Coelichneumon erythromerus (Rudow, 1888)

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 : 71

Coelichneumon erythromerus (Rudow, 1888)

Coelichneumon is one of the more emblematic genera within Ichneumoninae . Most species are big on average (around a centimetre) and have deeply impressed gastrocoeli. Furthermore, the shape of the propodeum is specific with the area superomedia (on average) as broad as long or broader than long ( PERKINS, 1959). A number of species are identifiable from pictures, but there is also an amount of species (mainly the black ones lacking any specific other colours or patterns) that need careful identification with the microscope. The genus was recently revised by RIEDEL (2012).

C. erythromerus is one of the easier species to recognise. As well as its typical dark blue or blackish appearance (often with shiny metasoma) as in most Coelichneumon spp. , the hind femora are strikingly reddish, slightly black apically ( RIEDEL, 2012). Most of the findings in Belgium were made in gardens. In combination with the (much) more uncommon distribution of this species in the Netherlands, it is likely the yet unknown hosts are somewhat thermophilic. Riedel mentions the species’ presence in the Netherlands, but because no specific details are given about the used specimen(s) we decided to integrate it in our paper.

Confirmed in Belgium and the Netherlands.

MATERIAL EXAMINED:

BELGIUM: • 1 ♀; Evere , Moeraske (BR); 50°52’47”N 4°23’27”E; 10/v/2009; B. Hanssens leg.; field observation; C. Thirion det. (ObsID: 42949616) . • 1 ♀; Erpe-Mere (OVL); 50°56’37”N 3°58’17”E; 27/x/2012; G. Van Heghe leg.; field observation; F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 71891305) . • 1 ♀; Gent , Sint-Amandsberg (OVL); 51°02’57”N 3°44’54”E; 4/v/2014; G. Stoops leg.; field observation; F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 84196527) . • 1 ♀; Bonheiden , Rijmenam (AN); 51°00’07”N 4°34’54”E; 11/vii/2017; F. Collet leg.; field observation; F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 157091211) . • 1 ♀; Zelzate -West (OVL); 51°12’05”N 3°47’22”E; 17/viii/2017; I. De Wispelaere leg.; field observation of dead specimen; F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 142962331) […] .

THE NETHERLANDS: • 1 ♀; Brunssum , Treebeek (LIN); 50°56’12”N 5°56’59”E; 20/viii/2020; G. Lommen leg.; light trap; F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 198822450) .