Pristiphora astragali Vikberg, 1978

Prous, Marko, Vikberg, Veli, Liston, Andrew & Kramp, Katja, 2016, North-Western Palaearctic species of the Pristiphora ruficornis group (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 51, pp. 1-54 : 21-22

Pristiphora astragali Vikberg, 1978

Pristiphora astragali Vikberg, 1978: 133-137. Holotype ♀ (PR.354VV) in MZH, examined. Type locality: Kilpisjärvi, Finland.

Similar species.

Based on the external morphology, the most similar species are P. confusa , P. opaca , P. pusilla , P. sootryeni , P. staudingeri , and P. subopaca , from which it is best distinguished by the structure of the lancet (Figs 43-44 ). The lancet has weak ctenidia (weak or well-developed in the others) and on the inner surface of the lancet there are small spiny pectines (or dentes semicirculares) that reach the sclerora (present also in P. sootryeni ). However, differences from P. sootryeni (Fig. 45 ) are rather small. Morphologically, the subapical tooth of the claws tends be smaller, the apical serrulae of the lancet are shorter, and the number of ctenidia on the lancet is smaller than in P. sootryeni ( Vikberg 2006). Male unknown.

Genetic data.

Based on a COI barcode sequence of one confidently identified specimen of P. astragali from Abisko (Sweden; DEI-GISHym80042), it belongs to the same BIN cluster as P. sootryeni (BOLD:AAL8292), which in the BOLD database includes two other unidentified specimens from Manitoba, Canada (Fig. 1 ). The nearest neighbour (BOLD:AAL8277) is 2.40% different. BIN cluster BOLD:AAL8277 includes possibly also P. astragali : in the BOLD database there are two specimens from Manitoba (Canada) and one from Inari (Finland), the latter identified by Matti Viitasaari as " Pristiphora nr. astragali ". Amplification of TPI failed.

Host plants.

Astragalus alpinus L. ( Vikberg 1978; 2006).

Distribution and material examined.

Western Palaearctic. Specimens studied are from Finland and Sweden.

Figures

Figure 1. Maximum likelihood tree of Pristiphora ruficornis group based on cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences (1078 bp). Specimens that had at least the full barcode sequence (658 bp) were included in the analysis. Branches with multiple specimen identification labels represent identical sequences, only one of which was used in the analysis. Numbers on the nodes show approximate likelihood-ratio test (aLRT) support values and bootstrap proportions (%, BP). Support values for weakly supported branches (aLRT <0.9 and / or BP <70) are not shown. The inset shows the tree with outgroup species. The scale bar shows the number of estimated substitutions per nucleotide position. An asterisk (*) indicates the specimens that we have not studied. AUT, Austria; CAN, Canada; CHN, China; DEU, Germany; ESP, Spain; EST, Estonia; FIN, Finland; FRA, France; GBR, United Kingdom; ITA, Italy; MAR, Morocco; NOR, Norway; PRT, Portugal; SWE, Sweden; USA, United States of America. NUMTs?, possible nuclear mitochondrial pseudogenes.

Figures 41 - 45. Lancets of Pristiphora albitibia subgroup. 41 P. albitibia DEI-GISHym 20944 42 P. aterrima holotype 43 P. astragali DEI-GISHym 80042 44 P. astragali PR. 365 VV 45 P. sootryeni PR. 366 VV.