate or subtruncate, the thyridium with approximately its own diameter from the base of the second tergite, the glymmae which are small or obsolescent, their typical propodeal carination and the ovipositor which is about as long as the metasomal maximum depth in the females ( TOWNES, 1970b).

The propodeal carination and the colouration of the legs are mainly used for identification to species level. It needs to be keyed carefully. P. confusa has its head feebly narrowed behind the eyes, the propodeal spiracle is oval and the basal transverse carina is V- or U-shaped. Its postpetiole, second and third tergites have a reddish brown to brown band or blotch. The hind tibiae are white to yellowish, dark brown to black basally and apically ( SEDIVY, 2004; see Fig. 17A-B). Our specimens were reared from Aglais io (Linnaeus, 1758) ( Lepidoptera : Nymphalidae ). The parasitoid wasp is able to cause high mortality in some circumstances. The relation with its hosts has been studied in depth in recent literature (AUDUSSEAU et al., 2020).

First report for the Netherlands; unconfirmed in Belgium.

MATERIAL EXAMINED:

THE NETHERLANDS: • 12 ♀♀; Zevenaar , Rosandse Polder (GE); 51°54’39”N 6°04’11”E; 18/viii/2019; R. Soethof leg.; coll. FV (4 ♀) & KZ; reared ex Aglais io (Linneaus, 1758); K Zwakhals & F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 181622631); Fig. 17A–B .