Alaptus stammeri Soyka, 1939

Serguei V. Triapitsyn, 2017, Revision of Alaptus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) in the Holarctic region, with taxonomic notes on some extralimital species, Zootaxa 4279 (1), pp. 1-92 : 70-76

Alaptus stammeri Soyka, 1939

( Figs 154–166)

Alaptus minimus Westwood [as (Haliday) Walker)]: Bakkendorf 1934: 17 –23 (in part—a few specimens only, hosts, illustrations, development: misidentification), 131 (host).

Alaptus stammeri Soyka 1939b: 29 –30. Type locality: Karkonosze Mountains (50°44’18’’N 15°42’19’’E, 1434 m), Karkonosze National Park, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland (of the lectotype designated here, see “Comments” below; as “Riesengebirge” in the original description); incorrectly indicated as Germany by Debauche (1948), Vidal (2001), and Noyes (2016).

Alaptus tritrichosus Maláč 1947: 97 –100. Type locality: Heršpice (near Slavkov u Brna), Vyškov District, South Moravian Region, Czech Republic. Holotype and 3 paratype females (not examined), presumably lost (see “Comments” below). Syn. n.

Alaptus stammeri Soyka: Debauche 1948 : 55 –56 (list, key); Soyka 1948: 75 (key); Kryger 1950: 32 (illustration of the female, habitus, his fig. 1 [as Alaptus (Hal.) Westwood ]); Trjapitzin 1978: 521 (key, distribution); Donev 1978: 459 (distribution); Pintureau & Keita 1990: 239 (host associations), 242 (population dynamics); Triapitsyn 2002: 216 (distribution, host associations).

Alaptus tritrichosus Maláč : Soyka 1948: 75 (key); Sveum & Solem 1980: 128 (compared with A. globularis ).

Alaptus richardsi Hincks 1960: 171 –172. Type locality: Silwood Park, Sunninghill (near Ascot), Berkshire Co., England, UK. Syn. n.

Alaptus richardsi Hincks : New 1969: 182 –192 (biology, illustrations of immature stages); Triapitsyn 2002: 216 (distribution, host associations).

Alaptus stammeri Soyka : Triapitsyn 2002: 216 (distribution, host associations).

