Tromatobia variabilis (Holmgren, 1856)

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 : 111

Tromatobia variabilis (Holmgren, 1856)

Tromatobia spp. usually have a fore wing with the vein 3rs-m entirely absent. The fifth tarsal segment is not broadened and the antennae of the males do not have tyloids ( FITTON et al., 1988).

Tromatobia variabilis however does have 3rs-m, but only faintly pigmented. Its frontal orbits are black, but there is a small yellow spot on the vertex. Its metasoma is mainly (dark) reddish with black apical bands ( FITTON et al., 1988). The species is probably underreported with the common arachnid Larinioides cornutus (Clerck, 1757) ( Araneae : Araneidae ) as one of its main hosts ( SHAW, 2006) and can be expected to be present in the Netherlands.

First report for Belgium; unreported in the Netherlands.

MATERIAL EXAMINED:

BELGIUM: • 1 ♂; Oostduinkerke , Zeebermduinen (WVL); 51°08’20”N 2°41’13”E; 10/vii/2017; P. Vanhauwere leg. [UGent]; coll. KBIN/RBINS (ENDURE-project, 76_ODK_12_N); field observation; F. Verheyde & O. Varga det.