Apertochrysa abdominalis (Brauer, 1850)

Chrysopa abdomine punctatus Brauer, 1850: original description

Chrysopa abdominalis Brauer, 1856: Brauer, 1856; Hölzel, 1995

Dichochrysa abdominalis (Brauer, 1856): Hölzel, 1998

Pseudomallada abdominalis (Brauer, 1856): Monserrat, 2016

Apertochrysa abdominalis (Brauer, 1856): Breitkreuz et al., 2021

Prior to this paper, many specimens of the more abundant prasinoid species (Ap2, Ap3) had been identified as A. abdominalis, based on the black costal crossveins and rows of abdominal black dots, which were considered crucial for distinguishing it from A. prasina (Brauer, 1856; Hölzel, 1973b, 1995, 1998). Now, especially with the description of Ap3, A. abdominalis has become a rather rare and particular species, apparently restricted to areas dominated by conifers.

At the Natural History Museum in Vienna (NMW), a male lectotype and a female paratype conform exactly to the descriptive traits given here in the following redescription .

Redescription/Diagnosis: Available live-colored material: 29♀, 23♂ (Switzerland, Germany, Italy, France, Austria)

Medium to large-sized lacewing with bluish-green or grass-green body coloration. Palps with black tips. Face and vertex green. Three of the 52 specimens had tiny brown dots on the vertex. Interantennal spot in most specimens Y-shaped (Fig. 4), but regionally with triangular or bell-shaped spot. Scape usually without ornaments, but 28% with black caudal dots, and a few specimens with lateral or even frontal dots. Living specimens usually have pale subantennal sutures, but in some dried specimens they were grey or brown. Female wing length 12.0–16.0 mm, in males 11.5–14.5 mm. Costal crossveins 100% black. Males with furwings, which clearly separates them from Ap3. Im cell usually 100% black (Fig. 18), which is a valuable distinction from Ap 3 females. All gradate crossveins darker than longitudinal wing veins. Prothorax usually with one or two pairs of large black spots on a brown longitudinal band (Fig. 19). Three large, black spots present on the lateral prothorax. Large black spots present on dorsal abdomen, mostly in one or two pairs per segment, but sometimes up to four pairs on some segments. Lateral abdominal stripes often almost continuous, or hockey-stick-shaped. Ventral side of abdomen green with black setae. Eggs are deposited singly. A portion of the larvae go into an obligatory diapause in the second stage, similar to A. prasina .

Distribution: This species appears mainly distributed in the northern half of Europe, and possibly in areas dominated by conifers.