Polistes foederatus Kohl, sp. restit.

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 : 90

Polistes foederatus Kohl, sp. restit. Fig. 13

Polistes foederata Kohl, 1898, Annalen des kaiserlich-koniglichen Naturhistorischen Hofmuseums, Wien 13: 90 + Taf. III. Lectotype male (NHMW, examined by RN & CvA), designated by Bluthgen (1943: 129), type locality Transkauk., Helenendorf [Goygol], Azerbaijan. Sp. restit.

Polistes foederata var. obscuricornis Mader, 1936, Entomologische Zeitschrift (Frankfurt a.M.) 50 (23): 263. 2 syntype females (NHMW, examined by RN & CvA), type locality: Insel Krk [island of Krk], Croatia, but the name is not available (A. Cetkovic, in litt.).

Remarks.

The species is widespread in N Italy, the Balkans, and western Asia (Turkey to Caucasus area). The identity of P. foederatus remained unclear for a long time, and in the past the species was usually treated as P. gallicus . Arens (2011) was the first to recognize two species of the P. gallicus group in Greece ( P. gallicus and P. hellenicus ), using the length of the malar space as a new diagnostic character. However, he interpreted specimens with long malar space as P. gallicus but ignored that true P. gallicus from the western Mediterranean usually have a short malar space (with some exceptions). Type examination and genetic analysis clearly show that P. gallicus sensu Arens (2011) from Greece belong to P. foederatus .

Diagnosis.

Polistes foederatus is unique in the P. gallicus species group by possessing the longest malar space of all species combined with a large and mainly rectangular and central black spot on the clypeus in females. In addition, the dorsal side of the flagellum is often slightly darkened. However, especially females can be confused with P. gallicus in the transition zone of both species (N Italy to Balkans), because the latter rarely has an extreme long malar space (some genetically examined specimens from the Italian Alps). The flagellum is completely reddish in P. gallicus , but always darkened dorsally in alpine P. foederatus . The yellow spots on the mesoscutum are usually lacking in smaller specimens from Croatia and Italy. The male is variable in colour pattern; the mesoscutum is black or has a pair of large yellow spots and the base of tergite II is either black or largely yellow.

Distribution.

From NE Italy to Greece and Azerbaijan. Widespread and common in mainland Greece ( Arens 2011, as P. gallicus ).

Specimens examined.

Europe: Italy (Trentino/Rovereto, Lombardia/Valtellina/Grossio, Veneto/N of Verona), Croatia (Krk), Greece (Crete/Matala, Peloponnese), Cyprus (Akrotiri). Asia: Turkey (Antalya), Azerbaijan.

Genetic data.

Specimens of Polistes foederatus from several countries, including Azerbaijan, where the type locality is situated, were analysed genetically. The species exhibits little genetic variation and all specimens share the same BIN. The specimens from Crete form a distinct subcluster, perhaps because of longer isolation. However, the specimens from Crete are closer to specimens from the European and Asian mainland than Cretan P. bucharensis are from their mainland populations.