Chrysis succinctula Dahlbom, 1854

Rosa, Paolo & Xu, Zai-fu, 2015, Annotated type catalogue of the Chrysididae (Insecta, Hymenoptera) deposited in the collection of Maximilian Spinola (1780 - 1857), Turin, ZooKeys 471, pp. 1-96 : 32-37

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Chrysididae

Chrysis succinctula Dahlbom, 1854 Plate 33

Chrysis succinctula : Dahlbom 1854: 179.

Type locality.

"Habitat in Europa media et meridionali ad Berolinum, D. Klug ad Genuam D. Spinola; ad Milanum, D. Christophori."

Material.

Lectotype (here designated) ♀. Chrysis succinctula , Sp. n. sp. cum var. - Chrysis assimilis , De Crist. Genes [Genova] et Milan.

Paralectotype 1 ♀. idem.

Catalogue Casolari & Casolari Moreno. Chrysis succinctula , 1, 110/160, 0, 3 (box 51).

Remarks.

The description of Chrysis succinctula is based on at least three specimens: two Italian specimens collected at Genoa and Milan (listed under the unpublished names Chrysis succinctula and Chrysis assimilis De Cristofori) housed in the Spinola collection and the third one from the MNHU (Klug), without locality. We were not able to find the specimen in MNHU. It was presumably destroyed or merged with samples of other species and now cannot be identified as syntype any more. In the Spinola collection, there are two syntypes and a third specimen collected in Corsica and belonging to the species Chrysis pseudogribodoi Linsenmaier, most likely added in the column after the death of Spinola. In any case, it does not belong to the type series. The two syntypes do not match the current interpretation of the species given by Linsenmaier (1959: 115), since they belong to the species Chrysis germari Wesmael, 1839. The description and the drawings given by Dahlbom agree with this new synonymy. Dahlbom described succinctula in his third " Phalanx " (Chrysides ano unidentate) and placed in this group only two species: Chrysis succinctula and Chrysis leachii Shuchard, 1837. Both Chrysis germari and Chrysis leachii have the last tergite with a visible tooth or emargination. Even Dahlbom’s description of Chrysis succinctula does not exclude synonymy with Chrysis germari : "Pronotum 1. cyaneum 1. violascens, antice fascia aut fasciola viridi-aurea; dorsulum saturatius aureum; scutellum 1. concolor 1. viride l. cyaneum". Dahlbom (1854: 137) considered as Chrysis germari the only dimorphic male of this species, which is without teeth on the anal margin. He placed the male of Chrysis germari in his first " Phalanx ". The description was based on one specimen received by Zetterstedt and still housed in his collection in Lund ("Habitat in Europa meridionali rar.; in Croatia a D. Germar detecta [the type]; in insula Melita maris mediterranei a D. Antonio Schembri inventa, teste D. Zetterstedt qui specimen Melitense mihi dono dedit"). Dahlbom’s interpretation of this species as Chrysis germari was confirmed by other authors (e.g. Eversmann 1857: 555). The only doubt relates to the third syntype; this specimen (not found in MNHU) with "scutellum cyaneum" could be related to any other species of the succincta group. However, the drawings to Dahlboms description (plate IX; figs. 101a, b, c) are clear and depict Chrysis succinctula with the main features of Chrysis germari .

We select from the above specimens the only specimen in good condition as a lectotype, since the second syntype is severly damaged and its metasoma is glued to the mesosoma. The lectotype is missing the last two flagellomeres of the right antenna. The lectotype designation is given to prevent a future incorrect designation of the lectotype based on the third specimen not belonging to the syntype series; this specimen has a similar colour to Chrysis succinctula sensu Linsenmaier and might create confusion. We therefore propose Chrysis succinctula Dahlbom, 1854 as a new synonym of Chrysis germari Wesmael, 1839.

