Polistes atrimandibularis Zimmermann

Schmid-Egger, Christian, Achterberg, Kees van, Neumeyer, Rainer, Jerome Moriniere, & Schmidt, Stefan, 2017, Revision of the West Palaearctic Polistes Latreille, with the descriptions of two species an integrative approach using morphology and DNA barcodes (Hymenoptera, Vespidae), ZooKeys 713, pp. 53-112 : 78

Polistes atrimandibularis Zimmermann Fig. 3

Polistes atrimandibularis Zimmermann, 1930, Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berlin 15: 611. Holotype male (MFNB, examined by CSE), type locality: Toblach, [Sud]Tirol 19.8.1908 (Italy).

Polistes atrimandibularis albidus Bluthgen, 1957, Revue de la Faculte des Sciences de l Universite d Istanbul. Serie B 22 (3): 164. Holotype male (MFNB, not examined), type locality: Ulu Dagh [Uludag], Turkey. Probably a synonym of P. atrimandibularis .

Sulcopolistes atrimandibularis Guiglia (1972), new combination.

Diagnosis.

The social parasitic species can be recognized by the shape of the mandibular impression and by the colour pattern of the clypeus. Females of the species group show differences in the depth of the medial impression of the mandible and the size and shape of the upper ridge. The weakest medial impression occurs in P. maroccanus , whose upper ridge is only weakly developed or even lacking in the paratype. It is followed by P. atrimandibularis with a shallow impression, and flat, but visible upper ridges. The medial impression is deep in P. austroccidentalis , with large but not modified upper ridges, whereas in P. semenowi the impression is very deep with large and narrow upper ridges. Additionally, the lower ridge is modified with a triangular margin in dorsal view. The size of the black clypeal spot is variable but as a general rule it is largest in P. austroccidentalis (only upper third of clypeus yellow), medium-sized in P. semenowi (lower third black only), small and isolated in P. atrimandibularis , and even smaller (isolated) or completely lacking in P. maroccanus .

The shape of the mandibular impression in males generally follows that of females, but is in general less developed. In addition, the male of P. atrimandibularis has the mandible and parts of clypeus black (almost entirely so in some specimens, except lateral margins), whereas mandible and clypeus are yellow in the remaining species. The male of P. maroccanus is unknown.

Distribution.

Southern C and S Europe, northwards to S Germany, Turkey, Iran, Armenia (Guiglia, 1972). Records from NW Africa probably refer to P. maroccanus sp. n. A male from the MFNB from Agypten [Egypt], Ehrenberg [leg.] is probably mislabelled because Egypt is far outside the known range of the species.

Specimens examined.

Europe: Bulgaria (Rhodope Mts), France, Greece, Italy (Alps, Abruzzi), Spain, Switzerland.

Biology.

P. atrimandibularis is a social parasite of P. biglumis . In Greece, it was collected together with P. biglumis (2 males 20.ix.1989, Mt. Olympos, eastern slope, 2200-2500 m a.s.l., T. Osten leg., in coll. CSE).

Genetic data.

Not enough specimens were sequenced to detect any genetic variation.