Stenarella domator ( Poda, 1761 )

3.1.5. Stenarella domator ( Poda, 1761) View in CoL

Figures 1 D View Figure 1 , 7 View Figure 7 , 8 View Figure 8 , 26 View Figure 26 , 28 View Figure 28

Ichneumon domator Poda, 1761: 105. Type lost.

Ichneumon gladiator Scopoli, 1763: 283. Type lost. Synonymized by Gravenhorst (1829).

Ichneumon tarsosus Geoffroy in Fourcroy, 1785: 408. Type lost. Synonymized by Gravenhorst (1829).

Ichneumon insignitor Villers, 1789: 164. Type lost. Synonymized by Olivier (1792).

Ichneumon macrourus Gmelin, 1790: 2687. Type lost. Synonymized by Gravenhorst (1829).

Listrognathus transsylvanicus Kiss, 1924: 60. Holotype ♀ ( TMA; not examined). Synonymized by Roman (1939).

Stenarella gladiator corsicator Aubert, 1969: 55. Holotype ♀ ( MNHN; not examined)

Mesostenus cruentator Klug in Waltl, 1835: 80. Lectotype ♀ ( MFNB, designated and synonymized by Horstmann (1989), examined).

Ichneumon ensator Thumberg, 1822: 259 . Holotype ♀ ( ZIU, not examined). Synonymized by Roman (1912).

Ichneumon domator var. ensator Roman, 1912 .

Mesostenus juvenilis Tosquinet, 1896: 214. Holotype ♀ ( IRSNB, not examined). Synonymized by Roman (1912).

Mesostenus ruficollis Rudow, 1882: 33. Type lost. Synonymized by Horstmann (1993).

Stenarella domator View in CoL : Horstmann (1989).

Diagnosis.

Stenarella domator can be distinguished from all other Stenarella species by the combination of the following characters: mesoscutum densely and coarsely punctate (Fig. 7 E View Figure 7 ); propodeum short, dorsal profile in lateral view broken into a short anterodorsal face and a longer sloped posterodorsal face (Figs 7 D View Figure 7 , 8 View Figure 8 ); area basalis usually defined (Fig. 1 D View Figure 1 ); areolet closed (Fig. 7 C View Figure 7 ); vein 2 m-cu interstital or postfurcal to vein 3 rs-m (Fig. 7 C View Figure 7 ); mesosoma entirely black, black and orange, or entirely orange except some whitish marks on dorsal lateral part of pronotum and subtegular ridge (Fig. 8 View Figure 8 ).

Description.

