Pristiphora confusa Lindqvist, 1955

Prous, Marko, Kramp, Katja & Liston 1, Veli VikbergAndrew, 2017, North-Western Palaearctic species of Pristiphora (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 59, pp. 1-190 : 68

Pristiphora confusa Lindqvist, 1955 Figs 196, 268

Pristiphora confusa Lindqvist, 1955: 40-41. Holotype ♀ (http://id.luomus.fi/GL.5209) in MZH, examined. Type locality: Sipoo [Sibbo], Uusimaa, Finland.

Similar species.

Based on the external morphology, the most similar species are P. albitibia , P. armata , P. leucopus , P. opaca , P. pusilla , P. sootryeni , and P. subopaca . Pristiphora confusa is best distinguished by the structure of the male penis valve (Fig. 268). Unfortunately, it is rather difficult to distinguish females from P. armata , P. leucopus , P. opaca , and P. subopaca , as the differences in lancets are small (Figs 192-193, 196-198). The apical serrulae are more protruding and shorter than in P. opaca and P. subopaca (Figs 196-198). Pristiphora opaca also has a fold at the base of the tangium of the lancet (Fig. 197) that is lacking in other species in the ruficornis group. Pristiphora opaca tends also to have a smaller subapical tooth than P. confusa (Figs 22-23). The pterostigma of P. confusa is apically brown and basally dark brown, like in P. opaca (Fig. 40), but unlike in P. subopaca , in which it is uniformly yellow (Fig. 39). In P. armata and P. leucopus , the pterostigma is usually dark brown (Fig. 42), but sometimes the pterostigma can have more or less the same colour as in P. confusa . In this case, small differences in the lancet can help distinguish P. confusa from P. armata and P. leucopus , as setae tend to be more distinct in P. confusa (Figs 192-193, 196). Among the males, the most similar penis valves are of P. subopaca . The valvispina in P. confusa is barely bent and the pseudoceps is narrower compared to P. subopaca (Figs 268-269).

Genetic data.

Based on COI barcode sequences, belongs to the same BIN cluster (BOLD:AAG3568) as P. aphantoneura , P. bifida , P. luteipes , P. opaca , P. pusilla , P. staudingeri , and P. subopaca (Fig. 4). Maximum distance within the BIN is 3.33% and minimum between species distance is 0.00%. The nearest neighbour to BOLD:AAG3568, diverging by minimum of 2.76%, is BOLD:AAQ2302 ( P. armata and P. leucopus ). Based on nuclear data, maximum within species divergence is 0.7% (based on two specimens and both genes combined) and the nearest neighbour is 0.0% different ( P. bifida or P. luteipes , only TPI). If TPI introns are included, the nearest neighbour is still 0.0% different ( P. bifida ).

Host plants.

Salix caprea L. ( Kangas 1985), Salix fragilis L. ( Benson 1958), Salix phylicifolia L. ( Benson 1958).

Distribution and material examined.

Palaearctic. Specimens studied are from Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Russia (Primorsky Krai), Sweden, and Switzerland.