Netelia latungula

I used Gavin Broad's key to nocturnal Ichneumonidae to key this insect which was one of several ichneumons that came to light. I had a few challenges in identifying it, not least in working out what was meant by the 1st brachial cell - there's no glossary and no amount of Googling gave me a clear answer. One source seemed to imply that the brachial cells were the costal and subcostal cells. I wasn't quite sure which these were to be honest, but surely the first would be the one nearer the costa, and that didn't have any glabrous area so was a problem for the key. Then I noticed that the description of Netelia cristata in the key referred to the wing fold in the 1st brachial cell - so it must be one of the cells along the wing fold - and not the one I was looking at. If it was the adjacent cell that made more sense as that had a long glabrous area along the wing fold, but I still wasn't convinced. Then I found a post on Twitter where the author had clearly interpreted it to be the 1st subdicsal cell - and as Gavin Broad had replied to the post confirming the proposed ID (although not explicitly confirming his interpretaion of the cell nomenclature) I presume this is correct. Anyway, if it is correct, it backs up the ID that I had already tentatively conluded by this time, as this cell has a small glabrous patch distally as described for latungula.

The forewing is about 9mm so slightly longer than the range given for latungula, but much smaller than typical cristata (though it looks like the latter is more variable so not impossible for that). As I can't make out any transverse carinae or transverse striations on the propodeum I don't think it can be cristata.

The antennae were only slightly darkened towards the tip and this isn't apparent in my photos of the live insect, so I also considered pallescens, but I couldn't mnake out any yellow on the thorax (except perhaps right at the very base of the wings) and if I did eventually identify the 1st brachial cell correctly, the extent of the glabrous area was incorrect for this.

female Netelia latungula showing wings with close-up of aerolet, base of forewing, 1st subdiscal cell and hindwing centre, face, head from side, above and rear, antennae, pronotum from side, scutellum, propodeum and tip of abdomen from side, Wendling Beck Environment Project (Norfolk, UK), 15th May 2024