Ceratacis cochleata ( Walker, 1835 ) Buhl & Notton, 2009

Buhl, Peter N. & Notton, David G., 2009, A revised catalogue of the Platygastridae of the British Isles (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea), Journal of Natural History 43 (27 - 28), pp. 1651-1703 : 1656-1657

Ceratacis cochleata ( Walker, 1835) comb. nov.

= Platygaster filicornis (Haliday in Walker, 1835) syn. nov.

= Platygaster munki Buhl, 1994 syn. nov.

England: Buckinghamshire, Burnham Beeches , 1 female, 14 September 1974 ; 1 male, 13 June 1987, Bou C ek, Z. ( BMNH) ; Buckinghamshire, Princes Risborough , 1 male, 25 June 1938, Benson, R.B. ( BMNH) ; Croydon, Coulsdon, Happy Valley , 1 female, 7 September 1975, Noyes, J.S. ( BMNH) ; Dorset, Studland, Little Sea , 1 male, 22 June 1955, birch ( Betula sp. ), Graham, M.W.R. de V. ( BMNH) ; Durham, New Park , 1 female, 23 August 1975, Kirby, M.A. ( BMNH) ; Ealing , Bedford Park , 1 female, June 1929, Waterston, A.R. ( BMNH) ; Hampshire, Brockenhurst , 1 female, 22–26 August 1932 ; 1 female, 25–30 June 1933, Nixon, G.E.J. ( BMNH) ; Hampshire, Kent’s Oak, near Romsey , 1 female, 8 July 1962, Vardy, C.R. ( BMNH) ; Hampshire, New Forest, Rhinefield , SU20, 1 female, 22–28 June 1976, Nixon, G.E.J. ( BMNH) ; Isle of Wight, Bonchurch , 1 female, 6 June 1961, Abraham, Horascek and Vardy ( BMNH) ; Isles of Scilly, Tresco , 1 female, 21 September 1975, Noyes, J.S. ( BMNH) ; Northamptonshire, Spratton , 1 female, September 1975, Gauld, I and Gauld, P. ( BMNH) ; Reading, Emmer Green, Clayfield Copse , SU7277, 2 males, 30 August 1994, Notton, D.G., det. D. Notton, 2007 ( DGN) ; Sefton, Freshfield , 1 male, 2 June 1959 ; 1 male, 31 May 1959, both from alder ( Alnus sp. ) carr, Graham, M.W.R. de V. ( BMNH) ; Shropshire, Wenlock Edge , 1 male, 24 June 1956, Perkins, J.F. ( BMNH) ; Somerset, Dunkery Hill , 1 female, 6 July 1965, Ford, M.L. ( BMNH) ; Surrey, Ashtead , 1 female, 2 August 1930, Nixon, G.E.J. ( BMNH) ; Wirral, Hilbre Island , SJ1888, 1 male, 4–7 August 1998, Broad, G. ( BMNH) ; London, NHM Wildlife Garden , 2 males, 16–22 June 1998, Malaise trap, Lewis S. and Taylor, C. ( BMNH) .

Scotland: Highland, Arisaig, Kinloid, 1 male, 2 July1961, birch ( Betula sp. ) and willow ( Salix sp. ), Graham, M.W.R. de V. (BMNH); Highland, Arisaig, Kinloid, 1 male, 4 July 1961, Graham, M.W.R. de V. (BMNH); Highland, Rum, Kinloch, 1 female, 1 August 1962, Salix sp. , Graham, M.W.R. de V. (BMNH).

Wales: Ceredigion, Llangranog , 4 females, 23 June 1977, Noyes, J.S. ( BMNH) .

Recorded from Ireland by Walker (1835), and from the Isle of Man by Buhl and Bennett (2009). Vlug’s drawing (1985, fig. 19a) of the female antenna of this species is misleading, especially A4 is too short and thickened on the figure. As the only distinguishing feature between Platygaster cochleata and P. filicornis he mentions the width of head, which is said to be 2.2 times as wide as long in P. filicornis . However, his fig. 20b shows that it is only 1.9 times as wide as long, the same as shown for the head of P. cochleata (his fig. 19b, 1.7 times as wide as long according to his key). Also, the small differences mentioned by Buhl (1994) are now considered of only intraspecific value.