Ichneumon freyi Kriechbaumer, 1880

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 : 75

Ichneumon freyi Kriechbaumer, 1880 (Fig. 37 A–B)

Ichneumon spp. can be recognised by their area superomedia (the sides are feebly arched), grooves on the propodeum , postpetiole etc. (details see PERKINS, 1960).

This is one of the most ‘obscure’ species we report. However, following description fits perfectly with HILPERT (1992). Our (male) specimen measures 18 mm, has the teeth bidentate and has tyloids on flagellomeres 6–16. It has 43 flagellomeres in total. The width of the area superomedia is more or less twice its length and is not strongly transverse, in contrast to the similar Ichneumon inops Holmgren, 1880 which has an elevated scutellum (pers. comm. Geir Ørsnes). The metasoma and the mesosoma are mainly black. The scutellum, frontal orbits and underside of scapus are yellow. The antennae are red ventrally (Fig. 37 B). T2–T3 are red basally. The legs appear orange to reddish, but the tarsi are infuscate. The hind tibiae are yellowish to orange medially, black basally, while the hind tarsi are completely black. All coxae and trochanters are black (Fig. 37 A). The pterostigma is light brown. It was caught in reed vegetation. A plausible host is the butterfly Aglais urticae (Linnaeus, 1758) ( Lepidoptera : Nymphalidae ) (GRÖNBLOM, 1964).

First report for Belgium; unreported in the Netherlands.

MATERIAL EXAMINED:

BELGIUM: • 1 ♂; Lissewege , Monnikenwerve (WVL); 51°17’27”N 3°12’21”E; 24/viii/2020; A. De Ketelaere leg.; coll. ADK; A. De Ketelaere det. (ObsID: 206730328); Fig. 37 A–B .