Pristocera depressa ( Fabricius, 1804 )

Fadeev, Kirill I., 2021, Review of the genera Pristocera Klug and Pristepyris Kieffer (Hymenoptera Bethylidae, Pristocerinae) of Russia and adjacent territories, Zootaxa 4965 (3), pp. 461-482 : 463-470

Pristocera depressa ( Fabricius, 1804)

( Figs 1–3 )

Bethylus depressus Fabricius, 1804: 237 (description). Type locality: Austria: no specific locality .

Pristocera depressa ( Fabricius, 1804) : Klug 1810: 205; Westwood 1874, p. 163, pl. 30, fig. 3 (male illustration); Kieffer & Marshall 1904 –1906: 289, pl. 8, fig. 2, pl. 11, fig. 2 (♀; ♂ redescription, ♀ description); Kieffer 1914: 455 (key), 456 (♂ / ♀), figs 5, 167, 169, 170, 171 (♂ / ♀ redescription); Ogloblin 1930: 18, figs 11–13 (♀ redescription, illustration, measurements, synonymy); Richards 1939: 332–333 (♂ / ♀ redescription); Bognár 1955: 341, figs 1–10 (redescription of adults, description of preimaginal stages, larval development, рuраtion, and biology in laboratory), Bognár 1957: 231, figs 1–10 (redescription of adults, description of preimaginal stages, larval development, рuраtion, and biology in laboratory); Evans 1963: Pl. 1, figs 1, 7; Pl. 5, fig. 55; Gordh & Móczár 1990: 235 (catalogue; synonymy, distribution); Zamprogno & Azevedo 2014: 5, figs 8, 12, 18; Azevedo et al. 2018b: 109 (in list of species).

Pseudisobrachium roubali Menozzi, 1925: 111 , figs I–II, ♀. Synonymized with Pristocera depressa by Ogloblin (1930). Gordh & Móczár 1990: 262 (catalogue)

