Hoplismenus bidentatus (Gmelin, 1790)

Hoplismenus bidentatus (Gmelin, 1790) View in CoL

Notes

Similar to H. bispinatorius , but it seems to be more common. This complex is one of the more problematic ones as both species are very hard to distinguish. Specimens of H. bidentatus are usually dark in the United Kingdom or northern European countries, but on the continent, the only notable difference is the number of flagellomeres and size ( Valemberg 1975, Riedel 2021 b). Therefore, all recently collected or photographed specimens were carefully checked. In the end, 87 records of 245 specimens could not be included. These records mostly include reports from Belgium and the Netherlands, but also from France, Germany and the United Kingdom. There are also reports from Italy and Norway, where neither species have been reported hibernating. Some specimens have been found in rather odd places, like fence posts, flower pots or bee hotels.

Status: Confirmed

Records: Belgium (6), Germany (2), the Netherlands (12) *, United Kingdom (6) *.

First record: 1985 ( Hilpert (1987 a), Germany).

Hibernacula: DT (41), O (17), U (1).

Sources: Hilpert (1987 a), Verheyde and Quicke (2022); Unpublished: iNaturalist, iRecord, Observation. org, Pers. obs., Pers. obs. (P. - N. Libert).

Also mentioned in: Hilpert (1987 b), Schmidt and Zmudzinski (2005).