Type material examined. Alaptus stammeri Soyka : lectotype female [NHMW], here designated to avoid the existing confusion regarding the status of the type specimens of this taxon, on slide ( Fig. 154) labeled: 1. “ Alaptus ♀ stammeri Soyka Type”; 2. [red] “Type”; 3. [in pencil, most likely the original H.-J. Stammer’s number that also appears on one of the fully labeled specimens of A. pallidicornis from the same collecting event] “104 ae 16”. The lectotype ( Fig. 155) is in fair condition, mounted dorsoventrally, complete. Paralectotypes (the species was described from 1 “genotype” and 22 “cotypes” but actually 2 females are marked as “Type” among them so it is now impossible to figure out which one was the “genotype”) on slides: 1 female [NHMW] on slide labeled: 1. “ Alaptus ♀ stammeri ”, 2. [red] “Type”, 3. [in pencil] “104 ae Type 2 Fühler”; 1 female [NHMW] on slide labeled: 1. “ Alaptus ♀ stammeri (Soyka) Co-Type ”, 2. [red] “Co-Type”, 3. [in pencil] “104 ae 7”; 1 female [NHMW] on slide labeled: 1. “ Alaptus ♀ stammeri ”, 2. [red] “Co-Type”, 3. [in pencil] “104 ae 5”; 1 female [NHMW] on slide labeled: 1. “ Alaptus ♀ stammeri (Soyka) Co-Type ”, 2. [red] “Co-Type”, 3. [in pencil] “104 ae Type 1”; 1 female [NHMW] on slide labeled: 1. “ Alaptus ♀ stammeri ”, 2. [red] “Co-Type”, 3. [in pencil] “104 ae 15”; 3 females [NHMW] on slides labeled: 1. “ Alaptus ♀ stammeri (Soyka) det. W. Soyka Co-Type”, 2. [red] “Co-Type”, 3. “Riesengebirge weisse Wiese nördlich von Weg aus Wiesenbaude Moortümpel 28. IX. [or 9.] 1933 lg Stammer Coll. Soyka In Canadab. 1933”; 1 female [NHMW] on slide labeled: 1. “ Alaptus ♀ stammeri (Soyka) det. W. Soyka Co-Type”, 2. [red] “Para-Type”, 3. “Riesengebirge weisse Wiese nördlich des Weges aus Wiesenbaude Moortümpel 28.9.1933 lg Stammer Coll Soyka In Canadab. 1933”; 2 females [NHMW] on slides labeled: 1. “ Alaptus ♀ stammeri (Soyka) det. W. Soyka”, 2. [red] “Co-Type”, 3. “Valkenburg Holland Ign. K. a. F. 7 Oktober 1931 lg Soyka In Canadab. 1941”; 1 female [NHMW] on slide labeled: 1. “ Alaptus ♀ stammeri (Soyka) det. W. Soyka”, 2. [red] “Co-Type”, 3. “Valkenburg Holland Ignatiuskolleg, Fenster 7. Okt. 1931 Soyka Canadab. Febr. 1935”; 1 female [NHMW] on slide labeled: 1. “ Alaptus ♀ stammeri var. (Soyka) 20 [in pencil] Co.-Type 4 [in pencil]”, 2. [red] “Co-Type”, 3. “Valkenburg S. Holland I. Kolleg, am Fenster 7. Okt. 1931 Soyka lg Coll. Soyka In Canadabalsam”; 1 female [NHMW] on slide labeled: 1. “ Alaptus ♀ stammeri var. (Soyka) 22 [in pencil] Co-Type 6 [in pencil]”, 2. [red] “Co-Type”, 3. “Valkenburg I. Kolleg Süd-Holland, am Fenster 7. Okt. 1931 Coll. Soyka In Canadabalsam”; 1 female [ISNB] on slide labeled: 1. “ Alaptus ♀ stammeri (Soyka) Co-Type ”, 2. “J. Ghesquière vid., 1951!”, 3. “R. I. Sc. Nat. Belg. I. G. 17..496”, 4. “Riesengebirge, Schlesien weisse Wiese Weg aus Wiesenbaude, Moortümpel 28.9.1933 lg Stammer Coll. Soyka In Canadab.”; 1 female [ISNB] on slide labeled: 1. “ Alaptus ♀ stammeri Soyka ) 21 Cotype”, 2. [red] “Para-Type”, 3. “Valkenburg Holland Ignatiuskolleg, Fenster 7. Okt. 1931 Soyka Coll. Soyka Canadab. Febr. 1935”; 1 female [EMEC] on slide labeled: 1. “ Alaptus ♀ stammeri (Soyka) det. W. Soyka”, 2. [red] “Co-Type”, 3. “Riesengebirge weisse Wiese nördlich des Weg aus Wiesenbaude Moortümpel 28.IX.1933 lg Stammer Coll. Soyka In Canadab. 1933”.

Alaptus richardsi Hincks : holotype female [BMNH] on slide ( Fig. 159 ) labeled: 1. “Silwood Park Berks. 22.9.58 Psocid eggs on Broom, em. winter 1958- 9 in lab. O. W. Richards Mounted in gum chlorol”; 2. [red circle] “Type”; 3. “ Alaptus richardsi Hincks. TYPE ♀ B.M. 1966-9 Type no. B.M. 5.1733 [in red ink] G. C.”. The holotype ( Fig. 160 ) is in poor condition, with antennae shriveled, mounted dorsoventrally, complete; the watersoluble mounting medium (probably Hoyer’s) is almost completely dry. Paratypes (on separate slides): 3 females [MMUE] labeled: 1. “ Alaptus richardsi Hincks PARATYPE ♀ 6c”; 2. [yellow] “Manchester Museum PARATYPE”; 3. “Silwood Park Berks, 22.9.58 Psocid eggs on broom, Em. in lab. Winter 1958-9 O. W. Richards” (one of them in completely dry Hoyer's medium); 1 female [BMNH] labeled: 1. “Silwood Park, Berks. 22.9.58 Psocid eggs on Broom, em. in lab. winter 1958-9. O. W. Richards”; 2. [yellow circle] “Para-type”; 3. “B.M. 1966- 9 Alaptus richardsi Hincks PARATYPE ♀ G. C. Mounted in gum chlorol.” (in completely dry Hoyer's medium).

