Diplazon laetatorius ( Fabricius, 1781 )

Rousse, Pascal & Villemant, Claire, 2012, Ichneumons in Reunion Island: a catalogue of the local Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) species, including 15 new taxa and a key to species, Zootaxa 3278, pp. 1-57 : 31-32

Diplazon laetatorius ( Fabricius, 1781)

( Fig. 7 c)

Anomalon attractus Say, 1835: 241 ; Bassus albovarius Wollaston, 1858: 23 ; Bassus balearicus Kriechbaumer, 1894a: 246 ; Bassus cinctipes Holmgren, 1868: 409 ; Bassus generosus Cameron, 1898: 31 ; Bassus sycophanta Cresson, 1868: 112 ; Bassus tripicticrus Walsh, 1873: 85 ; Bassus venustulus Saussure, 1892 : pl. 15; Ichneumon dichrous Schranck, 1781: 352 ; Ichneumon laetatorius Fabricius, 1781: 424 ; Scolobates varipes Smith, 1878: 3

Diagnosis. The tricolor hind tibia with median white band is a reliable specific character.

Description. Gauld et al. (1997).

Biological notes. Parasitizes a wide variety of dipterous hosts, especially aphidophagous syrphid flies (more than 50 host species reported in Syrphidae ). Males of D. laetatorius are extremely rare; females are thelytokous ( Gauld et al. 1997).

Comments. One of the best known Ichneumonidae . Numerous references are available about all aspects of its biology and ecology.

Distribution records. Reunion ( Saussure 1892). Cosmopolitan.

Material examined. 1Ƥ St Paul / Tan Rouge, alt. 800m, VI.2011, leg. Cirad; 2Ƥ same locality, II.2011, leg. Cirad; 2Ƥ same locality, I.2011, leg. Cirad; 1Ƥ St Pierre / Bassin Martin, alt. 290m, VI.2011, leg. Cirad; 1Ƥ same locality, XII.2010, leg. Cirad; 1Ƥ St Leu / Colimaçons, alt. 260m, XI.2010, leg. Cirad; 2Ƥ Petite Ile / Piton Bloc, alt. 750m, IV.2010, leg. Cirad; 4Ƥ same locality, II.2010, leg. Cirad; 1Ƥ Montvert-les-hauts, XI.2005, leg. IDR.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Banchinae, Diplazontionae and Mesochorinae (females), habitus. a: Himertosoma bebourense. b: Himertosoma striata. c: Diplazon laetatorius. d: Mesochorus cariniferus.