The species identified as Chrysis succinctula by Linsenmaier has to receive a new name. After having studied all possible synonyms of Chrysis succincta and related taxa, the first available name for this species is Chrysis tristicula Linsenmaier, 1959. Based on this research, we can summarize the results as follows:

Chrysis obtusiventris Förster, 1853. Name included by Förster only in the key. The short description is enough to consider it as a valid name. Mocsáry (1889: 312) and Dalla Torre (1892: 99) placed it in doubt as a junior synonym of Chrysis succincta . It was later included it in the synonymic list of Chrysis succincta by Kimsey and Bohart (1991: 467). Since Förster (1853) did not give a complete description of this species, the type is lost, the locality is unknown, and no author used this name as a valid species, we suggest the suppression of this name. In a different paper, we will refer the case to the Commission on the ICZN.

Chrysis tarsata Dahlbom, 1854. Two syntypes collected in Berlin, examined and housed at MNHU. The species is synonym of Chrysis succincta Linnaeus, 1767 sensu auctorum.

Chrysis minutula Schenck, 1871. Mocsáry (1889: 312) placed Chrysis minutula in synonymy of Chrysis succincta and recognized that the type was a male and not a female. Dalla Torre (1892: 99) and Kimsey and Bohart (1991: 467) followed Mocsáry interpretation. However, the description of this species is clear and refers to a small male of Chrysis germari Wesmael. Schenck considered Chrysis minutula close to Chrysis leachii , which is characterized by a different thorax colour (mesonotum and scutellum contrasting with the posterior margin of the prothorax and the metanotum) compared with Chrysis succincta .

Chrysis aeneipes Tournier, 1879. The species was described based on two syntypes (both males) collected at Peney (Geneva) on the 19th July 1876 and 25th of June 1878. The two syntypes have been examined and are still preserved in MHNG. They belong to Chrysis germari Wesmael. Chrysis aeneipes was already synonymized by Mocsáry (1889: 314). Kimsey and Bohart (1991: 468) placed it in synonym of Chrysis succincta .

Chrysis frivaldszkyi Mocsáry, 1882. Chrysis frivaldszkyi was always considered as a valid species after Linsenmaier (1959). Kimsey and Bohart (1991:468) placed it in synonym of Chrysis succincta , but it was later revaluated by Strumia (1995: 5) and subsequent authors (e.g. Linsenmaier 1997, Rosa 2005). The lectotype of Chrysis frivaldszkyi was examined and it matches Linsenmaier’s (1959) interpretation. In the literature, this taxon is written in different ways: Chrysis friwaldszkyi ( Berland and Bernard 1938), Chrysis frivaldskyi ( Linsenmaier 1959, 1968; Strumia 1995), Chrysis frivaldszkii ( Kimsey and Bohart 1991). The original spelling is Chrysis frivaldszkyi .

Chrysis bicolor var. abeillei Frey-Gessner, 1887. Kimsey and Bohart (1991: 468) placed Chrysis abeillei as a synonym of Chrysis succincta . We could not find the type, but according to the description, the species is more closely related to Chrysis bicolor and Chrysis illigeri .

Chrysis succincta var. sparsepunctata du Buysson (in André), 1892. This specimen is closely related to Chrysis frivaldszkyi , as correctly interpreted by Linsenmaier (1959). The type was examined and it is housed in ISEA-PAS.

Chrysis succincta var. alicantina Mercet, 1904. Chrysis alicantina is a valid Iberian endemic species, correctly identified by Linsenmaier (1968, 1997), morphologically and chromatically different from Chrysis succincta and similar to Chrysis chrysoscutella Linsenmaier and Chrysis germari Wesmael.

Chrysis succincta var. ignifacies Mercet, 1904. This is a valid Iberian endemic species, closely related to Chrysis germari Wesmael, but easily recognizible for the colour, the double punctuation on the metasoma, the length of the malar spaces and other morphological characteristics. Chrysis ignifacialis Linsenmaier, 1959 is an unnecessary replacement name for Chrysis ignifacies Mercet.

