Agrothereutes aterrimus (Gravenhorst, 1829)

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 : 53

Agrothereutes aterrimus (Gravenhorst, 1829) (Fig. 22)

With some experience, Agrothereutes spp. (especially the females) can be recognised by pictures. Their mesoscutum is polished and punctured and their ovipositor has a specific shape (robust, straight and not longer than the metasoma). White bands are often present on the hind tibiae or apical tergites. Their propodeum has the transverse carina nearly always obliterated medially ( TOWNES, 1970a; SCHWARZ [2013], draft key). Based on the habitus there are only some similarities with the closely related genera Apsilops (see below), Gambrus (mesoscutum matt) and Thrybius (area superomedia laterally delimited by carinae).

Agrothereutes aterrimus is easy to recognise within the genus, it is the only species with a completely black metasoma (except for a white band on the apical tergites; see Fig. 22). The males are very slender, with the hind tarsi white and a brown pair of front and mid tibiae. It is one of the more common species reported in this paper which was missing from both Belgium and the Netherlands. Observations were often made in or near gardens, but hosts are unknown so far. First report for Belgium and the Netherlands.

MATERIAL EXAMINED:

BELGIUM: • 1 ♂; Evere (BR); 50°52’44”N 4°23’28”E; 7/vi/2010; B. Hanssens leg.; field observation; M. Schwarz det. (ObsID: 48439160) . • 1 ♀; Mechelen (AN); 51°01’55”N 4°29’16”E; 16/v/2011; J. Soors leg.; field observation; M. Schwarz & F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 54800956) . • 1 ♀; Keerbergen (VB); 50°59’58”N 4°37’58”E; 2/vi/2017; J. Denonville leg.; M. Schwarz & F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 139395477) . • 1 ♀; Merelbeke (OVL); 50°59’31”N 3°44’56”E; 15/vi/2017; P. De Somer leg.; field observation; F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 140327413) . • 1 ♀; Drongen (OVL); 51°02’17”N 3°35’48”E; 2/viii/2019; P. Lambrecht leg.; field observation; F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 177340138) […] .

THE NETHERLANDS: • 1 ♀; Wageningen (GE); 51°57’59”N 5°40’24”E; 15/vi/2016; D. Belgers leg.; field observation in skylight; M. Schwarz & F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 120005858); Fig. 22 . • 1 ♂; Delft (ZH); 51°59’00”N 4°21’32”E; 22/vii/2018; W. Veldhuis leg.; field observation; M. Schwarz det. (ObsID: 160323427) . • 1 ♀; Zoetermeer , Seghwaert (ZH); 52°04’09”N 4°30’15”E; 12/viii/2018, F. M. Jansen leg.; field observation; M. Schwarz & F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 161262193) . • 1 ♀; Zoetermeer , Seghwaert (ZH); 52°04’09”N 4°30’15”E; 15/viii/2018; F. M. Jansen leg.; field observation; F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 161442145) . • 1 ♀; Wageningen (GE); 51°57’59”N 5°40’24”E; 15/vi/2020; D. Belgers leg.; field observation in skylight; F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 194152450) […] .