Exetastes holomelaenus MEYER , 1927

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 : 658

Exetastes holomelaenus MEYER, 1927 (figs 13, 37, 77, 105)

D e s c r i p t i o n: ♀. Length 13 mm. Flagellum long and bristle-shaped, with 54 flagellomeres; 1 st flagellomere 4.7× as long as wide and 0.7× as long as eye; preapical flagellomeres longer than wide. Temple distinctly and almost linearly narrowed behind eye. OED 1.6× ocellar diameter. Inner eye margins slightly convergent ventrally. Minimal facial width 0.8-0.9× eye length. Clypeus 1.3× as wide as long, with subbasal transversal ridge. Mandible elongate. MI 0.4. Mesoscutum densely punctate, smooth and shining between punctures. Scutellum not carinate. Propodeum coarsely rugose-punctate; spiracle slit-shaped; apical transversal carina indistinct. Hind femur 5.4× as long as wide. Hind claws long, moderately bent apically, with short basal teeth. Areolet shortly stalked frontally; ramellus short; vein 1cu-a slightly postfurcal. Metasoma smooth and shining. 1 st tergite 1.4× as long as wide, with sparse setae laterally. 2 nd tergite 0.8× as long as wide. Ovipositor sheath 0.2× as long as hind tibia and 0.5× as long as 1 st tergite; ovipositor straight.

Color: black. Head and mesosoma covered with brown setae. Wings brownish infuscate; pterostigma brownish, slightly paler centrally.

♁. Length 13 mm. Flagellum with 52 flagellomeres; 1 st flagellomere 5.0× as long as wide and 0.7× as long as eye. OED 1.2× ocellar diameter. MI 0.4. Hind femur 4.5× as long as wide. 1 st tergite 1.6× as long as wide. 2 nd tergite 0.7-0.8× as long as wide. Color as in ♀, sometimes clypeus reddish apically.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: East Europe and East Palaearctic, the record from Spain (REY DE CASTILLO 1987) is a misidentification.