Apertochrysa prasina (Burmeister, 1839)

Duelli, Peter & Henry, Charles S., 2022, The Apertochrysa prasina group (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), with a key to the European species, Zootaxa 5134 (1), pp. 61-91 : 87-89

Introduction to the keys on the following pages

Excluded in all keys here is Apertochrysa ariadne (Hölzel) , an endemic species on the Greek Island of Crete, lacking the black dot between the antennae ( Fig. 13 ) which characterizes the prasina group. On mainland Europe, prasinoids without a visible black dot between the antennae were assigned to Ap1.

(ccv = costal crossvein; im cell = intramedian cell, black portion of surrounding veins given in %, black portion can be in one piece, or in scattered pieces; furwing = double number of setae per ccv, as compared to non-furwings or females; sutures = subantennal sutures above genae)

Key for preserved males of the Apertochrysa prasina group (no live colors)

1 Ventral abdomen black ( Fig. 16 )................................................................... ventralis

- Ventral abdomen green or whitish. ( Fig. 15 )................................................................ 2

2 Males with furwings (> 9 setae on longest ccv) Fig. 8 )........................................................ 3

- Males without furwings (<9 setae visible) (as in Fig. 9 )....................................................... 5

3 im cell> 80% dark; ccv 100% dark ( Fig. 19 ; no red suture)........................................... abdominalis

- im cell 12–40% dark; ccv 30–100% dark (as in Fig. 9 ); red suture............................................. Ap2

- im cell <15% dark; ccv 30–50% dark ( Fig. 12 )............................................................. 4

4 Male forewing> 13.0 mm; palps with dark rings; no red sutures........................................ prasina s.s.

- Male forewing <13.0 mm; palps yellowish ( Fig. 1 ); red suture......................................... benedictae

5 ccv 100% dark; brown dots on yellow vertex; scape with lateral black stripes; im cell 30–70% dark, black portion in several pieces ( Fig. 6 ).................................................................................... zelleri

- ccv 30–100% dark; no lateral stripes on scape; no vertex dots.................................................. 6

6 Vertex yellow, im cell 12–25% dark, usually in one piece; no dots on scape or vertex; dots on thorax mostly brown (Mediterranean species) ( Figs. 2 , 11 )................................................................................. Ap1

- Vertex green, im cell 12–40% dark, usually in several pieces; sometimes caudal black scape dots, dots on thorax mostly black ( Figs. 3 , 5 )......................................................................................... Ap3

Key for live colored males of the Apertochrysa prasina group

(live, frozen, or freshly preserved)

1 Ventral abdomen black ( Fig. 16 )................................................................... ventralis

- Ventral abdomen green or whitish ( Fig. 15 )................................................................. 2

2 Males with furwings (> 9 setae visible on longest ccv) ( Fig. 8 )................................................. 3

- Males without furwings (<9 setae visible on longest ccv) ( Fig. 9 )............................................... 6

3 Red or brown suture ( Fig. 2 )............................................................................ 4

- Pale or black suture ( Fig. 3 )............................................................................. 5

4 Brown dots on caudal scape; body very pale bluish-green; palps pale brown; only southern France and Spain ( Figs. 1 , 7 )............................................................................................... benedictae

- No dots on scape; body bluish or grass green; palps with dark rings............................................ Ap2

5 ccv <60% dark; im cell <12% dark ( Fig. 12 )....................................................... prasina s.s.

- ccv 100% dark; im cell> 70% dark ( Figs. 18 , 19 )................................................... abdominalis

6 Pale sutures; green vertex ( Fig. 3 )...................................................................... Ap3

- Red or brown sutures; yellow vertex ( Fig. 2 )................................................................ 7

7 Brown dots on yellow vertex; lateral black stripes on scape; im cell 30–70% dark, in several pieces; ccv 100% dark ( Fig. 6 )................................................................................................ zelleri

- No lateral stripes on scape; no dots on vertex; ccv 30–100% dark............................................. Ap1

Key for preserved females of the Apertochrysa prasina group (no live colors)

1 Ventral abdomen black ( Fig. 16 )................................................................... ventralis

- Ventral abdomen green or whitish ( Fig. 15 )................................................................. 2

2 Gradate crossveins pale; im cell ≤ 12% dark, no colored suture ( Fig. 12 ); forewings> 15.5 mm ............... prasina s.s.

- Gradate crossveins darker than longitudinal veins; im cell ≥ 12% dark........................................... 3

3 Palps pale ( Fig. 1 ); scape dots; red suture (southern France and Spain)................................... benedictae

- Palps with dark rings. ( Figs. 2 , 3 )......................................................................... 4

4 ccv 100% black; im cell> 80% black; interantennal spot mostly Y-shaped; sometimes lateral black stripe on scape ( Figs. 4 , 18 , 19 )....................................................................................... abdominalis

- ccv 100% black ( Fig. 6 ); im cell 30–70% dark, in several pieces; lateral black stripe on scape; brown vertex spots; red suture............................................................................................... zelleri

- ccv 30–100% dark; im cell 12–40% dark; no lateral stripe on scape.............................................. 5

