Hyposoter notatus ( Gravenhorst, 1829 )

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 : 57

Hyposoter notatus ( Gravenhorst, 1829)

Campoplex notatus Gravenhorst, 1829 : lectotype ♀ in UWCP, designated by Townes et al. (1965), examined by Horstmann.

Only really likely to be confused with Hyposoter caudator , which is very similar in structure and coloration, but has the ovipositor sheaths in the female about twice as long. In Hyposoter notatus the hind tibia is normally well darkened at least on the outer side subproximally and distally, whereas in H. caudator there is usually little or no darkening. This is rather variable, however, and males may not always be identifiable.

This is a well known parasitoid of many species of polyommatine lycaenid butterflies (eg Horstmann et al. 1997; Shaw et al. 2016). We have seen specimens from the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, and Greece. It has been recorded, though with uncertain reliability, across the Palaearctic from Ireland to Eastern Russia, and also from the Nearctic.