Allantus calliblepharus (Konow, 1900)

Liston, Andrew, 2023, Taxonomy, distribution and host plants of some southern European and North African Sawflies (Hymenoptera, Symphyta), Contributions to Entomology 73 (1), pp. 9-30 : 9

Allantus calliblepharus (Konow, 1900)

Emphytus calliblepharus Konow, 1900: 121-122. Syntypes, ♀ [SDEI: 3♀ currently on loan, not examined]. Type locality: Russia, Irkutsk.

Material examined.

Russia?: 1♀ (DEI-GISHym84749), “Gorki” [The only label data. This cannot refer to the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod, which was only named Gorky from 1932-1990, long after Konow’s death in 1908], ex Coll. F. W. Konow (SDEI) . Japan, Honshu: 1♀ (DEI-GISHym84747), Nagano, Kayanotaira , 1450 m, 36.840°N, 138.476°E, H. Kojima leg. (SDEI); 1♀ 2♂ (SDEI) .

Notes.

The “Gorki” female and one Japanese female have very small pale spots on the extreme posterior of the lateral mesoscutal lobes. The mesoscutum of the other specimens is completely black. The punctation and sculpture of the upper mesepisternum closely resembles that of A. togatus . Apart from the colour characters given in the key (below) to distinguish A. togatus from A. calliblepharus , two other characters first mentioned by Konow (1900) have often been given. Firstly, the postocellar area has been said to be as long as broad in A. togatus whereas nearly 1.5 × as long as broad in A. calliblepharus . The material of A. calliblepharus which I have before me is not sufficient to assess this. However, in both A. enslini and A. togatus , significant variability in this character is apparent: compare Fig. 7B with 7C. Furthermore, a problem is caused by the difficulty in defining the points between which one should measure, particularly the hind margin of the postocellar area, which is not carinate. Although the pale flecks on the rear of the vertex are useful for orientation, part of the perceived “variability” is probably caused by measurement error. Secondly, the antennae of A. togatus (Fig. 7L ) have been stated to be relatively shorter and thicker than those of A. calliblepharus (Fig. 7M ). Although there do seem to be differences, at least in the total length of antenna compared to the width of the head, a greater number of specimens of A. calliblepharus would be required to check on variability.

Allantus calliblepharus is apparently an eastern species, widely found in West and East Siberia, the Russian Far East, Japan and Korea ( Popov 2011; Sundukov 2017), but very rarely recorded in Europe. Most of the few European records are from southern Finland (e.g. Grönblom 1938; Kontuniemi 1947), and one from Russian Karelia ( Hellén 1955). Published records of a single female from northern Sweden (Abisko area) by Malaise (1931a, b) may be based on a misidentification of A. togatus , because Malaise wrote that this specimen had wing coloration like A. togatus , but a longer postocellar area, as often ascribed to A. calliblepharus . The specimen was unfortunately unavailable for re-examination: not located in the Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm (H. Vårdal, pers. comm.).

The host plants of A. calliblepharus , according to Zhelochovtsev (1988), are willow species. Perhaps this is based on Verzhutskii (1966), but he only mentions that a single male specimen was collected from Salix .

Figures

Figure 7. Allantus (Allantus) species. A-C. Head dorsal ♀; A. A. viennensis (DEI-GISHym 81400); B. A. enslini (Sicily, G. F. Turrisi leg.); C. A. enslini (DEI-GISHym 84750); D, E. Thorax lateral ♀, postspiracular sclerite arrowed; D. A. enslini (DEI-GISHym 84745); E. A. togatus (DEI-GISHym 118974); F-H. Complete dorsal ♀; F. A. enslini (DEI-GISHym 84745); G. A. togatus (DEI-GISHym 118974); H. A. calliblepharus (DEI-GISHym 84747); I-M. Antennae; I. A. viennensis ♀ (DEI-GISHym 81400); J. A. enslini ♀ (DEI-GISHym 84750); K. A. enslini ♂ (DEI-GISHym 21183); L. A. togatus ♀ (DEI-GISHym 118974); M. A. calliblepharus ♀ (DEI-GISHym 84747). Scale bars: 1 mm.