Sympiesis notata (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eulophidae), a gregarious parasitoid of Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera), and some records of other Chalcidoidea associated with skipper butterflies in the Western Palaearctic

Sympiesis notata is a gregarious ectoparasitoid of skipper butterfly caterpillars. Other Lepidoptera larvae in leaf mines and leaf folds are attacked by the same morphospecies, but on these smaller hosts S. notata is usually a solitary parasitoid. Other Chalcidoidea recorded as reared from hesperiid hosts are mostly species of Brachymeria (Chalcididae) and Elasmus (Eulophidae), which are primary parasitoids, and Catolaccus (Pteromalidae) which are pseudohyperparasitoids attacking cocooned ichneumonoid primary parasitoids. Species of Pteromalus, Baryscapus and Tetrastichus are also reported as secondary parasitoids from hesperiid hosts.