FEMALE. Fore wing 5.8–10.4 mm long. — Head (Figs 7 A, B, D, E View Figure 7 , 8 View Figure 8 ): Mandible, clypeus and face moderately covered with very long setae. Mandible distinctly striate on basal 0.6, MLW 2.0–2.2. Malar space moderately long, MSM 0.6–0.7. Clypeus sparsely punctate, CWL 3.2–3.3. Clypeus and face centrally mostly flat. Face, frons and vertex densely rugulose punctate on a granulate background, frons with only traces of longitudinal carina. Antenna with 30–35 flagellomeres. — Mesosoma (Figs 1 D View Figure 1 , 7 A, C – E View Figure 7 , 8 View Figure 8 ): Pronotum dorsally densely rugulose punctate on a granulate background, ventrally longitudinally striate. Epomia long and strong reaching anterior margin of pronotum. Mesoscutum densely and coarsely punctate, punctures mostly coalescent. Notaulus relatively wide and deep, with strong transverse striae, reaching 0.75 of mesoscutum. Scutellum densely punctate, rugulose punctate laterally. Mesopleuron and metapleuron moderately setose. Mesopleuron mostly densely rugulose with sparse punctures and striae. Epicnemial carina weak, reaching 0.5 of distance to subtegular ridge. Sternaulus deep and sinuous, with strong transverse keels, reaching posterior rim of mesopleuron. Metapleuron coarsely rugulose – reticulate on a granulate background. Propodeum short, dorsal profile in lateral view broken into a short anterodorsal face and a longer sloped posterodorsal face. Anterior area of propodeum finely rugulose on a granulate background, with median longitudinal carina distinct. Propodeal spiracle elliptic, SLW 2.0–2.15. Posterior area of propodeum coarsely rugulose. Posterior transverse carina of propodeum distinct but sometimes medially interrupted, confluent with traces of median longitudinal carina, distance to anterior transverse carina 1.0 times the distance from anterior carina to anterior margin of propodeum. Areolet small, closed distally by an unpigmented vein 3 rs-m, APH 0.4–0.45. Vein 2 m-cu interstital or postfurcal to vein 3 rs-m. Hind wing vein Cua distinctly longer than crossvein cu-a, HW 1 C 2.2–2.5. — Metasoma (Figs 7 A, F View Figure 7 , 8 View Figure 8 ): Posterior end of S 1 placed anteriorly or approximately opposite to spiracle of T 1. T 1 LW 2.15–2.3; T 1 WW 2.25–2.5; T 2 LW 0.95–1.1; T 2 WW 1.75–1.95. Thyridium about 1.25 times as long as wide. T 2 punctate – reticulate on a finely granulate background, anteriorly only granulate. Dorsal valve of ovipositor with 5 teeth. Ventral valve with 9 teeth. OST 4.6–5.65. — Color (Figs 1 D View Figure 1 , 7 View Figure 7 , 8 View Figure 8 ): Variable in different subspecies as follows. • S. domator domator (Figs 1 D View Figure 1 , 7 View Figure 7 , 8 A View Figure 8 ): Head mostly black: clypeus, mandibles partially, ocellus, usually central mark at face, facial and frontal orbits narrowly and median spot on genal orbit, orange. f 7 – f 9 dorsally white; f 6 and f 10 partially white. Mesosoma black. All coxae, trochanters, and trochantelli partially, black; femora and tibiae orange; mid and hind tibiae distally and tarsi dark brown; hind t 2 – t 4 white. Wing hyaline, with a darkened hue at pterostigma level. Metasoma black. • S. domator corsicator (Fig. 8 B View Figure 8 ): As in domator domator except all legs black. • S. domator cruentator (Fig. 8 C View Figure 8 ): As in domator domator but face and gena much more extensively orange, pronotum mostly, mesoscutum except a longitudinal short black stripe on mid lobe, scutellum laterally and dorsal half of mesopleuron, orange. Legs entirely dark brown to black, hind t 2 – t 4 white. • S. domator ensator (Fig. 8 D View Figure 8 ): Head orange; mandible teeth and vertex black. Mesosoma orange; propleuron, axillae, mesepisternum, metasternum, dorsal part of metapleuron and anterior part of propodeum, black, usually only the area spiracularis and area basalis black. Metasoma dark brown. Legs mostly dark brown, femora and tibiae tending to be dark orange. — MALE (Fig. 22 A View Figure 22 ). Fore wing 6.2–8.0 mm long. — Head: MLW 1.9–2.1. Malar space moderately long, MSM 0.45–0.55. CWL 3.75–4.0. Antenna with 31–33 flagellomeres, tyloids on f 12 – f 15. — Mesosoma: SLW 4.0–4.1. APH about 0.3.; HW 1 C 2.75–2.8. — Metasoma: T 1 LW 3.0–4.15; T 1 WW 1.55–2.0; T 2 LW 1.15–1.55; T 2 WW 1.9–2.1. — Color: Similar to female without white band in flagellum. Other characters as in female.

Comments.

