Polistes bischoffi Weyrauch

Schmid-Egger, Christian, Achterberg, Kees van, Neumeyer, Rainer, Jerome Moriniere, & Schmidt, Stefan, 2017, Revision of the West Palaearctic Polistes Latreille, with the descriptions of two species an integrative approach using morphology and DNA barcodes (Hymenoptera, Vespidae), ZooKeys 713, pp. 53-112 : 83-84

Polistes bischoffi Weyrauch Figs 6, 7

Polistes bischoffi Weyrauch, 1937, Zoologische Jahrbucher (Jena), Abteilung fur Systematik, Okologie und Geographie der Tiere 70: 274. Neotype female (NMBE, examined by RN, designated by Neumeyer et al. 2014), type locality: Galeria, Corsica (France).

Remarks.

For a detailed discussion about the mixed type series of the species see Neumeyer et al. (2014, and references therein). Weyrauch (1937) described P. bischoffi from Sardinia and later ( Weyrauch 1939) he included a dark form of P. bischoffi (actually P. albellus ) that he interpreted as geographic variations (followed by Schmid-Egger and Treiber 1989, and others). The true P. bischoffi has a southern European distribution, whereas P. albellus ranges from Central Europe to the eastern Palaearctic region.

Diagnosis.

This species belongs to the group of species with a short female malar space within the P. gallicus species group. The female can further be recognized by a medially interrupted yellow band on sternite IV, a large black spot or band on the clypeus, and by the dorsally black hind coxa. The sternal band IV is always continuous in P. gallicus and P. mongolicus , and the clypeus is entirely yellow in most P. mongolicus specimens or has a smaller, more excentric spot in most P. gallicus specimens. The epicnemial ridge is reduced or absent in P. bischoffi and P. albellus versus distinct or reduced in P. gallicus and P. mongolicus . The character is therefore of limited diagnostic value. The flagellum is in both sexes dorsally light orange to somewhat dark orange, whereas it is always light orange in related species, except northern P. foederatus . The male can be confused with P. gallicus (see the key to species for differences).

Distribution.

S Europe and Turkey, northwards to Austria (Neusiedl am See) and Switzerland (northwards to Zurich). See Neumeyer et al. (2015) for the detailed distribution.

Specimens examined.

Europe: Spain, Gibraltar, Switzerland, southern France and Corsica, Austria, Greece, Italy, Croatia. Asia: Eastern Turkey (Hakkari region).

Genetic results.

Specimens from Spain, S France and Corsica, Switzerland, and Croatia were barcoded. The species forms a separate cluster, with a small gap between SW (France, Spain) and southern central European populations.