Meteorus cespitator

Meteorus cespitator (Thunberg)

Fig. 89

Ichneumon cespitator Thunberg, 1822:269. Holotype ♀, Sweden (UDE, Uppsala) – examined.

Zele atrator Curtis, 1832: folio 415. Syntypes, Great Britain: Wilts, ‘ Durnford House’ (NMV, Melbourne) Synonymised by Roman, 1912:289.

Perilitus similator Nees von Esenbeck, 1834: 41 Syntypes ♀, Germany (destroyed). Synonymised by Haliday, 1835:32

Bracon humeralis Zetterstedt, 1838:399. Lectotype ♀, Lapponia: ’Öfv. Tor.’ (Övertorneå in Sweden). “mihi tantum inter Muonioniska et Kengis”. Synonymised by Papp, 1994:305

Bracon rufipes Zetterstedt, 1838:399. Lectotype ♀, ‘Johs. Ro.’(Johannisro, Norrbotten). “Hab. cum priori rarius” (B. humeralis). Synonymised by Papp, 1994:305

Meteorus ambiguus Ruthe, 1862:30. Holotype ♀, Germany: Ruthe coll., 4.10.55 (BMNH, London) examined.

Diagnosis: The size, the transverse head and the long ovipositor are characters that distinguish this species. Meteorus cespitator mostly resembles M. obfuscatus and the new species M. eklundi and M. densipilosus described in this paper. However, the long ovipositor of M. cespitator (3–4 times length of the petiolar tergum) clearly separates it from these species, which have ovipositors that are at most up to twice the length of the petiolar tergum.

Studied material: ~ 50 specimens.

Description: Size about 4–5mm. Antennal articles 23–27. Head transverse, temples shorter than eyes. Ocelli small, OOL=2.5–3.0. Eyes large, protuberant, convergent but not strongly so. Malar space distinctly shorter than basal breadth of mandible. Face about 1.5 times as broad as high. Clypeus only slightly protuberant, distinctly divided from face. Precoxal sulcus deep. Propodeum irregularly rugose with distinct carinae. Ovipositor long, 3–4 times length of petiolar tergum. Hind coxae rugose, tarsal claws long, slightly swollen at base but not lobed. Colour generally dark - black with yellow parts.

Distribution: Palearctic and Oceania. Country records: Algeria; Azerbaijan; Belgium; Bulgaria; Canary Islands; China; Denmark; Faeroe Islands; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Hungary; Iceland; Ireland; Italy; Japan; Latvia; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Netherlands; New Zealand; Norway; Poland; Romania; Russia; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; United Kingdom.

Biology: Meteorus cespitator was accidentally introduced to New Zealand and there it was found to parasitize on Trichophaga tapetiella from ply-wood (Parrot 1955). M. cespitator parasitizes on Tineidae (Lepidoptera) (Hinton 1956) and it is attracted to light (Yu et al. 2005). We found 21 specimens within the SMTP; they were caught in deciduous or spruce forests from the end of June to the beginning of September.