Pristiphora melanocarpa (Hartig, 1840)

Nematus melanocarpus Hartig, 1840: 27. Lectotype ♀ (GBIF-GISHym3349; here designated) in ZSM, examined. Type locality: North Germany (according to introduction).

Nematus funerulus Costa, 1859: 20-21. Syntypes ♂♀ possibly in MZUN, not examined. Type locality: vicinity of Naples, Campania, Italy.

Nematus wuestneii Stein, 1885 [mandatory correction of incorrect original spelling N. Wüstneii]: 304. Lectotype ♀ (here designated) in BMNH, examined. Type locality: Chodov [Chodau], Czech Republic.

Pristiphora ortinga Kincaid, 1900: 349-350. Holotype ♀ (USNMENT00778199) in USNM, not examined. Type locality: Kukak Bay, Alaska, USA. Note. Synonymised by Smith (1979: 63).

Similar species.

The most similar species is P. ruficornis, which has paler antennae compared to P. melanocarpa . Females have the ventral side of antennae uniformly black (Fig. 24) or only slightly paler, while P. ruficornis has a distinctly paler ventral side (Fig. 25). Males of P. melanocarpa also tend to have darker antennae than in P. ruficornis, but penis valves should be studied in specimens that have conspicuously pale antennae. The ventro-apical spine of the penis valve bends distinctly more sharply (being almost L-shaped) and is usually narrower (Figs 80, 82) than in P. ruficornis (Figs 79, 81).

Genetic data.

Based on COI barcode sequences, specimens are divided between three BIN clusters (BOLD:AAG3540, BOLD:ACZ4465, BOLD:ACZ4466), two of them (BOLD:ACZ4465 and BOLD:ACZ4466) including also P. ruficornis (Fig. 1). These BIN clusters form a monophyletic group (Fig. 1) and minimum distances between them are only 1.13-1.50%. Neither do nuclear TPI sequences support separation of P. melanocarpa and P. ruficornis (Fig. 2).

Host plants.

Betula pendula Roth (Kangas 1985), B. pubescens Ehrh. ssp. czerepanovii (N. I. Orlova) Hämet-Ahti (rearings by VV), B. nana L. (rearings and ex ovo rearing experiments by VV). The records from Salix (e.g. Lorenz and Kraus 1957) are probably based on misidentifications. A male paratype of P. coniceps Lindqvist (http://id.luomus.fi/GL.5208) that belongs to P. melanocarpa, was reared from larvae found on Salix (Lindqvist 1955), but this should not be taken as a clear evidence for host association as no ex ovo rearings were involved.

Distribution and material examined.

Holarctic. Specimens studied are from Canada, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, and Sweden.