Pristiphora melanocarpa (Hartig, 1840)

Prous, Marko, Kramp, Katja & Liston 1, Veli VikbergAndrew, 2017, North-Western Palaearctic species of Pristiphora (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 59, pp. 1-190 : 71

Pristiphora melanocarpa (Hartig, 1840) Figs 191, 264

Nematus melanocarpus Hartig, 1840: 27. Lectotype ♀ (GBIF-GISHym3349; designated by Prous et al. 2016) in ZSM, examined. Type locality: North Germany (according to introduction).

Nematus funerulus Costa, 1859: 20-21. Syntypes ♂♀ possibly in MZUN, not examined. Type locality: vicinity of Naples, Campania, Italy. Synonymised with P. wustneii [sic!] by Ghigi (1905).

Nematus wuestneii Stein, 1885 [mandatory correction of incorrect original spelling N. Wüstneii]: 304. Lectotype ♀ (designated by Prous et al. 2016) in BMNH, examined. Type locality: Chodov [Chodau], Czech Republic.

Pristiphora ortinga Kincaid, 1900: 349-350. Holotype ♀ (USNMENT00778199) in USNM, not examined. Type locality: Kukak Bay, Alaska, USA. Synonymised with P. melanocarpa by by Smith (1979).

Similar species.

The most similar species is P. ruficornis , which has paler antennae compared to P. melanocarpa . Females have the ventral side of antennae uniformly black (Fig. 14) or only slightly paler, while P. ruficornis has a distinctly paler ventral side (Fig. 15). Males of P. melanocarpa also tend to have darker antennae than in P. ruficornis , but penis valves should be studied in specimens that have conspicuously pale antennae. The valvispina of the penis valve bends distinctly more sharply (being almost L-shaped) and is usually narrower (Fig. 264) than in P. ruficornis (Fig. 266).

Genetic data.

Based on COI barcode sequences, specimens are divided between three BIN clusters (BOLD:AAG3540, BOLD:ACZ4465, BOLD:ACZ4466), two of them (BOLD:ACZ4465 and BOLD:ACZ4466) including also P. ruficornis (Fig. 1 in Prous et al. 2016). These BIN clusters form a monophyletic group (Fig. 4) and minimum distances between them are only 1.13-1.50%. Based on nuclear data, maximum within species divergence is 0.9% (based on seven specimens and NaK, TPI, or both genes) and the nearest neighbour is 0.0% different ( P. ruficornis , only TPI including introns).

Host plants.

Betula pendula Roth ( Kangas 1985), B. pubescens Ehrh., B. nana L. ( Prous et al. 2016). The records from Salix are doubtful ( Prous et al. 2016).

Distribution and material examined.

Holarctic. Specimens studied are from Canada, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Russia (Primorsky Krai), and Sweden.