Pristiphora opaca Lindqvist, 1955

Prous, Marko, Kramp, Katja & Liston 1, Veli VikbergAndrew, 2017, North-Western Palaearctic species of Pristiphora (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 59, pp. 1-190 : 71-72

Pristiphora opaca Lindqvist, 1955 Figs 22, 40, 197, 270

Pristiphora opaca Lindqvist, 1955b: 42-43. Holotype ♀ (http://id.luomus.fi/GL.5204) in MZH, examined. Type locality: Pihtipudas, Central Finland.

Similar species.

Based on the external morphology, the most similar species are P. albitibia , P. confusa , P. pusilla , P. sootryeni , and P. subopaca . The species is best distinguished through the structure of male penis valve (Fig. 270). Unfortunately, it is rather difficult to distinguish females from P. subopaca as the differences in the lancets are small (Figs 197-198). The best character might be the structure of the tangium: on its basal part, P. opaca appears to have a fold (Fig. 197) that is absent in other species of the ruficornis group. There are also slight differences in external morphology between P. opaca and P. subopaca . In P. opaca (Fig. 40), the pterostigma is apically brown and basally dark brown (uniformly yellow in P. subopaca ; Fig. 39), antennae are slightly paler ventrally (uniformly black in P. subopaca ), and claws seem to have a somewhat smaller subapical tooth (Fig. 22) than in P. subopaca (Fig. 23).

Genetic data.

Based on COI barcode sequences, P. opaca belongs to the same BIN cluster (BOLD:AAG3568) as P. aphantoneura , P. bifida , P. confusa , P. pusilla , P. staudingeri , and P. subopaca (Fig. 4). Maximum distance within the BIN is 3.33% and minimum between species distance is 0.00%. The nearest neighbour to BOLD:AAG3568, diverging by a minimum of 2.76%, is BOLD:AAQ2302 ( P. armata and P. leucopus ). Based on nuclear data (one specimen and both genes combined), the nearest neighbour is 0.4% different ( P. luteipes or P. pusilla ).

Host plants.

Unknown.

Distribution and material examined.

Western Palaearctic. Specimens studied are from Finland and Sweden.