Piogaster pilosator (Aubert, 1958)

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 : 106-108

Piogaster pilosator (Aubert, 1958) (Fig. 55 A–C)

Piogaster is a remarkable genus with specimens rarely collected. Its areolet is open, its notaulus is absent and its tergites 2–4 are evenly convex (FITTON et al., 1988).

The morphological and taxonomical position of P. pilosator (especially in relation to P. rugosa ) is not entirely clear and is still being worked upon (pers. comm. A. Bennett, paper in prep.). The complex can be nonetheless easily distinguished from P. albina Perkins, 1958 . P. pilosator has a denser pubescence on its head and on its mesosoma (Fig. 55 B–C) and is predominantly brownish orange: the mesosoma is orange with brown markings, the metasoma is light yellow (Fig. 55 A–C). Its first tergite has an incomplete dorsolateral carina. Its mesoscutum is matt with granulate sculpture (unpolished; Fig. 55 C). In contrast, P. albina is predominantly dark (brown). Only the legs (black and white) are similar ( KASPARYAN, 1981a). This finding is one of the rarest in the study. Our specimen was caught with a light trap. Species from the genus are recognised as ectoparasitoids of jumping spiders ( Salticidae ) ( TAKASUKA et al., 2018).

First report of the species and the genus for Belgium; unreported in the Netherlands.

MATERIAL EXAMINED:

BELGIUM: • 1 ♀; Ruiselede , Gulke Putten - Disveld (WVL); 51°04’31”N 3°20’41”E; 22/v/2020; A. De Ketelaere leg.; coll. ADK; light trap; A. Bennett det. (ObsID: 195257909); Fig. 55 A–C .