Euura crassipes ( Thomson, 1871 ), 2014

Liston, Andrew D., Heibo, Erik, Prous, Marko, Vårdal, Hege, Nyman, Tommi & Vikberg, Veli, 2017, North European gall-inducing Euura sawflies (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae, Nematinae), Zootaxa 4302 (1), pp. 1-115 : 88-89

Euura crassipes ( Thomson, 1871)

Nematus crassipes Thomson, 1871: 162 . Described: ♀. Lectotype, ♀, designated by Vikberg (2003) [lectotype designation by Kopelke (1989a) is invalid], MZLU [examined]. Type locality: Sweden, Lapland.

Pontania crassipes: Konow (1890) .

Pontania (Eupontania) crassipes: Zinovjev (1985) .

Pontania (Pontania) crassipes: Viitasaari & Vikberg (1985) .

Nematus (Pontania) crassipes: Zhelochovtsev (1988) .

Eupontania crassipes ( Thomson, 1871) : Vikberg (2003).

Euura crassipes: Prous et al. (2014) .

Pontania lapponica Malaise, 1921a: 112 –114. Described: ♀, ♂, larva, gall, recorded host: Salix lapponum . Lectotype, ♀, designated by Vikberg (2003), NHRS [NHRS-HEVA000003530; examined]. Type locality: Sweden, Torne Träsk area . Synonymy by Vikberg (2003).

Pontania (Eupontania) lapponica: Zinovjev (1985) .

Nematus (Pontania) lapponicus: Zhelochovtsev (1988) .

Pontania enslini Zirngiebl, 1937: 337 –338. Described: ♀. Holotype, ♀, NHMW [examined]. Type locality: Sweden, Torne Träsk area , Nissontjokko. Synonymy by Vikberg (2003).

Notes on types and taxonomy. The name crassipes was used by earlier authors in several senses both for individual species and groups of species. For example, Benson (1941) treated crassipes as a species unknown to him in a group of species which he called the herbaceae group. Later, the same author used crassipes as the valid name of the taxon currently called herbaceae (with arbusculae as a tentative synonym) ( Benson 1954), and a few years later as the valid name for a circumpolar species with ten nominal taxa treated as its synonyms (including herbaceae , lapponica Malaise and aquilonis ) ( Benson 1960b). Finally, he even synonymised reticulatae (as arctica auct.) within this extremely wide species concept ( Benson 1960c).

Variability. Female: Body length: 2.7–5.4mm. Pronotum with posterior margins pale lined, to entirely black. Supraclypeal area, upper outer orbits and lateral vertex brown, to black. Male: 2.8–4.8mm. Female and male: femora extensively pale, to nearly completely black. Total number of specimens examined: 10.

Genetic data. Sequences of mtDNA and nuclear of E. crassipes are nearly identical to E. herbaceae (see also Nyman et al. 2007).

Similar species. Morphologically very similar to E. herbaceae . Determination of some smaller female specimens is not always possible, if the number of serrulae lies in the range of overlap with E. herbaceae . Reliable identification of males does not seem to be possible, but see Vikberg (2003) for more detail on characters that may distinguish both sexes of these species.

Bionomics. Host plants: Salix lapponum ( Vikberg 2003) . Biology: Kopelke (1989b), Roininen et al. (2002), Vikberg (2003).

Distribution. Scotland ( Benson 1958), Scandinavia, Finland and N. European Russia (Kola Peninsula) ( Vikberg 2003). Benson (1962) regarded Pontania crassipes as "circumpolar arctic-alpine", but his concept of this species at that time was exceedingly wide (see above), and the possible presence of E. crassipes s. str. in the Nearctic requires further investigation. Occurrence in Sweden: published records; Jämtland ( Benander 1969, as Pontania crassipes on S. lapponum ), Torne Lappmark, Torne Träsk area ( Malaise 1921a). Material examined: Torne Lappmark.

Euura herbaceae (Cameron, 1876) comb. nov.

Nematus herbaceae Cameron, 1876c: 304 –307. Described: ♀, ♂, larva, gall, recorded host: Salix herbacea . Lectotype, ♀, designated by Vikberg (2003), BMNH [examined]. Type locality: Scotland, " Rannoch " [= Garbh Mheall; Liston et al. 2012].

Pontania herbaceae: Konow (1890) .

Pontania (Eupontania) herbacea [sic]: Zinovjev (1985).

Nematus (Pontania) herbaceae: Zholochovtsev (1988) .

Eupontania herbaceae: Vikberg (2003) .

Pontania polaris Malaise, 1921a: 112 . Described: ♀, ♂, gall, recorded hosts: Salix herbacea , S. polaris and hybrids of these. Lectotype, ♀, designated by Vikberg (2003), NHRS [NHRS-HEVA000003533; examined]. Type locality: Sweden, Torne Träsk. Synonymy with P. herbaceae by Vikberg (2003).

Variability. Female: Body length: 2.8–4.4mm. Supraclypeal area, outer orbits, upper inner orbits and lateral vertex pale, to completely black. Femora entirely pale, to partly fuscous basally or along edges. Venter of abdomen completely pale, to completely black except around hypopygium. Male: 3.2–4.6mm. Femora with approximately basal half black, to nearly completely black. Abdominal sternum 9 pale to dark. Total number of specimens examined: 22.

Genetic data. Sequences of mtDNA of E. herbaceae are nearly identical to those of E. crassipes (Nyman et al. 2007) .

Similar species. See above, under E. crassipes .

Bionomics. Host plants: Salix herbacea ( Cameron 1876c) , S. polaris , and hybrids of these ( Vikberg 2003, Malaise 1921a). Biology: Kopelke (1989b), Vikberg (2003).

Distribution. At present only known from North and West Europe: British Isles, including Ireland ( Alexander 1994), Norway, Sweden, Finland and N. Russia ( Vikberg 2003, Zhelochovtsev & Zinovjev 1995). Occurrence in Sweden: published records; Torne Lappmark ( Malaise, 1921a, Vikberg 2003). Material examined: Torne Lappmark.