Material examined. Type material. Lectotype of Bethylus depressus Fabricius (designated here) ( Fig. 2 ), 1♂ (without location, date, and collector), labelled: “[ AUSTRIA?] 25 [handwritten] // depressus [handwritten], // zmuc00020408 [registration number of type from the Fabricius collection] ( NHMD)”. 1♀ (without location, date. and collector), labelled: “zmuc00020409 [registration number of the type from Fabricius collection] // Meria Illiger , ♀, det. Fadeev K.I., 2019” ( NHMD) . Non-type material. AUSTRIA: 1♂, Ellenderwald [48°04’N 16°43’E], 17.IV.1911, Maidl leg. // Pristocera depressa (F.), det. Kupka ( SDEI) . ROMANIA: 1♂, Agigea [44°05’N 28°36’E], 29.IV.1968, C. Nagy leg. // Pristocera depressa F., det. C. Nagy, 1969 ( ZISP) ; 1♂, Cluj [46°46’N 23°37’E], 15.VI.1964, C. Nagy leg. // Pristocera depressa F., det. C. Nagy, 1969 ( ZISP) ; 3 ♂, Constantsa [44°10’N 28°37’E], 24.III.1946 and 14.VI.1946, Zhelochovtsev leg. ( ZISP) . HUNGARY: 2♂, Kismaros [47°50’N 18°59’E], 12.IV.1908, R. Meusel leg. // Coll. Lange ( SDEI) ; 1♀, Ujpest [47°34’N 19°05’E], [without date], R. Meusel leg. // Coll. Lange ( SDEI) ; 1♂, Budapest [47°30’N 19°03’E] [without date and collector] // к. Ф. Моравица [in cyrillic] [from F. Morawitz collection] // Pristocera depressa Fab. [det. F. Morawitz] ( ZISP) . RUSSIA: Rostov Province: 2♂, 2♀, Persyanovka [47°32′N 39°25′E], 15.IV.1999. D. Dubovikoff leg. ( ZISP) ; 1♂, Kayala [46°56’N 39°41’E], 22.IV.1930. L. Zorina leg. ( ZISP) ; 1♀, Novocherkassk vicinity [47°24’N 40°04’E], 31.III.1914, V. Kizeritskiy leg. ( ZISP) . Volgograd Province: 2♂, Kotluban’ vicinity [49°01′N 44°13′E], 22.III.2007 and 12.IV.2007, K. Grebennikov leg. ( ZISP) ; 1♂, Volgograd [48°42’N 44°27’E], ravine near Pionerka River , steppe area, 16.IV.1985, 16:30 [pm], D. Matveev leg. ( ZISP) ; 7 ♂, Volgograd, Tsaritsa River vicinity [48°41’N 44°28’E], ravine, steppe area, 09.IV.1986, Matveev leg. ( ZISP) ; 1♂, 1♀ (in copula), [on auto road from] Gornaya Polyana —[to] Vodnyi Village [ca. 48°36’N 44°15’E?], 08.IV.1986, Komarov leg., in mating on soil surface among the grass on the slope of a ravine [on back side of label] ( ZISP) . Astrakhan Province: 1♂, Baskunchak Lake , 48.193ºN, 46.813ºE, 02.V.2010, K. Tomkovich leg. ( ZMMU) . Krasnodar Territory: 6 ♂, Krasnodar, VNIIBZR [ All-Russian Research Institute of Biological Plant Protection ], 45°02’56.1”N 38°52’32.4”E, Merike trap, 11.IV.2012, O. Kosheleva leg. ( ZISP) . Stavropol Territory: 1♀, Stavropol Terr. [without locality], forest belt, IV.1971, M. Malysheva leg. ( ZISP) . Kabardino-Balkaria Republic: 3 ♀, Nalchik [43°30’N 43°38’E], airport, sediments in ditch, 20.IV.1986, A. Kravets leg. ( ZISP) ; 1♀, same label, ( ZMMU) . Chechnya & Ingushetia Republics : 1♂, Checheno-Ing. [ushskaya] ASSR [without locality], 1976, on sowing of winter wheat, [without collector] ( ZISP) . North Ossetia Republic: 1♀, Mozdok, Kievskoe [43°42’N 44°38’E], 03.VII.1987, A. Zvantsov leg. ( ZISP) . Crimea Republic: 1♂, 1♀, Kerch [45°20′N 36°28′E], 03.II.1902 and 01.III.1903, A. Kirichenko leg., [#]2698 ( ZISP) ; 2♂, Kerch , 29.I.1902 and 25.II.1903, [without collector]// Pristocera depressa , det. N. Kokujew ( ZISP) ; 2 ♀, Kerch , 16.II.1902 and 13.III.1902, [without collector] // Pristocera depressa , det. N. Kokujew ( ZISP) ; 2♂, Kerch , 27.II.1900 and 06.II.1901, Yatsentkovskij leg. ( ZISP) ; 1♀, Kerch , 28.II.1901, Yatsentkovskij leg. ( ZISP) ; 1♂, 1♀, Kerch , IV.1903, Yatsentkovskij leg. ( ZISP) ; 1♂, Kerch vicinity, 26.IV.1927, E. & V. Kuznetsov leg. // Pristocera depressa , det. V. Gussakovskij ( ZISP) ; 2♂, Kerch [without date and collector] ( ZISP) ; 1♂, Dubky [44°56’N 34°01’E] [Symferopol vic.], 11.III.1899 [without collector] ( ZISP) ; 1♂, Salgir River Valley [Symferopol vic.], reserve, 04.III.1978, S. Mosyakin leg. ( ZISP) ; 2♂, Sebastopol [44°35’N 33°31’E], 05.II.1902 and 29.III.1903, W. Pliginski leg. ( ZISP) ; 1♀, Balaklava [44°30’N 33°36’E], 18.III.1935, L. Arnoldi leg. // Pristocera depressa , det. V. Gorbatovsky ( ZISP) . UKRAINE: Lugansk Province: 1♂, Kupyansk—Svatovo [auto road] [49°29’N 37°58’E?], 23.IV.1954, A. Alexeev leg. ( ZISP) ; 3 ♂, Bokovo-Platovo, Antratsitnaya Mt. [48°07’N 39°01’E], 01.V.1974, D. Kasparyan leg. ( ZISP) ; 1♂, 15 km NE Sverdlovsk [Proval’skaya steppe Reserve ], [48°09’N 39°51’E], 07.V.1974, D. Kasparyan leg. ( ZISP) ; 1♀, Anthracit Distr., Dyakovo [47°56’N 39°07’E], 14.IV.2002, S. Konovalov leg. ( ZISP) ; 1♂, Dyakovo , 30.IV.2003, in mating, S. Konovalov leg. ( ZISP) . Khmelnitskiy Province: 1♂, Kamenets-Podolsk. [iy] [48°41’N 26°34’E], [#]1/ 65, 14.IV.1908, V. Yakubovskiy leg. ( ZISP) . MOLDOVA: 1♀, Cahul Distr., Larga [46°04′N 28°14′E], 19.V.1961, Lab. [oratory of] Soil Zool. [ogy], [unknown collector] ( ZISP) ; 2♂, [Stefan Vodsky Distr.], Purcari [46°32’N 29°51’E], 21.IV.1911, Chernavin leg. // Pristocera depressa , det. V. Gussakovskij ( ZISP) . AZERBAIJAN: 1♂, Shamakha [= Shamakhi] [40°37’N 48°37’E], (date unknown), A. Ismailov leg. ( ZISP) , 3 ♂, same labels ( ZMMU) . ARMENIA: Ararat Province: 1♀, Sovetashen [SE of Yerevan, = Nubarashen (40°05’N 44°32’E) or Zangakatun (39°48’N 45°03’E)], 27.VI.1986, M. Kalashan leg. ( ZISP) , TURKEY: 1♂, Adana [ Province or city (37°00′N 35°19′E)], Asia minor, [without date and collector] ( SDEI) .

