Arotes albicinctus

Arotes albicinctus Gravenhorst, 1829

Hymenoptera Ichneumonidae Acaenitinae Arotes albicinctus

Description

Arotes albicinctus is a predominantly black species. Legs, especially the tarsi, have extensive white areas. Female have a central white ring on each antenna and usually a thin white apical stripe on the first two tergites. Males lack white rings on the antennae but have broader and more distinct stripes on the tergites. Areolet of the forewing open proximally (2rs-m missing). The ovipositor is longer than the abdomen, and as in all other northern European Acaenitines, the hypopygium is greatly elongated.

Ecology

Hosts of A. albicinctus are saproxylic beetles found in deciduous woods. According to records from Romania and China, Arotes albicinctus parasitizes longhorn beetles in the genus Plagionotus. However, this cannot be the case in the northern parts of its distribution where no Plagionotus species are found. In these areas it is speculated that the rare Melandrya dubia (or related species) serves as the main host.

Distribution

A.albicinctus is very rare in northern Europe, with few modern records despite its distinctive appearance. It is very possible that it is extinct throughout much of its previous distribution. The only recent find was during an inventory targeting rare saproxylic beetles in northern Sweden. If the host is indeed Melandrya dubia then the Swedish A. albicinctus population is likely highly threatened, much like its host.

References

Finlands Artdatacenter (2024). LAJI.FI: Acaenitinae. https://laji.fi/sv/taxon/MX.308519 [2024-07-03]

SLU Artdatabanken (2024). Artfakta: Acaenitinae. https://artfakta.se/taxa/1000026 [2024-07-03]

Varga, A. (2013). A review of the subfamily Acaenitinae Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) from Ukrainian Carpathians. Biodiversity Data Journal 1, e1008.

Wikars, L. O., & Löfgren, P. (2021). The parasitic wasp Arotes albicinctus Gravenhorst, 1829 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Acaenitinae): a presumed parasitoid on the rare saproxylic beetle Melandrya dubia (Coleoptera: Melandryidae). Entomologisk Tidskrift 142(4), 221–226.

Zwakhals, C. J. (1989). The Acaenitinae from the Netherlands and the host of Acaenitus dubitator (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Entomologische berichten 49(2), 21–25.

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