5 Sutures not colored; im cell 12–40% black, in two or more pieces; most dots and marks dark brown or black, on abdomen often in double rows; sometimes with black dots on caudal scape ( Figs. 3 , 5 , 15 )...................................... Ap3

- Sutures colored; im cell 12–40% dark, usually in one piece; no scape dots........................................ 6

6 Two species with preserved females difficult to separate:

- Vertex bright yellow; so far only in Mediterranean habitats ( Figs. 2 , 11 )........................................ Ap1

- Vertex green, rarely yellow; Europe and Asia ( Fig. 14 )...................................................... Ap2

Key for live-colored females of the Apertochrysa prasina group

1 Ventral abdomen black ( Fig. 16 )................................................................... ventralis

- Ventral abdomen green or whitish ( Fig. 15 )................................................................ 2

2 Subantennal suture red or brown ( Figs. 2 , 6 )................................................................ 3

- Subantennal sutures pale or black ( Fig. 3 ).................................................................. 6

3 Scape with lateral stripes; im cell 30–70% dark; ccv 100% black ( Fig. 6 )..................................... zelleri

- Scape without lateral stripes; im cell 12–40% dark; ccv 30–100% dark........................................... 4

4 Pale bluish-green; vertex with brown spots; palps pale ( Fig. 1 )......................................... benedictae

- Bluish or grass green; no spots on vertex; palps with dark rings................................................. 5

5 Vertex yellow; spots on thorax reddish, brown, rarely black; Mediterranean species ( Figs. 2 , 11 )… Ap1 .................

- Vertex green or yellowish; spots on thorax brown or black ( Fig. 14 ) … Ap2

6 im cell> 70% black; ccv 100% black; sutures pale or black ( Figs. 18 , 19 )................................ abdominalis - im cell <70% black; ccv 30–100% dark; sutures pale......................................................... 7

7 Vertex yellow; Mediterranean species ( Figs. 2 , 11 )......................................................... Ap1

- Vertex green; im cell <12% dark, always in one piece ( Fig. 12 )......................................... prasina s.s.

- Vertex green; im cell> 12% dark, black portion mostly in several pieces ( Figs. 3 , 15 )............................. Ap3

Figures

FIGURE 1. Apertochrysa benedictae with pale palps, white face, small brown dots on scape, orange spots on vertex, and pale, bluish-green thorax (female from Le Muy, Var, France).

FIGURE 2. Apertochrysa Ap1 with dark palps, white face, red sutures, yellow vertex without spots (female from Follonica, Toscana, Italy).

FIGURE 3. Apertochrysa Ap3 with green face, green vertex, no colored suture, triangle-shaped interantennal spot (female from Agarone, Ticino, Switzerland).

FIGURE 4. Shapes of interantennal spot in the European species of the prasina group.

FIGURE 5. Apertochrysa Ap3: Dots on caudal scape, male triangular prothorax, completely black costal crossveins, im cell with 30% black, in two pieces (male from Raron, Valais, Switzerland).

FIGURE 6. Apertochrysa zelleri with two brown spots on vertex. Barely visible: lateral scape stripe, red suture, im cell with 30% black, in one piece (female from Agarone, Ticino, Switzerland).

FIGURE 7. Apertochrysa benedictae with longest costal crossveins 40% dark, brown dots on scape, two reddish-brown spots on prothorax (female from Le Muy, Var, France).

FIGURE 8. Apertochrysa Ap2, male furwing with about twice as many setae on the costal crossveins as in the female (Fig. 9) or males of non-furwing species (Raron, Valais, Switzerland).

FIGURE 9. Apertochrysa Ap2, female with normal (not roughly doubled) numbers of setae on costal crossveins (Raron, Valais, Switzerland).

FIGURE 11. Apertochrysa Ap1 with reddish-brown dorsal thorax spots, three lateral brown spots on prothorax, and bright yellow vertex (female from Cipressa, Liguria, Italy).

FIGURE 12. Apertochrysa prasina s.s. with less than 40% dark ccv, green face and vertex, and no dorsal marks on the abdomen (female from Agarone, Ticino, Switzerland).

FIGURE 13. Apertochrysa ariadne without any dark spots on head, thorax and abdomen (male from Askyfou, Crete, Greece).

FIGURE 14. Apertochrysa Ap2 with white face, yellowish green vertex, 70% black ccv (female from Agarone, Ticino, Switzerland).

FIGURE 15. Apertochrysa Ap3 with black dots on scape and large black spots on prothorax. The black lateral stripes along the abdomen are almost continuous and the dorsal abdominal spots on the last segments are in a double row (male from Agarone, Ticino, Switzerland).

FIGURE 16. Apertochrysa ventralis with black ventral side of the abdomen, entirely black ccv, and large black spots on the prothorax (female from Claro, Ticino, Switzerland).

FIGURE 18. Apertochrysa abdominalis with all crossveins completely black, a double row of black spots per segment on parts of the abdomen, and black dorsal spots on a brown band on the prothorax (female from Halle, Germany).

FIGURE 19. Apertochrysa abdominalis with black dots on scape, three completely black im cell veins, and, barely visible, furwing ccv (female from Zürich, Switzerland).