Priopoda apicaria (Geoffroy, 1785)

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 : 68

Priopoda apicaria (Geoffroy, 1785)

Priopoda spp. have deep glymmae on the first tergite, which is about twice as long as wide. The mandibles have a lower tooth that is much longer than the upper tooth. The occipital carina is meeting the hypostomal carina at the mandibular base ( TOWNES, 1970b; BROAD, 2012).

The species has not been clearly described in recent literature. P. apicaria is largely testaceous, with a black ovipositor and first tergite (partly) and sometimes with black markings on its head, propodeum and the lower part of its mesosoma. It flies in the summer and is sometimes caught with light traps. P. xanthopsana (Gravenhorst, 1829) , the other species in the genus living in Western Europe, has a completely black mesosoma. Its apical tergites are also black (see also validated pictures on GBIF). Among the hosts is the common sawfly Arge ustulata (Linnaeus, 1758) (Symphyta: Argidae ) (AUBERT, 2000).

First report for Belgium; confirmed in the Netherlands.

MATERIAL EXAMINED:

BELGIUM: • 1 ♀; Wanze (LG); 50°31’40”N 5°13’05”E; 19/vii/2020; P. de Gottal leg.; field observation; F. Verheyde & L. Bendixen det. (ObsID: 196591498) .

THE NETHERLANDS: • 3 ♂♂; Veenendaal , Kwintelooyen (UT); 51°59’36”N 5°33’04”E; 20/viii/2015 – 25/viii/2015 – 3/ix/2015; J. Bouwmans leg.; field observation; K. Zwakhals det. (ObsID: 105581748) . • 1 ♀; Ospel , Groote Peel (LIN); 51°20’08”N 5°49’44”E; 13/vi/2018; J. Slaats leg.; field observation; F. Verheyde det. (ObsID: 158380437) .