This species is widely distributed across the Western Palearctic region, seeming to occur across all Europe as well as North Africa and in Central Asia as far as Iran and east Kazakhstan. At least in Western and Central Europe, it appears to be a common species, including in many anthropic areas such as wooden buildings where it likely searches for hosts that nest inside holes in the wood. The species counts thousands of records in public platforms such as GBIF, iNaturalist and Flickr ( http://flickr.com), in stark contrast with the Afrotropical species of the genus for which the distribution is still poorly known. Wahl and Green (2020) showed that S. domator was also introduced in North America, and indeed, both iNaturalist and GBIF show reliable occurrences of the species in several localities (see “ Distribution ” below).

According to Horstmann (1989), there are four valid subspecies of S. domator , which mostly correspond to color morphs (see “ Color ” above) found at different latitudes. S. domator cruentator is found at the Iberian Peninsula (with the Pyrenees seeming to be the barrier between the populations of the subspecies and those of S. domator domator ), and also in Iran (see photos in Heydari et al. 2021) and Armenia ( https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/86050747), but not in the rest of Southern Europe ( Italy, Greece), where S. domator domator is the resident subspecies. This leaves an open question of whether S. domator cruentator represents a distinct lineage or merely environmentally induced color variation. S. domator ensator is restricted to the Western part of North Africa, with records in Algeria and Morocco – Stenarella is apparently absent from the Eastern part of North Africa and the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean. Finally, S. domator corsicator is recorded only from Corsica, but its color differences relative to S. domator domator are so slight that it is dubious whether it can be considered a distinct population in any meaningful level.

As noted above, S. domator shows relevant color variation across its very broad geographical range, but we have only examined a small fraction of the very large number of specimens available in collections and analyzed molecular only from a few specimens. Hence, a more detailed investigation of genetic and phenotypic variation within S. domator , and its potential status as multiple specific entities, is beyond the scope of this work.

Hosts.

The electronic catalog Taxapad ( Yu et al. 2016) records ten host species for S. domator ; of these, four are aculeate Hymenoptera : Eumenes pomiformis (Fabricius) [ Vespidae : Eumeninae ], Sceliphron spirifex (Linnaeus) [ Sphecidae ], Diodontus tristris (Vander Linden) [ Crabronidae : Pemphredoninae ], and Andrena bisulcata (Morawitz) [ Andrenidae ]. Other wood – associated hosts are recorded as well, but Wahl and Green (2020) make the case that records of sawflies and beetles as hosts are probably due to observers overlooking aculeate nests that used pre-existing holes.

Distribution.

Palearctic, and indroduced in the Nearctic. Known records from Algeria, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark NR-G, Estonia NR-G, Finland, France, Georgia NR-I, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan NR-G-I, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg NR-G, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine and former Yugoslavia. Introduced in the United States ( Minnesota NR-I, New York NR-I, Ohio). The species has also been listed from the United Kingdom in Yu et al. (2016) based on a primary record for Staffordshire by Carr (1924), but his collection had specimens from southern Europe mixed with British material and hence these records are unreliable ( Schwarz and Shaw 1998) (Fig. 26 View Figure 26 ).

Material examined.

129 ♀♀; 10 ♂♂.

Stenarella domator corsicator ( 4 ♀♀): FRANCE • 1 ♀; Corsica; C. Villemant ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; same locality; July 1994; Cl. Girard ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Corsica; Bonifacio ; April 1999; Coll. Fcitoi ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Corsica; Porto Vecchio ; May 1972; S. Kelner – Pillault ( MNHN) .

Stenarella domator cruentator ( 8 ♀♀): SPAIN • 1 ♀; Andalusien; Wal., S.; “ Lectotypus Cryptus cruentator Klug, Horstmann, 1984 ” ( MFNB) • 1 ♀; Banyeres de Mariola ( Alicante ); 8.VI.2014; leg. Bordera ( CEUA) • 1 ♀; El Ventorrillo, Cercedilla ( Madrid); 3.VIII.1962; Docavo and Llopis leg. ( CEUA) • 1 ♀; Lusitania, Spanien ; 10829; “ Lectoparatypus; Cryptus cruentator Klug, Hortmann, 1984 ” ( MFNB) • 1 ♀; Mallorca ; Keifel, S.; 10829 ( MFNB) • 1 ♀; P. N. de Cabañeros ( Ciudad Real); Abierto – Raña del Pocico ; 25. IV / 8.V.2004; TM 1 ( CEUA) • 1 ♀; same locality; Fresneda – Gargantilla; 15. IV / 7.V.2004; TM 1 ( CEUA) • 1 ♀; Villafranca del Cid ( Castellón ); 5.VIII.1989 ( CEUA) .

