Pristiphora nigella ( Foerster , 1854)

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 : 55

Pristiphora nigella ( Foerster, 1854) Figs 34, 111, 115, 166, 294

Tenthredo ambigua Fallén, 1808: 112-113. Primary homonym of Tenthredo ambigua O.F. Müller, 1776. Lectotype ♂ (designated by Beneš et al. 1981) in MZLU, examined. Type locality: Sweden.

Nematus occultus Förster, 1854a: 331-332. Lectotype ♂ (GBIF-GISHym3371; designated by Beneš et al. 1981) in ZSM, examined. Type locality: Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Synonymised with Lygaeonematus ambiguus by Konow (1904a).

Nematus nigellus Förster, 1854a: 328-329. Lectotype ♀ (GBIF-GISHym3361; designated by Beneš et al. 1981) in ZSM, examined. Type locality: near Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Nematus furvescens Cameron, 1876: 308-311. Syntype(s) possibly in BMNH, not examined. Type locality: East Dunbartonshire or Stirling ("old road between Milngavie and Strathblane"), Scotland, United Kingdom. Synonymised with Lygaeonematus ambiguus by Konow (1904a).

Nematus obscurus Zaddach in Brischke, 1884: 126. Primary homonym of Nematus obscurus Norton, 1861 [= Euura obscura (Norton, 1861)]. Syntypes possibly destroyed ( Blank and Taeger 1998). Type locality: Gdańsk [Danzig], Poland or Kaliningrad [ Königsberg], Russia. Synonymised with Lygaeonematus ambiguus by Konow (1904a).

Nematus xanthomus Zaddach in Brischke, 1884: 138. Syntype ♂ and ♀ possibly destroyed ( Blank and Taeger 1998). Type locality: Lüneburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Synonymised with Sharliphora nigella by Beneš et al. (1981).

Nematus obscurior Dalla Torre, 1894: 246. Replacement name for Nematus obscurus Zaddach, 1884.

Similar species.

The most similar species are P. amphibola and P. parva . In females, the shorter valvula 3 (see the Key) of P. nigella enables its separation from P. amphibola , but differences (slightly shorter valvula 3 and darker coloration) from P. parva might not always be evident. Penis valves of P. nigella , however, seem to show more reliable differences from P. amphibola and P. parva : in nigella , the paravalva is ventrally abruptly narrowed before the valvispina (Fig. 294), while in other species the narrowing is more gradual (Figs 293, 295).

Genetic data.

Based on COI barcode sequences, P. nigella belongs to the same BIN cluster (BOLD:AAF5120) as P. amphibola (Fig. 5). Maximum distance within the BIN is 0.71% and minimum between species distance is possibly 0.00%. The nearest neighbour to BOLD:AAF5120, diverging by minimum of 2.26%, is BOLD:ABV9415 ( P. parva ). Based on nuclear data, the nearest neighbour is 0.3% different ( P. parva , only TPI).

Host plants.

Picea abies (L.) Karsten ( Kontuniemi 1960).

Distribution and material examined.

West Palaearctic. Specimens studied are from Estonia, Finland, Germany, and Sweden.