Philoctetes putoni (du Buysson, 1892)

Rosa, Paolo, Zilioli, Michele & Jacobs, Maarten, 2017, Notes on endemic Alpine chrysidids, with key to Alpine Philoctetes Abeille de Perrin, 1879, and remarks on two rarely collected species (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae), Natural History Sciences 4 (1), pp. 9-18 : 14-16

Philoctetes putoni (du Buysson, 1892) ( Figs. 4 A-D,

5A-D, 6A-D, 7B,D,F)

Notozus putoni du Buysson, 1892: 108 . Holotype ♂; France: Basses-Alpes, Larche (Paris) (examined).

Elampus putoni : Kimsey & Bohart, 1991: 169.

Philoctetes delvarei Tussac & Tussac, 1993: 473. Holotype ♂; France: Hautes-Alpes, Arvieux, 1750 m, 16.vii.1990, leg. G. Delvare (Paris) (examined). Syn. nov.

Pseudomalus putoni : Strumia, 2001: 89.

Philoctetes putoni : Rosa, 2005: 13; Rosa, 2006: 120; Schmid-Egger, 2011: 36.

Material examined. France: 1♀: [Larche 24/7] [Museum Paris Larche Basses-Alpes Coll. R. du Buysson 1900] [ Notozus putoni Buyss. R. du Buysson det.] [Holotypus Notozus putoni Buyss. des. Móczár 1998] ( NMHN); 1♂: [ France Hautes Alpes Arvieux 1750 m] [Brunissard 7.VII.1990 G. Delvare leg.] [457] [Muséum Paris 1994 Don 806] [Holotype ♂ Philoctetes delvarei dét. H. Tussac 1993] ( NMHN); 1♀: [ France: Hautes Alpes Arvieux L’Eychaillon] [2150 m 16.VII.1990 G. Delvare leg.] [459] [Muséum Paris 1994 Don 806] [Paratype ♀ Philoctetes delvarei dét. H. Tussac 1993] ( NMHN); 1♂, 1♀: Mercantour National Park, Col de la Cayolle 2300 m, 14.VII.2010, leg. C. Schmid-Egger ( CSEC); 2♀♀, Mercantour National Park, Le Pra, 1700 m, 44.3238 N 6.8836 E, 1700 m, 17.VII.2009, leg. Schmid-Egger ( CSEC); 5♀♀: Mercantour National Park, Millefonts, 2030 m, 44.1025 N 7.1721 E, 15.VII.2009 and 13.VII.2010, leg. C. Schmid-Egger ( CSEC); 1♂: Mercantour National Park: La Foux d’Allos, 1900 m, 44.294 N 6.564 E, 15.VII.2010, leg. C. Schmid-Egger ( CSEC). 18♂♂ and 4♀♀: Mercantour National Park, Millefonts, 2050 m, 44°05’51.27’’N 7°11’01.41’’E, 13-14.VII.2011, leg. O. Niehuis ( ZFMK); 9♂♂ and 7♀♀: same collecting data, leg. P. Rosa ( MNHN, MJC, MZC, PRC) ( Fig. 3C ). Italy: 1♀: [Aosta, Pondel, 880 m, 5.VIII.2002, leg. M. Zilioli] ( PRC).

Distribution. France and Italy. Philoctetes putoni has been frequently collected in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (Mercantour National Park ( Schmid-Egger, 2011 and pers. obs.)), Parc National des Écrins ( Berland & Bernard, 1938), and Parc Naturel Régional du Queyras (Tussac & Tussac, 1993), but it seems widespread and common in the western Alps and it is expected also from Piedmont (Parco Naturale delle Alpi Marittime). French specimens have been collected in alpine grassland between 1700 m and 2300 m. The Valle d’Aosta specimen was collected in the xerothermic area of Pondel, Val di Cogne, at 880 m. This specimen seemingly reached this dry and warm site following a wind stream from the surrounding high mountains included in the Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso. The specimen cited for “Val d’Ayas” (without any more precise locality indication) indicates that the species is widespread on both sides of Aosta Valley. Also, other Alpine endemic species, as Chrysis lucida , Hedychridium aereolum sensu Linsenmaier and H. cupreum , were collected in Val d’Ayas alpine grassland from Crest, 1900 m, Ostafa, 2400 m, and Fiéry, 1800 m ( Rosa, 2006), and therefore P. putoni is expected in the mountains above Champoluc.

Description. Body length: 3.7-7.7 mm; fore wing length: 2.5-3.5 mm; OOL = 2.5 MOD; POL = 2.1 MOD; MS = 1.0 MOD; relative length of P:F1:F2:F3 = 1:1.35:0.8:0.7.