Material examined. DENMARK: HOVEDSTADEN, Dyrehaven (Jaegersborg Dyrehave, Zealand Island), O. Bakkendorf (from psocid eggs): 10.ii.1925 [1 ♀, ZMUC]; ix.1925 [1 ♀, ZMUC]. SJAELLAND, Møn (Møen) Island, Karensby, collected 27.viii.1925, emerged 14–16.ix.1925, O. Bakkendorf (from psocid eggs on Angelica archangelica [as Archangelica sativa]) [1 ♀, ZMUC] (misidentified by O. Bakkendorf as A. minimus ). FINLAND: UUSIMAA, Helsinki, 10.viii.1980, M. Koponen [1 ♂, FMNH]. Nurmijärvi, 14.viii.1995, M. Koponen [1 ♀, FMNH]. GEORGIA: ADJARA, Batumi, Kakhaberi, Gruzbiolaboratoriya (Georgian Biological Control Laboratory), 20.viii.1953, V.A. Trjapitzin [1 ♀, ZIN]. NETHERLANDS: LIMBURG, Valkenburg, St. Ignatius Jesuit College (Ignatiuskolleg), 7.x.1931, W. Soyka (on window) [1 ♀, NHMW] (misidentified by W. Soyka as A. pallidicornis ). RUSSIA: MOSCOVSKAYA OBLAST’, Noginskiy rayon, Fryazevo, 25.vii.2002, M.E. Tretiakov [2 ♀, UCRC]. PRIMORSKIY KRAY, Ussuriyskiy rayon, Gornotayozhnoye, M.V. Michailovskaya: 12– 18.viii.1999 [4 ♀, IBPV, UCRC, ZIN]; 17–18.viii.1999 [3 ♀, IBPV, UCRC]; 15–30.ix.2000 [1 ♂, UCRC]; 12– 15.viii.2002 [2 ♀, 1 ♂, UCRC]; 11–16.vii.2003 [1 ♀, UCRC]; 27.viii–5.ix.2003 [3 ♀, UCRC, ZIN]; 6–15.ix.2003 [2 ♀, 1 ♂, UCRC]; 15–19.ix.2003 [1 ♀, UCRC]. SAKHALINSKAYA OBLAST’, Sakhalin Island: 2 km E of Sokol, near Belaya River, 24.vii.2001, D.J. Bennett, T. Anderson [2 ♀, 1 ♂, CAS]. 6 km E of Sokol, near Belaya River, D.J. Bennett, T. Anderson: 24.vii.2001 [5 ♀, CAS]; 31.vii.2001 [2 ♀, CAS]; 16.viii.2001 [11 ♀, 3 ♂, CAS, UCRC]. UK: ENGLAND, Cambridgeshire Co., Monks Wood, 14–21.v.1981, R.S. George [1 ♀, BMNH].

Extralimital material examined. NEW ZEALAND: North Island , Massey, E.W. Valentine: v.1980 [1 ♀, BMNH] ; vi.1980 [1 ♀, BMNH]; vii.1980 [1 ♀, BMNH].

Redescription. FEMALE (lectotype). Body ( Fig. 157 ) and appendages yellow to brownish-yellow except vertex brown.

Antenna ( Fig. 156 ) slightly longer than body; scape (including radicle) 4.6× as long as wide; funicle rather long, F1 as long as F4 or F5 (the shortest funicle segments), F2 as long as pedicel and 3.7× as long as wide, F5 the widest funicle segment; clava 4.2× as long as wide, apparently with 4 mps, about as long as combined length of F3–F5 plus about half length of F2.

Fore wing ( Fig. 158 ) 9.8× as long as wide; disc with a slight brownish tinge basally and bare except for 5 setae in an incomplete median row in the middle and the admarginal rows; longest marginal seta 4.7× maximum wing width. Hind wing ( Fig. 158 ) about 18× as long as wide; disc with 1 complete median row of setae and without rows of admarginal setae; longest marginal seta 7.0× maximum wing width.

Ovipositor ( Fig. 157 ) exserted beyond apex of gaster by about 0.3× total own length, occupying about 0.6× its length, and 1.2× length of metatibia.

