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28.06.2022

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Hi, difficult to see from this single photo but it's possibly a male Ichneumon melanotis (coxa, trochanter, trochantellus, femur III and apex of tibia III black - tibia I and scutellum yellow).

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Thanks a lot Eric!

I'm posting one more picture, I’m not sure if it’s the same individual though. At this moment there are 5 very similar individuals feeding on Levisticum officinale. What we noticed is that the combination of the black and yellow colors are slightly different on their abdomens. There is another species resembling this one and hanging around with them which was recognised on Hymenopterists Forum as a Diphyus quadripunctorius.

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I think we can exclude D. quadripunctorius as it should have yellow femora & tibiae with black apex on hind leg amongst other features. This one seems to be the same species as that on the first image and it confirms the assumptions.

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Awesome, thank you Eric, I very appreciate it!

We took more pictures, are there any diagnostic characteristics that you’d like to see better or we stick to the possible Ichneumon melanotis?

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Hi Bart, it would help, if we could look into his face.
This are the differencies between the 4 resembling males:

- hind leg: tarsi and apex of tibia black => stramentarius
- hind tarsi reddish, rarely tips browned. 3rd tergite often with a black basal line... => terminatorius
- tips of mid tibia without a black patch on the inner surface. face completely or sides yellow. scutellum yellow. front coxa frequently yellow speckled. => melanotis (was macrocerus)
- tips of mid tibia with a black patch on the inner surface. face and clypeus mainly black. scutellum pale yellow. => extensorius