Hyposoter inquinatus ( Holmgren, 1860 )

Galsworthy, Anthony, Shaw, Mark R. & Haraldseide, Håkon, 2023, A key to European species of Hyposoter Förster, 1869 (Ichneumonidae: Campopleginae) with descriptions of 18 new species, and notes on all included species, Zootaxa 5290 (1), pp. 1-73 : 48

Hyposoter inquinatus ( Holmgren, 1860)

Limneria inquinata Holmgren, 1860 : lectotype ♀ in NHRS, Sweden, designated by Aubert (1980), not examined.

Horstmann’s notes suggest that he had not seen the lectotype, but relied on a specimen from Hannover, Germany, in ZSM, which had been compared with the lectotype by Hinz. Usually fairly easy to identify by combination of pale fore and mid coxae, darkish hind femur, and rather dark reddish hind tibia with strong basal and apical infuscations. A fair number of specimens have the hind femur more reddish, especially on the inside, but it is always darker than in other similar species. The bright yellow underside to the scape is a helpful pointer. Specimens with more reddish-brown hind femora might key to Hyposoter rivulator sp. nov., but the latter has a much paler colour in the middle of the hind tibia, and normally a brown underside to the scape.

We have seen specimens from the UK and France. The lectotype was from Sweden. The species has been recorded with uncertain reliability from most countries in Europe. There is an early rearing record of doubtful credibility (very possibly a misidentification of Hyposoter tricolor ) from Abraxas grossulariata (Linnaeus) ( Lepidoptera , Geometridae , Ennominae) ( Plaas, 1932). We have seen specimens taken from July to September, but with the overwhelming majority in August.