Measurements of the lectotype (µm). Body 418; head 76; mesosoma 163; gaster 194; ovipositor 164. Antenna: scape (including radicle) 70; pedicel 45; F1 30; F2 45; F3 33; F4 30; F5 30; clava 126. Fore wing 469:48; longest marginal seta 227. Hind wing 452:25; longest marginal seta 176.

Variation. Paralectotypes of A. stammeri : body length 364–515 µm; scape 3.3–5.0× as long as wide; F2 rarely just slightly shorter than pedicel (as 11:12); clava 4.2–4.4× as long as wide; mesoscutum sometimes light brown; fore wing 8.9–9.7× as long as wide, disc with 5–8 setae in an incomplete median row in the middle; ovipositor exserted beyond apex of gaster by 0.1–0.3× its total own length and 1.05–1.2× length of metatibia. Holotype of A.

richardsi ( Fig. 160 ): body length 418 µm; fore wing disc with 6 setae in a median row; ovipositor 1.3× length of metatibia. Non-type specimens from Europe: scape 3.1× and clava 4.0× as long as wide; fore wing 10.0–10.3× as long as wide, disc occasionally with 2, 4, but more often with 6 setae in a median row; ovipositor 1.3–1.5× length of metatibia.

MALE. Not known for sure, since specimens from Finland and particularly Far East of Russia are only tentatively identified as belonging to A. stammeri . In the male from Helsinki (body length before being slidemounted 264 µm), which seems to be conspecific with the positively identified female of A. stammeri from Nurmijärvi in the same region of Finland, body light brown (darker than in the female) except vertex brown, fore wing ( Fig. 162 ) 9.1× as long as wide and hind wing about 16× as long as wide, and disc of fore wing disc with 2 or 3 setae in an incomplete median row in the middle; in those from the Russian Far East (body length of the slidemounted specimens 400–520 µm), antenna ( Fig. 164 ) with F1 shorter than pedicel, F2 usually about as long as pedicel but occasionally slightly shorter, fore wing ( Fig. 165 ) 8.3–9.6× as long as wide and its disc with 3, 5, 6 or 7 setae in an incomplete median row in the middle, and genitalia ( Fig. 166 ) identical to those of the male from Finland ( Fig. 163 ).

Diagnosis. Alaptus stammeri is very similar to A. immaturus in having a yellow body in females with a dark vertex, an almost identical female antenna except F2 being usually about as long as pedicel or at most slightly shorter (F2 notably shorter than pedicel in the latter species), and fore wing with a single incomplete row of several setae in the middle of disc. There is hardly any difference between them in the relative ovipositor length: in the specimens of A. stammeri from Europe, the ovipositor length: metatibia length ratio is usually 1.2–1.3 but sometimes up to 1.5, whereas in A. immaturus it is 1.1–1.6.

Specimens from the Russian Far East in the eastern Palaearctic region, which are tentatively identified as A. stammeri , tend to have an intermediate state of F2 length relative to pedicel length of the female antenna often being a little but definitely shorter than pedicel ( Fig. 161 ) more like in A. immaturus , so that may be indicative that potentially A. stammeri and A. immaturus could be conspecific and display a rather wide range of intraspecific variation, particularly a geographic one. Yet, in most examined specimens from there F2 of the female antenna is either as long or almost as long as pedicel, much like in the European A. stammeri . So, without having at hand any genetic data on these two nominal species and their different populations, I prefer to keep them separate, at least for now. A solution of this issue would require a combination of thorough morphometric, molecular, and crossbreeding studies.

Distribution. Palaearctic: Belarus ( Triapitsyn 2002); Bulgaria ( Donev 1978), Czech Republic ( Maláč 1947 [as A. tritrichosus ]), Denmark ( Bakkendorf 1934 [as A. minimus ]); Finland *, France ( Pintureau & Keita 1990), Georgia *, Netherlands ( Soyka 1939b), Poland, Russia ( Triapitsyn 2002 [as A. richardsi ]), and UK ( England) ( Hincks 1960 [as A. richardsi ]); Australasian: New Zealand * (most likely unintentionally introduced from Europe).