Head. Frons, vertex, face between compound eyes and scapal basin with small (up to 0.75 MOD), deeper and well defined punctures. Posterior margin of vertex with smaller punctures, and two impunctate areas behind ocelli. Scapal basin medially polished, laterally transversally and irregularly rugulose ( Fig. 4C ). Gena with large punctures only. Genal carina not bisecting MS ( Fig. 4B ). Ocellar triangle isosceles, postocellar line indistinct, with a short line (<0.5 MOD) barely visible starting from ocelli. Mandible tridentate.

Mesosoma. Pronotum with deep punctures similar to those on vertex, medially with smooth intervals (1-2 PD), and with row of small punctures along the posterior margin. Mesoscutum with large (0.5-0.75 MOD) and well distinct punctures mostly clumped along notauli; punctures basally between notauli larger, generally about 1 MOD; notaular pit deep and short (about 1 MOD); parapsidal furrows complete as narrow lines ( Fig. 4A ). Mesoscutellum with large punctures (1 MOD) antero-medially with larger polished area (0.5 PD). Metascutellum with elongate subrectangular lamella, apically subtruncate; lamella long as or longer than scutellum width ( Figs. 4A , 5A , 7B ). Mesopleuron with large punctures without intervals. Tarsal claw four-toothed.

Metasoma. T1 antero-medially polished, T1 laterally and T2 dorsally with fine, uniformly scattered tiny dots ( Fig. 7F ); laterally with double punctuation foveolatepuncticulate irregularly distributed. T3 with irregular, larger punctures; T3 posterior margin gently convex; an undulation starts abruptly in the middle with a brownish rim reaching the apical notch. T3 transversely depressed before the apical margin, depression well visible in lateral view; T3 apical notch triangular and bordered by a thickened margin ( Figs. 5D , 6D ).

Colour. Body metallic green to green-blue in living specimens. Dried collection specimens darker, green to blue with greenish reflections on scutellum and metanotum; T1 and T2 medially with large dark to blackish areas. Legs metallic green to blue, tarsi light brown. Antenna with scapus metallic green, pedicel and flagellum entirely black.

Vestiture. Head and mesosoma with long, black erect setae (1.0-1.8 MOD). Metasoma laterally with short (1-1.5 MOD) and appressed whitish setae ( Figs. 4D , 6D ). Legs with short (1 MOD) and whitish setae.

Variability. Males are variable in size and colour, as in other Philoctetes species and related genera. The body colour, especially on metasoma, can be darker blue to blackish ( Fig. 6A ). Also, the shape of metanotal projection is variable being narrower, subtruncate or with sharp apical margin.

Remarks. Philoctetes delvarei Tussac & Tussac, 1993 has been described on some specimens collected close to the type locality of Ph. putoni . Tussac & Tussac (1993) did not mention Ph. putoni in their detailed description of Ph. delvarei because it was then considered as a member of the genus Elampus Spinola by Kimsey and Bohart (1991). The examination of type material of Ph. delvarei confirms that this species is a synonym of Ph. putoni .

Lastly, Ph. putoni was even erroneously considered as a synonym of Omalus (Notozus) ambiguus Dahlbom, 1854 by Linsenmaier (1951), thus increasing uncertainty in the identification of several European species.

Figures

Fig. 4 - Philoctetes putoni (du Buysson), female:A) habitus, dorsal view; B) habitus, lateral view; C) head, frontal view; D) T3, dorso- lateral view.

Fig. 3 - A) Philoctetes helveticus, female (Photo by M. Jacobs); B) Aosta Valley, Chamolé lake, 2350 m (Photo by C. Monte); C) O. Niehuis looking for P. putoni at Milefonts, 2030 m, Mercantour National Park (Photo by P. Rosa).

Fig. 5 - Philoctetes putoni (du Buysson), female, holotype:A) habitus, dorsal view; B) habitus, lateral view; D) T3, dorso-lateral view; C) Philoctetes putoni (du Buysson), male: genital capsula.

Fig. 7 - A,C,E) Philoctetes helveticus (Linsenmaier), female: A) mesosoma, dorsal view; C) mesoscutum, propodeum and T1, lateral view; E) T1, dorsal view. B,D,F) Philoctetes putoni (du Buysson), female: B) mesosoma, dorsal view; D) mesoscutum, propodeum and T1, lateral view; F) T1, dorsal view.

Fig. 6 - Philoctetes delvarei Tussac & Tussac, male, holotype:A) habitus, dorsal view; B) habitus, lateral view; C) head, frontal view; D) T3, dorso-lateral view.