Aritranis director (Thunberg, 1824)

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 : 55-56

Aritranis director (Thunberg, 1824)

Aritranis spp. closely resemble Agrothereutes spp. (see above) if we check the propodeum .

However, females of A. director have a longer and downcurved ovipositor (longer than the metasoma) and the postpetiole is strongly convex. Also, the apical tergites are narrowed and in general the species is slenderer. The males are more difficult to recognise, especially if we compare them to male Idiolispa or Trychosis spp. Important features here are the shape of the areolet and the colour of the hind tarsi. Together with Echthrus reluctator (Linnaeus, 1758) this is the commonest ichneumonid that had yet to be reported (92 observations on waarneming.nl; numbers Jan. 2021). In fact, it is one of the most abundant ichneumonids in general. It seems to be opportunistic and has several common lepidopterans as known hosts (see YU et al., 2012).

First report for the Netherlands; confirmed in Belgium.

MATERIAL EXAMINED:

BELGIUM: • 1 ♀; Ninove , Neigembos (OVL); 50°48’35”N 4°04’22”E; 7/vii/2010; M. Pédron leg.; field observation; F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 48882444) . • 1 ♀; Hallaar (AN); 51°05’03”N 4°44’09”E; 6/vi/2012; G. Van den Wyngaert leg.; field observation; F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 69040537) . • 1 ♀; De Klijte , Scherpenberg (WVL); 50°47’46”N 2°46’40”E; 17/vi/2012; M. Valdueza; field observation; F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 80434177) . • 1 ♀; Brugge , Blauwe Toren (WVL); 51°15’11”N 3°11’39”E; 31/v/2019; H. De Blauwe; field observation; F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 173484779) . • 1 ♂; Antwerpen , Galgenweel (AN); 51°12’59”N 4°21’43”E; 15/v/2020; F. Verheyde leg.; coll. FV; field observation; F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 194165330) […] .

THE NETHERLANDS: • 1 ♀; Dongen, Kaatsheuvel (NB); 51°38’54”N 4°59’13”E; 15/v/2011; P. Fleurbaaij leg.; field observation; F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 54504144). • 1 ♀; Hardenberg, De Krim (OR); 52°39’09”N 6°36’56”E; 3/vii/2011; J. de Gooijer leg.; field observation; F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 55470297). • 8 ♀♀; 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. • 1 ♀; Asch (GE); 51°56’06”N 5°19’48”E; 21/v/2015; F. Walraven leg.; field observation; F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 102755140). • 1 ♀; Almere, Hanny Schaftpark (FL); 52°22’49”N 5°14’09”E; 6/viii/2019; P. Hoekstra leg.; coll . PH; field observation; F. Verheyde det. & P. Hoekstra det. (ObsID: 178031635) […] .