Stenarella domator domator ( 102 ♀♀, 9 ♂♂): FRANCE • 2 ♀♀; Allier, Brout – Vernet ; August 1928; H. du Buysson ( MNHN) • 2 ♀♀; Argentat – sur – Dordogne ; June 1987; Coll. J. Vachal ( MNHN) • 1 ♂; Argentat – sur – Dordogne ; May 1989; Coll. J. Vachal ( MNHN) • 1 ♀: Aube ; July 1992; P. Viette Coll. ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Bethonvilliers ; August 1984; C. Thirion ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Bézu – saint – Eloi ; 1888; Ch. Brongniart ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Bormes – les – Mimosas ; Coll. Lichtenstein ( MNHN) • 1 ♂; Boulogne – sur – Mer ; 1877; Coll. Giraud ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Brissac ; 1902; R. du Buysson ( MNHN) • 1 ♂; Brout – Vernet ; June 1990; H. du Buysson ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Brout – Vernet ; July 1989; H. du Buysson ( MNHN) • 2 ♀♀; Champfleury ; May 1966 / 67; Coll. O. Sichel ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Champfleury ; May 1960; Coll. O. Sichel ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; same locality; July 1966; Coll. O. Sichel ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; same locality; 1867; Coll. O. Sichel ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Digne – les – Bains ; 1923; A. Seyrig ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Dun – sur – Grandy ; September 1970; Coll. Giraud ( MNHN) • 2 ♀♀; Fontainebleau ; 1897; A. Finot; ( MNHN) • 1 ♂; same locality; July 1979; Finot ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Fouesnant ; 1927; Alain Hémon ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Galié ; 1887; Coll. O. Sichel ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Gavarnie – Gèdre ; August 1916; F. Picard Coll. ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Guern ; 1908; M. Pic ( MNHN) • 3 ♀; Foret de la Hardt ; June 1926; A. Seyrig ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; La Celle – Dunoise ; 1917; Alluaud ( MNHN) • 4 ♀♀; La Môle ; August 1984; Coll. A. Adamski ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Lardy ; May 1995; F. Picard Coll. ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Le Mesnil ; August 1989 ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Le Vésinet ; 1867; Coll. O. Sichel ( MNHN) • 4 ♀♀; Levant Island ; August 1974; H. Le Grand ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Lozère ; H. Maneval • 1 ♀; Maison – Lafitte ; 1919; Coll. J. de Gaulle ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Maraye – en – Othe ; 1927; A. Hemon Coll.; ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; France méridionale ; 1867; O. Sichel ( MNHN) • 2 ♀♀; Montpellier ; July 1918; Jean Lichtenstein ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; same locality; August 1922; J. Lichtenstein ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; same locality; 1962; O. Sichel Coll. ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; [France] Montp. May – 1911; ex Coll Pfankuch; Mesostenus gladiator Grav. ( MFNB) • 1 ♀; Moutiers ; 1867; O. Sichel Coll. ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Narbonnes ; 1919; J. de Gaulle Coll. ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Orry – la – Ville ; June 1938; J. Bourgogne ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Plouharnel ; 1919; J. de Gaulle Coll. ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Pont – de – l’Arche ; July 1903; J. de Gaule Coll. ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Pontarlier ; June 1960; O. Sichel Coll. ( MNHN) • 2 ♀♀; Rennes ; René Oberthur ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Royan ; 1915; J. Pérez Coll. ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Saint Mandé ; June 1967; O. Sichel Coll. ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Saint – Sendoux ; 1989; H. du Buysson ( MNHN) • 2 ♀♀; Sainte Baume ; L. Chopard ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Samoens ; A. Villiers ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Sèvres ; June 1922; A. Seyrig; ( MNHN) • 2 ♀♀; Thann ; May 1921; A. Seyrig ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Toulouse ; H. du Buysson ( MNHN) • 1 ♂; Tuchan ; 1887; Coll. O. Sichel ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Vachères ; July 1976; Casevitz – Weulersse rec. ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Varenne ; 1867; O. Sichel Coll. ( MNHN) • 1 ♂; Vaux ; June 1926; Coll. J. de Gaulle ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Verdun ; J. de Gaulle Coll. ( MNHN) . GERMANY • 4 ♀♀; Berlin; J. P. E. Fr. Stein S.; 24182 ( MFNB) • 1 ♀; Berlin; Brieselang; Gerstaecker ; S.; Mesostenus gladiator Grav. Ariesel ( MFNB) • 2 ♀♀; Döl. Heide ; 18.V.1918; Halle A. S.; Mesostenus gladiator Grav. det. Haupt; 1926 ( MFNB) • 1 ♀; Furstenberg ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Jena; Thür. ; 19.VI.1900; Mesostenus gladiator Grav. Friese det 1900 ( MFNB) • 4 ♀♀, 1 ♂; Schwerin ( MFNB) • 1 ♀; Schwerin ; 21.VI.1881 ( MFNB) • 2 ♀♀; Stobben; Elbing ; ( Noctzendorf) ( MFNB) • 2 ♀♀; Thüringen; O. Smiedecknecht; S.; 25927; Mesostenus gladiator ( MFNB) • 1 ♂; Weissburg; Bern Oberl. Mesostenus gladiator Grav. Coll. Schmiedeknecht ( MFNB) . GREECE • 1 ♀; Crete; Chania ; April 1971; J. F. Aubert ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Salonique ; 1916; Dr Rivet ( MNHN) • 2 ♀♀; Thalos ; May 1924; A. Seyrig ( MNHN) . [ ITALY] • 1 ♀; Bozen ; 13.VII.1908 ( MFNB) • 2 ♀♀; Ragusa; Rudolf ; Mesostenus domator (Poda) Krieg. det. ( MFNB) . [ LATVIA] • 1 ♀; Kurland, Wezkukkul ; 12.VI.1916; 1741 ( MFNB) • 1 ♀; Kurland, Wezkukkul ; 17.VII.1916; Bischoff, S. G. ( MFNB) . RUSSIA • 1 ♀; [Russia] Rossitten ; 23.VI.1912; Mesostenus gladiator Grav. ( MFNB) • 1 ♀; Saint Petersburg; 1867; O. Sichel Coll. ( MNHN) . SWITZERLAND • 1 ♀; Bern; 1887; O. Sichel Coll. ( MNHN) • 1 ♂; Burgdof ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Charmey ; 1919; J. de Gaulle Coll. ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Jura; A. August 1924; Seyrig ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Lugano ; May 1963; O. Sichel Coll. ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Yverdon – les – Bains ; 1867; O. Sichel Coll. ( MNHN) .

Stenarella domator ensator ( 15 ♀♀, 1 ♂): ALGERIA • 11 ♀♀, 2 ♂; Annaba; 1963; O. Sichel ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Berrouaghia ; Coll. F. Picard; 1939 ( MNHN) • 1 ♀; Moyen Atlas; Tameghilt , 1600–2100 m; June 1929; F. Le Cerf ( MNHN) . MOROCCO • 1 ♀; Tangier ; 1914; H. Marmottan ( MNHN) . TUNISIA • 1 ♀; Menzel Bourguiba ; A. Jung Coll. ( MNHN) .