Dolerus yukonensis Norton, 1872

Liston, Andrew, Mutanen, Marko, Heidemaa, Mikk, Blank, Stephan M., Kiljunen, Niina, Taeger, Andreas, Viitasaari, Matti, Vikberg, Veli, Wutke, Saskia & Prous, Marko, 2022, Taxonomy and nomenclature of some Fennoscandian Sawflies, with descriptions of two new species (Hymenoptera, Symphyta), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 69 (2), pp. 151-218 : 151

Dolerus yukonensis Norton, 1872

Dolerus similis var. yukonensis Norton, 1872: 82. ♀, ♂. Syntypes. Lectotype ♀ designated by Ross (1931) [not examined]. Type locality: Alaska, USA.

Dolerus scoticus Cameron, 1881a: 206. ♀. Syntypes (assumed). Lectotype ♀ designated by Benson (1934a). Type locality: Braemar in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Dolerus pratensis var. totus Malaise, 1931b: 15-16. ♀, ♂. Syntypes. Type locality: Kamtschatka ("Klutchi, Petropawlowsk, Elisowo"). Lectotype designated below.

Type material examined and taxonomic notes.

Dolerus scoticus Cameron, 1881. Lectotype ♀. BMNH.

Dolerus pratensis var. totus Malaise, 1931. Lectotype ♀ hereby designated, labelled: "KAMTSCHATKA Malaise" [printed], “586” [pink, printed], “Typus” [red, printed], " D. pratensis var totus n. sp. Type [handwritten] Malaise det. [printed]", " Dolerus scoticus ♀ Cam [handwritten] A.Zhelochovtsev det 19[printed] 33 [handwritten]", " Dolerus germanicus totus Mal." [printed and folded], " Lectotypus [printed] Dolerus pratensis var. totus Malaise, 1931 M.Heidemaa des. [handwritten in block letters]" [red label], " Dolerus 2009 [printed] Dolerus yukonensis [handwritten] M.Heidemaa det. [printed]". NHRS. Paralectotypes: 1♀, “280” [printed], " Dolerus 20 [printed] 11 Dolerus subarcticus [handwritten] M.Heidemaa det. [printed]" (a melanic female). NHRS. 1♀, " Dolerus v. toto [sic!] n. var. Paratypus ♀ Malaise det. [written by R. Forsius?]", " Dolerus yukonensis Norton M.Heidemaa det.", MZAT (coll. Forsius).

Dolerus yukonensis has a Holarctic distribution, and both red-banded/-marked as well as melanic color forms occur. According to Goulet (1986) the color forms developed independently in the coastal areas of both continents. This speaks against the subspecific status of the melanic color forms suggested by Benson (1959). According to Benson (1934a) D. scoticus Cameron can be distinguished from melanic forms of D. yukonensis by the strongly developed temporal furrows, like in D. junci and D. incisus , which are absent in D. yukonensis . He also wrote that " Dolerus totus Malaise, 1931, from Kamtchatka may be the same species as D. scoticus Cam." Benson (1934b) synonymized them (and D. arcticola Kiaer, 1898) with D. scoticus and later all of them with D. yukonensis ( Benson 1958: corrigenda). Latterly, he regarded D. scoticus as a subspecies of D. yukonensis ( Benson 1959) and reported it from Switzerland ( Benson 1961) and southern Norway, Hallingskarvet District ( Benson 1966). However, Benson was not aware of the presence of melanic forms of D. incisus and D. subarcticus in Norway, the males of which can most reliably be identified by their penis valves (Fig. 20C, D ). The sculpture of the abdominal terga in D. yukonensis , as in D. subarcticus , is not as stable as is often assumed. The depth of the clypeus emargination and the lateral postocellar furrows also vary. However, no potential male of D. scoticus , which could support its status as a distinct species as proposed by Haris (2000), has so far been recognized. The lectotype female of D. scoticus probably belongs to D. yukonensis , and certainly not to D. junci or D. incisus . Here we retain the synonymy of D. scoticus with D. yukonensis proposed by Benson (1958) and concurred with by Goulet (1986), but admit that more DNA sequence data are needed to test the taxonomic status of the melanic forms, which show at least some coinciding structural differences. We have studied melanic and red-marked color forms from the Palaearctic, but only red-marked forms from the Nearctic.

Figures

Figure 20. Dolerus incisus Goulet, 1986. A. Dorsal habitus ♀; B. Valvula 3 dorsal; C. Penis valve; D. Dolerus subarcticus Hellen, 1956, penis valve.