Exetastes inquisitor GRAVENHORST, 1829

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 : 661-662

Exetastes inquisitor GRAVENHORST, 1829 (figs 17, 41, 81, 109, 123)

D e s c r i p t i o n: ♀. Length 12-15 mm. Flagellum long and semibristle-shaped, with 44-50 flagellomeres; 1 st flagellomere 5.0-5.7× as long as wide and 0.7× as long as eye; preapical flagellomeres square or slightly transverse. Temple strongly and linearly narrowed behind eye. OED 1.4× ocellar diameter. Inner eye margins slightly convergent ventrally. Minimal facial width 0.9× eye length. Clypeus 1.6-1.8× as wide as long. MI 1.0. Mandible short. Hypostomal carina slightly elevated. Mesosoma densely punctate, shining. Epomia indistinct. Scutellum not carinate. Propodeum coarsely rugose; spiracle slit-shaped; apical transversal carina absent or weakly developed medially. Hind femur 4.5-5.3× as long as wide. Hind claws long, moderately bent apically, with short basal teeth. Areolet shortly stalked; vein 2m-cu in or proximad its middle; vein 1cu-a slightly postfurcal or interstitial. Metasoma smooth and shining. 1 st tergite 1.5-1.7× as long as wide, with sparse punctures laterally. 2 nd tergite 0.8-0.9× as long as wide. Ovipositor sheath 0.5-0.6× as long as hind tibia and 1.2-1.3× as long as 1 st tergite; ovipositor ± bent upwards. Color: black. Vertex with yellow spot. 1st tergite apically and 2nd to 4th/5th tergites entirely red. Tegula often reddish. Coxae and trochanters black, rarely hind coxa and trochanter reddish. Legs sometimes mainly black: then fore and mid legs yellowish-red frontally and hind tibia reddish basally. Legs sometimes mainly red: then hind femur and tibia ± infuscate apically. Hind tarsus ± pale, sometimes yellow centrally. Pterostigma ochreous. ♁. Length 11-15 mm. Flagellum with 45-47 flagellomeres; 1 st flagellomere 5.3× as long as wide and 0.7× as long as eye. Temple distinctly and roundly narrowed behind eye. OED 1.4-1.5× ocellar diameter. Hind femur 4.8-5.1× as long as wide. 1 st tergite 1.8× and 2 nd tergite 0.8-0.9× as long as wide.

Color: black. Clypeus usually reddish apically. Scape rarely reddish ventrally. Usually spot of vertex yellowish. Hind edge of pronotum and spot of tegula sometimes yellowish. 1 st tergite apically, 2 nd and 3 rd tergites entirely and 4 th tergite ± red. Coxae and trochanters black; legs otherwise black or red; if red, then hind femur and tibia infuscate apically; hind tarsus centrally or entirely yellow or ivory. Pterostigma ochreous or reddish.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Transpalaearctic.