Redescription. MALE ( Figs 1 A, C–F ; 2 ). Lectotype. Measurements. Body 7.0 mm long, forewing 5.3 mm long, HL 1.175 mm, HW 1.2 mm, WF 0.9 mm; OOL 0.35 mm; EL 0.53 mm; AOL 0.15 mm; WOT 0.325 mm; DAO 0.10 mm; POL 0.20 mm; LM 2.75 mm; LPD 0.875 mm; WPD 0.85 mm. Antenna: scape 0.5 mm; pedicel 0.2 mm; flagellomere I 0.275 mm; flagellomere II 0.25 mm. Legs: рrofemur 0.95 mm; protibia 0.75 mm; protarsomeres: I 0.325 mm, II 0.15 mm, III 0.125 mm, IV 0.1 mm, V 0.225 mm (in ratio = 13:6:5:4:9); mesofemur 0.75 mm; mesotibia 0.75 mm; mesotarsomere I 0.375 mm; metafemur 0.85 mm; metatibia 1.125 mm; metatarsomere I 0.425 mm.

Colour. Head, mesosoma and basal part of antenna dark brown to black, shiny. Apex of mandible, palpi, antenna, pronotal collar, legs, pterostigma and petiole brown or dark castaneous, partly light castaneous distally. Wings pale, hyaline, with brownish setae. Tegula and wing veins yellowish-brown. Metasomal segment I dark brown at base to dark orange in distal part, segments II and proximal part of III orange, segments IV-VII dark orange to brown, darkened towards their posterior ends. Hypopygium (metasomal sternum IX) brown. Distal part of protruding harpe brown to black.

