Pristiphora pallidiventris ( Fallen , 1808)

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 : 57-59

Pristiphora pallidiventris ( Fallen, 1808) Figs 54, 106, 142-144, 224-226

Tenthredo pallidiventris Fallén, 1808: 120-121. Lectotype ♀ (MZLU2014482; here designated) in MZLU, examined. Type locality: not stated.

Nematus (Nematus) luridus Dahlbom, 1835b: 7. Not available. Nomen nudum.

Nematus ephippiger Hartig, 1840: 24. Out of 7 ♀♀ and 2 ♂♂ syntypes, 2 ♀♀ and 2 ♂♂ were not found in ZSM. Type locality: not stated.

Nematus flavicomus Tischbein, 1846: 77. Types probably destroyed ( Horn et al. 1990). Type locality: B. [Birkenfeld, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany]. Synonymised with P. pallidiventris by Konow (1902).

Nematus gemellus Förster, 1854a: 425-427. Lectotype ♀ (GBIF-GISHym3288; here designated) in ZSM, examined. Type locality: near Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Nematus Marshalli [sic!] Cameron, 1875: 9. Syntype(s) possibly in BMNH, not examined. Type locality: Corsica, France. Synonymised with P. pallidiventris by Konow (1902).

Nematus cirrhostomus Zaddach in Brischke, 1883b: 195. Two syntypes possibly destroyed ( Blank and Taeger 1998). Type locality: Finland. Synonymised with P. pallidiventris by Konow (1902).

Pristiphora pallidiventris var. denudata Konow, 1902: 165, 179. Lectotype ♀ (DEI-GISHym3905; here designated) in SDEI, examined (severely damaged, abdomen missing). Type locality: Barcelona, Spain.

Pristiphora zella Rohwer, 1909: 20. Holotype ♀ in NSM ( Smith 1983), not examined. Type locality: Nebraska, USA. Synonymised with P. pallidiventris by Smith (1979).

Pristiphora pallicoxa Rohwer, 1910b: 200. Holotype ♀ (USNMENT00779341) in USNM, not examined. Type locality: Nerepis, New Brunswick, Canada. Synonymised with P. pallidiventris by Smith (1979).

Pristophora [sic!] xanthotrachela Rohwer, 1913: 281. Holotype ♀ (USNMENT00779593) in USNM, not examined. Type locality: Cabin John, Maryland, USA. Synonymised with P. pallidiventris by Smith (1979).

Pristiphora pallidiventris var. haemorrhoidalis Enslin, 1916: 526. Lectotype ♀ (GBIF-GISHym3291; here designated) in ZSM, examined. Type locality: Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany.

Pristiphora pallidiventris var. stigmatica Enslin, 1916: 526. Lectotype ♀ (GBIF-GISHym3444; here designated) in ZSM, examined. Type locality: Krefeld [Crefeld], North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Pristiphora ostiaria MacGillivray, 1920: 236. Lectotype ♀ in INHS (http://inhsinsectcollection.speciesfile.org/InsectCollection.aspx) (designated by Frison 1927), not examined. Type locality: Ithaca, New York, USA. Synonymised with P. pallidiventris by Smith (1979).

Pristiphora atlantica Malaise, 1939: 1-3. Holotype ♀ in NHRS, examined. Type locality: Caramujo, Madeira, Portugal.

Nematus (Pristiphora) pallidiventris ab. flaviapex Hellén, 1948a: 45. Not available. Infrasubspecific name.

Nematus (Pristiphora) pallidiventris ab. nigrofemoratus Hellén, 1948a: 45. Not available. Infrasubspecific name.

Pristiphora pallidiventris atlantica Lacourt, 1987: 261-262. Primary homonym of Pristiphora atlantica Malaise, 1939 [= Pristiphora pallidiventris ( Fallén, 1808)]. Holotype ♀ in CTN, examined. Type locality: Ifrane, Meknès-Tafilalet, Morocco.

Pristiphora pallidiventris megalpina Lacourt, 1987: 262-264. Holotype ♀ in CTN, examined. Type locality: St Véran, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France.

Similar species.

The most similar species is P. nigricans . Females of P. pallidiventris have a completely pale metafemur and terga 9-10, or at least partly black metafemur, while in P. nigricans the metafemur is completely pale and terga 9-10 are black. The lancets (Figs 141-144) and penis valves (Figs 223-226) have also consistent differences (see the Key). P. pallidiventris is rather variable (also discussed by Lacourt 1987): size of the subapical tooth of claws varies from small to large, the abdomen can be nearly completely black to completely yellow (sometimes even mesepisternum is partly pale), and the structure of the serrulae of the lancet and shape of the penis valve varies as well. Because the variation seems to be continuous and there is no unambiguous way to divide the variation into more than one taxon, we accept only one species.

Genetic data.

Based on COI barcode sequences, specimens of this species are divided between at least two BIN clusters (BOLD:ACO1634 and BOLD:AAU3334) (Fig. 5). Minimal distance between these two clusters is 4.94%. Eight additional BIN numbers available in BOLD fall between these two P. pallidiventris BIN clusters. One BIN cluster from Germany (BOLD:AAK9449), five from Canada (BOLD:ACT4128, BOLD:ACO4727, BOLD:ACO4729, BOLD:ABX2590, BOLD:ACL3627) and two from China (BOLD:ACO0950 and BOLD:ACO6535) may contain P. pallidiventris rather than P. nigricans based on the pictures available in BOLD (no specimens studied), although the existence of additional species cannot be excluded. A studied male specimen of P. pallidiventris from Primorsky Krai is closest to BOLD:ACL3627 (Canada), differing by a minimum of 2.3%. Based on nuclear data (two specimens, both genes combined), within species divergence is 0.9% and the nearest neighbour is 3.1% different ( P. testacea ). Large genetic diversity would be expected for a widespread species (BOLD:AAU3334 contains specimens from Europe and Canada). As the specimens belonging to BIN clusters BOLD:ACO1634 and BOLD:AAU3334, and the specimen from Primorsky Krai cannot be morphologically separated, we consider pallidiventris to be a single species, that is widespread and genetically diverse.

Host plants.

Filipendula ulmaria (L.) Maxim. ( Loiselle 1913), Geum urbanum L. ( Loth 1913), G. rivale L. ( Kangas 1985), Rubus chamaemorus L. ( Liston 2011), R. idaeus L. ( Loth 1913), R. fruticosus agg. ( Loth 1913, Chambers 1961), R. ulmifolius Schott ( Liston and Zerafa 2012, as P. atlantica ).

Distribution and material examined.

Palaearctic, Nearctic. Specimens studied are from Austria, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Russia (Primorsky Krai), Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine.