Illustrated notes on the biology of Sphinctus serotinus Gravenhorst (Hymenoptera, Tryphoninae, Sphinctini)

Field and experimental observations on the European ichneumonid Sphinctus serotinus as a koinobiont ectoparasitoid of the limacodid moth Apoda limacodes are recorded. The egg is anchored into the extremely thick cuticle of its host but not deeply enough so that it would survive host ecdysis. That may explain the late summer-early autumn flight time of the parasitoid, when practically all host larvae that remain are in their final instar, though avoiding competition from other parasitoids may also play a part. The tough cuticle of the host probably also underlies the lack of host feeding by the... Mehr ...