Head. Subquadrate in dorsal view, 1.02 × wider than long. Mandible with five distal teeth. Median clypeal lobe semicircular anteriorly. Median clypeal carina well developed, high, not arched, close to right angle in profile, rounded only at apex of prominence. Vertex and lateral parts of frons markedly punctate to areolate. Punctures on integument surface large, slightly less than diameter of median ocellus (about 0.05 mm), from round to irregularly polygonal at vertex; intervals between punctures shiny. Ocelli arranged in almost equilateral triangle; ocellar triangle elevated. Anterior ocellus posterior to supra-ocular line. Frons with smooth triangular area in front of anterior ocellus, depressed and shiny, towards clypeus. Palpal formula 6:3. Occipital carina present. Head, mandible, scape and pedicel with long setae as on mesosoma . Antenna with short dense setae. Ratio of first four antennomeres 20:5:11:10.

Mesosoma . Pronotal flange developed. Dorsal pronotal area trapezoidal with slightly smaller punctures than on head, but punctation and folds in intervals form coarse transverse striation in anterior part. Transverse pronotal carina barely developed. Lateral sides of pronotum punctate in dorsal part, shiny in center, markedly longitudinally rugose in ventral part. Notaulus consists of large rounded cells connected to each other; narrow and distinct at beginning, then turn into blurred row of large round dots. Parapsidal signum in shape of narrow smooth depressed stripe, 3.0 × narrower than notauli. Mesopleuron punctate. Mesosoma on venter with narrow and non-cellular mesodiscrimen. Metapectal-propodeal disc slightly longer than width, tapering posteriorly, with areolate-rugose triangular area. Median carina developed posteriorly, bifurcating distally and converging, forming elongated lenticular cell. Posterior part of metapectal-propodeal disc rounded, smoothly turns declivity. Lateral surface of metapectal-propodeal disc strigulate to rugose, declivity rugose.

Wings. Forewing with 2r-rs&Rs vein long and slightly curved in front third. Costal and subcostal veins subparallel. Hind wing with six hamuli.

Metasoma. Depressed dorso-ventrally. Segment I petiolate, with median longitudinal carina and transverse wrinkles in ventral surface. Hypopygium deeply divided medially to four–fifth of its length; its inner margin not dentate and almost straight; apex of hypopygium blunt and round, densely covered with long setae, reaching middle of notch.

Genitalia (based on specimen from Rostov). Distal harpe long, twice sinuate, close to S or Z-shaped, protruding behind aedeagus, its distal parts flattened, not widely separated and sometimes touched each other far behind aedeagus, covered with setae along outer and inner margins. Inner margin of anterior harpe with setae in ventral view. Aedeagus long, conical, thin, its apical lobe long and deeply bifurcated up to half of its length; at apex with lateral subtriangular transverse lobes or processes, lateral apical tuberous outgrowths. Digitus curved. Volsella with stripe of setae in ventral view.

Variation. Body 8.0–12.0 mm; forewing 5.3–7.5 mm long; HL 1.15–1.85 mm; HW 1.20–1.78 mm; LM 2.75– 4.30 mm; LPD 0.88–1.38 mm; WPD 0.85–1.38 mm.

FEMALE ( Figs 1B , 3 ). Measurements. Body 7.0–10.0 mm long; HL 1.13–1.60 mm; HW 1.00– 1.40 mm.

Colour. Head and body predominantly yellow to yellow-orange, with exception of yellow-brown teeth margin of mandible. Legs yellow, paler than body.

Head. Head with convex dorsal and ventral surfaces in lateral view, narrowed anteriorly in lateral view but slightly widened anteriorly in dorsal view. Head 1.0–1.4 × as long as its width. Median clypeal lobe with four small projections along anterior margin in dorsal view. Punctation of dorsum relatively sparse, punctures located in approximately 10 rows. Mandible with three distal teeth. Eye small, its width equal to width of scape. Ratio of first five antennomeres 20:4:5:4:4.

Mesosoma . Dorsal pronotal area narrow anteriorly, 1.12–1.15 × longer than its width, shiny, with sparse punctures. Lateral sides of pronotum inconspicuously punctate and imbricate. Mesothorax triangular, almost equilateral, shiny, with slightly convex posterior sides and rounded apices. Mesopleuron rounded, with sloping margins, slightly punctate. Metapectal-propodeal disc polish dorsally, with single punctures (one–two) along lateral sides, its maximum width 2.0–2.5 × minimal width. Lateral marginal carina of metapectal-propodeal complex developed, slightly curved. Lateral not punctured, imbricated.

Legs. Mesotibia markedly spinose along outer edge, with three–four longitudinal rows of five–six spines of in each.

Metasoma. Metasomal spiracles of first tergum oval. All metasomal segments intensively punctured and pubescent in their distal parts.

Distribution. Great Britain ( Westwood 1874, Richards 1939, Perkins 1976, Else et al. 2016); Spain ( Kieffer & Marshall 1904 –1906, Ceballos 1943, 1956); Italy ( Westwood 1874, Kieffer & Marshall 1904 –1906, Olmi 1994, 2003, Zamprogno & Azevedo 2014); Slovenia ( Polaszek 2017), Germany ( Klug 1810, Ogloblin 1930, De Rond 2001); Austria ( Fabricius 1804, Klug 1810, Kieffer & Marshall 1904 –1906); Czech Republic ( Bouček 1957 [ Czechoslovakia], Strejček 1989, Macek et al. 2007, 2010); Croatia ( Zamprogno & Azevedo 2014); Slovakia ( Menozzi 1925, Bouček 1957 [ Czechoslovakia], Strejček 1989, Macek et al. 2007); Hungary ( Mocsáry 1881, Kieffer & Marshall 1904 –1906, Bognár 1955, 1957); Romania ( Mocsáry 1881 [«Erdélyben Hátszeg»], Duchaussoy 1916, Nagy 1966); * Moldova; Ukraine: Donetsk and Lugansk Prov. ( Amolin 2016), *Khmelnitskiy Prov.; Russia: Crimea Rep. ( Trjapitzin 1978), Rostov, Volgograd and Astrakhan Prov. ( Fadeev 2017) * Krasnodar and * Stavropol Terr., * Kabardino-Balkaria Rep., * Chechnya & * Ingushetia Rep., * North Ossetia Rep.; * Azerbaijan; * Armenia; * Turkey.

Comments to distribution. A number of authors repeat Berland’s (1928) record of this species from France, but only a suggestion was here given about its occurrence in this country. Hedqvist (1975) also recorded it from Denmark, but his information is probably erroneous.

Biology. Females paralyze Agriotes obscurus L. ( Coleoptera : Elateridae ), larva develop as ectoparasites of wireworm larva ( Bognár 1955, 1957). According to the labels the species live in the steppe area; adults were caught in ravines. Males are active from February and more common in early spring (March–April); females are recorded till July.

Remarks. The studied type specimen (lectotype) is severely damaged. The right antenna has only scape, pedicel, and two flagellomeres; the left antenna with only scape, pedicel, and single flagellomere. The left mesofemur is damaged in the anterior third from the outside. Right mesoleg is absent except mesocoxa. Mesotarsi are absent except left mesotarsomere I. Metatarsi are absent on the right and left, except left mesotarsomere I. The metasoma is damaged antero-laterally in the right; it was preliminarily detached, but later glued to the propodeum with resin. The genitals of lectotype not extracted because too old and very fragile specimen; however, type shows morphological identity with all the males of this species listed in the material.

