Pristiphora tetrica (Zaddach, 1883)

Liston, Andrew D., Jacobs, Hans-Joachim & Prous, Marko, 2015, The Sawflies of Crete (Hymenoptera, Symphyta), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 62 (1), pp. 65-79 : 65

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Tenthredinidae

* † Pristiphora tetrica (Zaddach, 1883)

Nematus tetricus Zaddach in Brischke, 1883: 148-149; ♀, holotype. Type locality: Gumperda, Thüringen. Type probably destroyed ( Liston and Späth 2008).

Nematus velatus Zaddach in Brischke, 1883: 149; ♀, holotype. Type locality: Baiern [Bavaria]. Type should be in the Zoologische Staatssammlung, Munich, but was not located ( Liston and Späth 2008).

Pristiphora tetrica : Lacourt 1976, description of male.

Pristiphora nievesi Haris, 2004: 164-165; ♀, holotype and paratypes [Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid; examined]. Type locality: El Ventorillo, Madrid. New synonym.

Material.

Crete; 7♀♀, 3♂♂, Pinakiano, 27.iii.2013. 2♀♀, 11♂♂, Mesa Lasithi, 28.iii.2013. 1♂, Livadia, 29.iii.2013. 1♀, 4♂♂, Anogeia, 29.iii.2013. 5♀♀, 5♂♂, Katharo Plateau, Kopraki, 30.iii.2013. 1♀, 1♂, Omalos, 21.iv.2013. 2♀♀, Omalos, 25.iv.2013. All specimens swept from Acer sempervirens : because all species of the Pristiphora subbifida group use Acer spp. as hosts ( Liston and Späth 2008), Acer sempervirens (the only Acer sp. occurring in Crete) is probably a host.

Barcode data: sequences have been obtained for five specimens that were previously identified as Pristiphora nievesi : one specimen each from France, DEIGISHym19640; Italy, Sicily, DEIGISHym10972; mainland Greece, DEIGISHym10965, and two from Crete (DEIGISHym20660, 20662). Nested within this cluster in the barcode similarity tree are three specimens of Pristiphora tetrica from Germany (BC ZSM HYM 09418, BC ZSM HYM 20222, DEIGISHym18864). Although the minimum sequence divergence of the Cretan specimens from the German ones is about 1.9%, the Sicilian specimen differed from the German ones by only 0.6%. This is a comparatively small barcode difference ( Hebert et al. 2004).

Pristiphora tetrica and Pristiphora nievesi have been recognized as being morphologically the most similar Pristiphora species within the Pristiphora subbifida group ( Haris 2004, Liston and Späth 2008); even the penis valves and lancets (Cretan specimens: Figs 17, 18) are indistinguishable. However, the phenotypes do display minor differences in colour and size:

Note.

Occasional Central European specimens of Pristiphora tetrica occur that are unusually pale. They are larger than the types of Pristiphora nievesi but similarly coloured, apart from having black metafemora. One such individual is the type of Nematus velatus , described as having an almost completely yellow abdomen and less fuscous wings than typical Pristiphora tetrica . Specimens formerly identified as Pristiphora nievesi differ from each other in the colour pattern of the legs. The metatibia of the type specimens and the French specimen ( Savina et al. 2014) is extensively or completely black. The base of the metatibia of the Sicilian and northern Greek specimens is obscurely paler. The Cretan specimens are paler than all of these, with the metatibia only apically black. For the following reasons, it seems best to regard the southern European Pristiphora nievesi as merely a series of relict populations of Pristiphora tetrica , and to treat them all as conspecific: a continuous gradient of variability in colour and size occurs between Central European Pristiphora tetrica specimens and specimens which have recently been treated as Pristiphora nievesi ; morphology of lancets and penis valves is identical; genetic data at present reveals no clear difference between these nominal species.

See comments on phenology and distinction of Pristiphora tetrica from Periclista cretica , under Periclista cretica (above). Colour variability in Pristiphora tetrica from Crete is in the extent of pale on the outer orbits, tegulae and posterior edges of the pronotum. These parts are usually partly pale, but are entirely black in the darkest individuals. Males tend to be darker than females. Occasionally in females, the mesepisternum is partly pale medially.