Hosts. “ Caecilius sp.” ( New 1969 [as A. richardsi ]) and Valenzuela flavidus (Stephens) ( Hincks 1960 [probably]; Triapitsyn 2002) [as A. richardsi ] ( Caeciliusidae ); Ectopsocus sp. ( Ne, 1969 [as A. richardsi ]) ( Ectopsocidae ), Graphopsocus sp. ( New 1969 [as A. richardsi ]), Stenopsocus immaculatus (Stephens) ( Triapitsyn 2002) and Stenopsocus sp. ( New 1969 [as A. richardsi ]) ( Stenopsocidae ).

Comments. The exact type locality of A. stammeri (and also of other described species of Mymaridae captured during the same collecting event by H.-J. Stammer, like for instance A. schmitzi ) has long been a mystery; in fact, it wasn’t even known for sure in which country it was. Soyka (1939b, p. 30) gives the following description of this locality, as translated from German: “…collected 28 September 1933 in Riesengebirge at 1400 m elevation, at a white meadow North of the road between Wiesenbaude – Schlesierhaus in the biggest marsh pond by Professor Dr. Stammer, Breslau, blown by a strong wind to water surface”. Both Wiesenbaude and Schlesierhaus are historic mountain huts (called bouda in Czech, schronisko in Polish, and Baude in German) in Riesengebirge, the mountains which are now in both the Czech Republic and Poland; both are now hotels. Wiesenbaude is now called Luční bouda and is in Krkonoše National Park, in Krkonoše Mountains, Czech Republic (just S of the border between the Czech Republic and Poland), and Schlesierhaus is now called Schronisko Górskie ‘Dom Śląski’ (at the foot of Śnieżka Mountain), Karkonosze National Park, Karkonosze Mountains, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland (right at the border on the Polish side). The road between them (2.6 km long), starting from Schronisko Górskie ‘Dom Śląski’, runs first along the border and then, about half way, turns SWW into the Czech Republic towards Luční bouda; near there Google Earth shows a number of marsh ponds on both sides of the border approximately at 50°44’15’N 15°42’36’’E (elevation 1430–1431 m). In this area, called in Polish Równia pod Śnieżką, there are unique peat bogs, while closer to Schronisko Górskie ‘Dom Śląski’ there is a nicely preserved piece of tundra, a rare habitat in Central Europe (Paweł Jałoszyński, personal communication). The biggest marsh pond (50°44’18’’N 15°42’19’’E, 1434 m, ca. 70 m long and ca. 31 m wide) at Równia pod Śnieżką that is North of the road is now definitely on the Polish side of the border; because the ponds there are very stable, and their configuration has not been changing at least since 1928 according to the detailed maps in Rudolph et al. (1928) (Joanna Potocka via Paweł Jałoszyński, personal communication), the lectotype of A. stammeri and the holotype of A. schmitzi (along with some other fairyflies from the same collecting event) were without much doubt collected in Poland.

The proposed synonymy of A. tritrichosus is based on the original description and, particularly, illustrations provided in it. Unfortunately, the type series of this species seems to be lost along with the entire Alois Maláč collection of Mymaridae , which could not be found either in Prague or Brno in the Czech Republic (Alena Samková, personal communication). They fit the features of A. stammeri rather well except the general body color, which was described ( Maláč, 1947, p. 97) as “The basal colouring is pale brown” but that may be due to the changes caused by the mounting method. Also, Maláč (1947, p. 97) himself wrote that “The new species stands in the nearest relationship to Alaptus caecilli [sic] Girault”; indeed, as shown in this study, A. stammeri is very similar to A. immaturus of which A. caecilii is now a junior synonym.

Figures

FIGURES 159 – 160. Alaptus stammeri ♀ (holotype of A. richardsi). 159, slide; 160, habitus.

FIGURES 156 – 158. Alaptus stammeri ♀ (lectotype). 156, antenna; 157, body; 158, fore and hind wings.

FIGURES 161 – 166. Alaptus? stammeri (161, 164 – 166 — Gornotayozhnoye, Ussuriyskiy rayon, Primorskiy kray, Russia; 162, 163 — Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland). 161, ♀ antenna; 162, ♂ fore wing; 163, ♂ genitalia; 164, ♂ antenna; 165, ♂ fore wing; 166, ♂ genitalia.