This species is similar to P. damascena and P. syriaca in the shapes of the male genitals, curved harpe and long aedeagus, which is deeply divided apically, and hypopygium. It differs from the all Palaearctic species in presence of high median carina on the clypeus, as well as in some details of the genitals components such as harpe and aedeagus, and hypopygium. It also differs from P. formosana Miwa & Sonan, 1935 by the presence of mandibles with five teeth, not dentate inner margin of hypopygium notch, rufous terga I–III, absence of regular median carina in anterior part of metapectal-propodeal disc, and presence of lenticular cell formed by median carina in the posterior part of metapectal-propodeal disc.

Pristocera depressa was originally described in Bethylus by Danish entomologist J.Ch. Fabricius (1745–1808); later this species name was transferred to Pristocera by Klug (1810). In the original description, there is no information about the sex and number of type specimens, and this happened even before the general practice indicating of types. The type series of Bethylus depressus in the Fabricius collection included two specimens deposited in Kiel, Germany ( Zimsen 1964), hence they were later perceived as syntypes. Tuxen (1967) reported later that Fabricius collection was transferred to the Zoological Museum of Copenhagen, Denmark in 1950.

In the World Bethylidae catalogue, Gordh & Móczár (1990) indicated that type specimens of this species are possibly lost, however, this catalogue has a number of errors and gaps. Until now, the type series of this species has not been investigated. I found information about types of this species in the digitized type collection of Statens Naturhistoriske Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark (http://www.daim.snm.ku.dk/The-digitized-type-collection). Following these data, two syntypes of Bethylus depressus are housed in this Museum, which I studied them for the first time.

Analysis of both considered type specimens showed that the first specimen with the collection number “zmuc00020408” and special label ” depressus ” is definitely male of Bethylus depressus , it has a depressed abdomen and segment II red, which corresponds to the original description; but the second specimen with the collection number “zmuc00020409” and without a special label does actually not belong to Bethylus depressus , it has a completely black-brown conical abdomen, which does not correspond to the original description, and it was identified by us as female species of Meria Illiger (Tiphiidae) . However, this situation may be determined by the fact that the old Fabricius collection was rearranged in past ( Zimsen 1964). Then, I designate the first specimen as a lectotype of the species. I have also refrained from designating the second specimen as a paralectotype, because it does not correspond to the original description given by Fabricius, and, in all likelihood, was mistakenly placed in the type series of this species from other species of Bethylus , now classified in the family Tiphiidae when moving the collection. Thus, it is temerarious considered this last specimen as a part of the type series.

I studied one copulating pair collected in Volgograd Province (see the Material examined Section). Additionally, two more males and two females (two pairs) caught together but without indication of their copulation were collected in Rostov Province; these specimens were plausibly captured also during mating. These three females associated with males share common features with each other and with another 17 females obtained without males (see diagnostic characters in the description and key). The available females correspond to those described and illustrated earlier (Kiefer 1914, Ogloblin 1930, Richards 1939, Macek et al. 2010).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Pristocera depressa (Fabricius, 1804). A. Male, habitus, dorsal view. B. Female, habitus, dorsal view. C. Metasomal petiole of male, ventral view. D. Hypopygium of male, outer view. E. Male genitalia, dorsal view. F. Male genitalia, ventral view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm for A and B; 0.5 mm for C–F.

FIGURE 2. Pristocera depressa (Fabricius, 1804), male, lectotype. A. Head, dorsal view. B. Head, front view. C. Head, lateral view. D. Mesosoma, ventral view. E. Mesosoma, lateral view. F. Mesosoma, dorsal view. G. Metasoma, dorsal view. H. Metasoma ventral view. I. Metapectal-propodeal complex, dorsal view. J. Labels. K. Forewing. Scale bars: 1.0 mm, except 0.5 mm for B.

FIGURE 3. Pristocera depressa (Fabricius, 1804), female. A. Head, dorsal view. B. Head and mandible, front view. C. Mesosoma, dorsal view. D. Mesosoma, lateral view. E. Head, lateral view. F. Head, ventral view. G. Mesotibia. H. Metasomal petiole, ventral view Scale bar: 0.5 mm.