Exetastes maurus DESVIGNES, 1856

Riedel, Matthias, 2023, The genus Exetastes GRAVENHORST in the West Palaearctic region, with description of a new species (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Banchinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 55 (2), pp. 641-692 : 663-664

Exetastes maurus DESVIGNES, 1856 (fig. 64)

syn. nov. Exetastes aethiops RUDOW, 1886 , preoccupied by GRAVENHORST, high-resolution photos studied.

D e s c r i p t i o n: ♀. Length 10-12 mm. Flagellum long and bristle-shaped, with 75 flagellomeres; 1 st flagellomere 5.2-5.8× as long as wide and 0.6-0.7× as long as eye; preapical flagellomeres about square. Temple strongly and roundly narrowed behind eye. OED 2.0× ocellar diameter. Minimal facial width 0.7× eye length. Clypeus 1.7-1.9× as wide as long. MI 0.5-0.6. Mandible short. Mesosoma covered with short setae. Mesoscutum granulate and finely and densely punctate, dull. Scutellum not carinate. Propodeum finely rugose; spiracle slit-shaped; apical transversal carina sometimes present medially. Hind claws long, strongly bent apically, with basal teeth. Areolet shortly stalked frontally; ramellus long; vein 1cu-a interstitial. Metasoma finely granulate. 1 st tergite 1.4-1.5× as long as wide. 2 nd tergite 1.0× as long as wide. Ovipositor sheath 0.3× as long as hind tibia and 0.6-0.7× as long as 1 st tergite; ovipositor straight.

Color: black. Setae of mesosoma brownish. Clypeus reddish. Scutellum with apical yellow spot. Fore and mid legs ± ochreous frontally. Pterostigma yellowish.

♁. Length 10-13 mm. Flagellum with 64-67 flagellomeres; 1 st flagellomere 4.8× as long as wide and 0.6× as long as eye. Head and mesosoma covered with short setae. Temple moderately and roundly narrowed behind eye. OED 1.5× ocellar diameter. Inner eye margins slightly narrowed ventrally. Clypeus 2× as wide as long. MI 0.4. Mesoscutum densely punctate, granulate, dull. Apical transversal carina of propodeum absent. Hind femur 6.5× as long as wide. Hind claws long, strongly bent apically, not pectinate. Areolet pointed frontally, vein 2m-cu proximad its middle. Tergites granulate, ± dull. 1 st tergite 2.5× as long as wide, with dense but superficial punctures. 2 nd tergite 1.1× as long as wide.

Color: black. Setae of mesosoma brownish. Mandible except teeth, clypeus, facial orbit, apical spot of scutellum, often tegula, frontal spots on fore and mid coxae yellow. Fore and mid legs otherwise reddish; hind leg mainly brown or black; hind femur dark reddish-brown. Pterostigma ochreous, margins darker.

Remarks: The holotype of E. aethiops RUDOW from France was studied by HORSTMANN (unpublished notes). According to his detailed notes (e.g. body black with yellow spot of apical scutellum, fore and mid tibia and tarsi reddish, hind legs blackish, ocelli small, flagellum long and bristle-shaped) and the comparison with high-resolution photos of the type, the specimen is identified as E. maurus DESVIGNES and newly synonymized here.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: West Palaearctic.