Philoctetes truncatus (Dahlbom,1831)
Description and notes
Previously known as Omalus truncatus. Identification keys and general biology are given in Spooner (1954), Morgan (1984), Falk (1991) and Kunz (1994).
Distribution
Very rare, with only five records traced, all from southern England: Dorset (nineteenth century), Berkshire (1901), Essex (1906), Surrey (1910), Herefordshire (1983).
Overseas, the wasp occurs in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Poland, Hungary), western Asia and north Africa.
Status in Britain and Ireland
This species is listed in both Shirt (1987) and Falk (1991) as Endangered, RDB1.
Identification
Photo: (C) Josef Dvorak www.biolib.cz for BWARS Click to enlarge
See Morgan (1984) for identification.
The posterior of the third gastral tergite is vertically truncated above the central notch (bottom right and lateral view in the montage).
The head, thorax, and anterior gaster are violet; posterior gaster is blue green with viloet.
Habitat
Probably associated with habitats containing dead wood and hollow stems in sunny warm situations.
Flight period
The few records available are from June and July.
Flowers visited
No British information found; overseas, swept from Apiaceae.
Parasites
No specific information found.
Parasitic biology
Unknown, but associated overseas with the genus Diodontus (Kunz, 1994)