HYMENOPTERA > APOCRITA | Parasitica > Ichneumonidae > Tryphoninae > Tryphonini

Identified as a tryphonine ichneumon, Cosmoconus sp. Although there are four species in this genus on the British List, only two, Cosmoconus meridionator and Cosmoconus nigriventris, have been recorded in the wider local area and, interestingly, all from this particular NNR or the connected Kitt’s Grave site across the A354 Blandford to Salisbury Road. Furthermore, the NBN Atlas shows that all the records for Cosmoconus nigriventris are from Martin Down with October being the most frequently recorded month. Obviously the NBN Atlas can only record submitted sightings so data can be skewed by lack of information, but it’s still the best resource we have for helping to determine whether a particular species is ‘likely’ for a given area.