Chrysis succincta var. hirsuta Trautmann, 1926 (nec Gerstaecker, 1869). The type of Chrysis succincta var. hirsuta is lost; however, based on the description and the collecting place it belongs to Chrysis lucida Linsenmaier, 1951.

Chrysis succincta var. asiatica Trautmann, 1926 (nec Radoszkowski, 1889). The type is lost. Balthasar (1953: 286) replaced the name asiatica Trautmann with the new name ferghanensis . Based on the original description and the key given by Balthasar, the species resembles Chrysis frivaldszkyi and Chrysis kesleri Radoszkowski, described from the same area.

Chrysis succincta var. germanica Trautmann, 1926. The type is lost but the description excludes any possible synonym with Chrysis succincta . Chrysis succincta var. germanica has evident teeth and a unique body colouration. In Northern Europe and Scandinavia, the only a similar species present is Chrysis westerlundi .

Chrysis succincta var. pulcherrima Trautmann, 1926 (nec Lepeletier, 1806). Type lost, Balthasar (1953: 286) replaced the name pulcherrima with perelegans . Based on the description, it is clearly referrable to the female of Chrysis albanica Trautmann, 1927.

Chrysis succincta var. virideocincta Trautmann, 1927 (based on the type of Chrysis succincta ab. virideocincta Hellén, 1919, unavailable). It is a synonym of Chrysis bicolor Lepeletier, 1806. The syntypes have been examined and Paukkunen et al. (2014) designated the lectotype.

Chrysis succincta var. noskiewiczi Trautmann, 1927. The type is lost. The short description is related to a colour variation of Chrysis frivaldszkyi .

Chrysis succincta var. transsylvanica Kiss-Endre, 1927. The type is housed in MNHM and was already placed in synonymy of Chrysis albanica by Móczár (1965).

Chrysis succincta var. pannonica Hoffmann, 1935. The examination of the type material in NHMW confirmed that it is a synonym of Chrysis frivaldszkyi ( Rosa 2009).

Chrysis succincta var. decorata Hoffmann, 1937. Type not found. The description is clear and the species is phenotypically close to Chrysis bicolor or Chrysis illigeri bearing four visible teeth on the last visible tergite.

Chrysis succincta var. komareki Balthasar, 1953. This species was already placed in synonymy of frivaldszkyi by Linsenmaier (1959). Kimsey and Bohart (1991) placed it in synonymy of succincta together with frivaldszkyi .

Chrysis succincta f. pumilio Balthasar, 1953. It not even clear from the short description whether or not pumilio belongs to the Chrysis succincta or Chrysis leachii group. It could be conspecific with Chrysis cypruscula Linsenmaier, 1959.

Chrysis tristicula Linsenmaier, 1959, stat. n. is a very variable species, due to its large distribution in the Mediterrean region. The southern Spanish and Moroccan specimens show a darker colouration of the metasoma. It varies from violet to bluish on the margin of the second and third tergites. In some cases, also the margin of the first tergite can be darker to violet or bluish. This particular colouration of the metasoma is not present in the French, Italian and Swiss specimens, even if a darker to violet reflection can be found on the anal margin of the third tergite, after the pit row. However, some African specimens show the colour of the metasoma without violet or bluish reflections ( Linsenmaier 1999). The only morphological distinctive characteristics given by Linsenmaier to identify this species is the punctuation of the body "a little" finer and on the metasoma "a little" denser (Pkt ein wenig feiner, auf Abd auch etwas dichter) than Chrysis succincta . This characteristic is observed not only in the African specimens, but also in the Spanish ones. The Alpine specimens show a different punctuation, with sparse punctures decreasing in diameter on the second tergite, from the base to the apical margin, with shining intervals. However, the colour and the punctuation on the metasoma vary more or less gradually from the Alps to South Spain, but all the main morphological characteristics, from the length of the flagellomeres (with F-III longer than F-II) to the genital capsula, remain the same in all the examined specimens from the SW Mediterranean countries.

Current status.

Chrysis germari Wesmael, 1839.