Gasteruption hungaricum Szépligeti, 1895

Bogusch, Petr, 2021, The genus Gasteruption Latreille, 1796 (Hymenoptera: Gasteruptiidae) in the Czech Republic and Slovakia: distribution, checklist, ecology, and conservation status, Zootaxa 4935 (1), pp. 1-63 : 28-29

Gasteruption hungaricum Szépligeti, 1895

Figs. 91–99 .

No synonyms.

Diagnosis: A larger species, female body length is 13–17 mm, ovipositor length is 9–15 mm. Male total length is 12–16 mm. Ovipositor sheath 4.2-4.8× as long as third tibia, with whitish apex 1.0–1.4× as long as third basitarsus. Typical is the sculpture of mesonotum, which is coarsely and sparsely punctate with a shiny or very finely rugulose interspaces. Head is not elongated and the occipital carina is well-developed but narrow. Both sexes have dark third basitarsi.

Distribution: ( Fig. 99 ): East-Mediterranean species. In most of the distributions the areas are rare and restricted with the distribution to central and south-east Europe, namely Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Slovakia ( Šedivý 1958; Madl 1990; Žikić et al. 2014; Madl & Mitroiu 2019, and personal records).

Šedivý (1958; 1989) recorded this species from the south-east parts of the Czech Republic (Moravia) and from Slovakia. This species was restricted with its distribution to the southern parts of both countries, and probably its north distribution border spreads through the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It was never recorded from Bohemia. The number of records is very low in recent times: only three localities are known after 1990 from the south of the Czech Republic (Oslavany, Pouzdřany and Tasovice), and it was recorded from four localities in the same region prior to 1990. In Slovakia, it was recorded in 11 localities before 1990 and in four localities after the year 1990 (Bučany, Kamenica nad Hronom, Iža and Šenkvice) ( Tab. 2).

Biology: Recorded from June to August. Hylaeus confusus is the only recorded host ( Malyshev 1966). It is a quite surprising record because this bee species is common and widespread, in contrast to G. hungaricum . Observed on flowers of Apiaceae , Falcaria vulgaris ( Wall 1994) .

Conservation: This species was rare in the past and is also rare in the present. The number of records are lower after the year 1990 and the causes could be similar as with other species restricted to the south of both countries and the warmest localities. We have classified this species as EN—endangered in both countries ( Tab. 2).

Figures

FIGURE 99. Distribution map of Gasteruption hungaricum in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Full circles represent distribution after 1990 and empty circles distribution until 1990.

FIGURES 91–98. Gasteruption hungaricum Szépligeti, 1895. 91—female, lateral habitus, 92—male, lateral habitus, 93—female, lateral head, 94—female, frontal head, 95—female, dorsal head, 96—female, lateral mesosoma, 97—female, dorsal mesosoma, 98—female, third leg. Scale bars represent 1 mm.