Chrysolina (Stichoptera) gypsophilae ( Kuester , 1845)

Germann, Christoph, Geiser, Michael & Borer, Matthias, 2023, A review of the Chrysolina species - subgenus Stichoptera Motschulsky, 1860 - in Switzerland, with notes on distribution, conservation and preimaginal stages (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae), Alpine Entomology 7, pp. 69-82 : 69

Chrysolina (Stichoptera) gypsophilae ( Kuester, 1845)

Note.

This species occurs in large parts of Europe, particularly in the South, as well as in the Near East, Caucasus and Central Asia ( Kippenberg 2010). There are published records from all countries surrounding Switzerland. In adjacent Baden-Württemberg (Germany), Ch. gypsophilae has recently been listed as extinct ( Rheinheimer and Hassler 2018), for Germany it is listed as “vulnerable” ( Fritzlar et al. 2021).

Material.

1 ♀: "Coll. Ch. Maerky Grammont" [Le Grammont, VS?] (MHNG). 1 ♀: Chandolin [VS], 21.6. [before 1929], coll. Maerky (MHNG). 1 ♀: Kippel [VS, almost illegible, handwritten], 21.6. [before 1929], coll. Maerky (MHNG).

Remarks.

Blanc et al. (2012) reported this species from «Genève», based on likely misinterpreted historical specimens at the MHNG (the handwritten labels are difficult to interprete). These are likely the same specimens cited above, all from the collection of Charles Maerky. This collection has a reputation for containing frequent labelling errors, making the data altogether unreliable (see Monnerat et al. 2015). The three specimens are all females, and all are supposedly from localities at montane altitudes, which seems odd for this species, otherwise known from lowlands areas ( Rheinheimer and Hassler 2018). Because of this unreliability and the lack of other material in collections, we consider the occurrence of this species in Switzerland dubious and advise not to add it onto faunistic lists unless new data become available.