Laboulbenia coneglianensis Speg.

MB#222726

Fig. 28A

Redia 10: 47 (Spegazzini 1914, as coneglanensis). –

Type: [Not designated] [Ind. loc.] “In LPS. Sulle elitre dell’ Ophonus pubescens a Edolo, Valcamonica (Coll. Mus. Zool. Firenze, n. 110) e comune e abbondante a Varese, a Vittorio, a Fregona ed a Conegliano, estate ed autunno 1912”. [Italy]

Laboulbenia ophoni var. dilatata Maire (Maire 1920: 149) [MB#139658]

Diagnostic features

Thalli typically bent. Outer appendage pale brown coloured, consisting of two similar, very elongated, diverging branches arising from the suprabasal cell. Antheridia solitary, sessile, lateral to branches of the inner appendage. Perithecium showing a nearly straight ventral margin, a cylindrical and prominent apex, and preostiolar spots blackened and confluent into a ring-like area. [Detailed descriptions: Terada 1998b; Santamaria 1998]

Distribution and hosts

Known on Col. Carabidae Harpalini belonging to the genera Harpalus, Ophonus, Pseudophonus Motschulsky, 1844 and Anisodactylus in Europe: Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain, former Yugoslavia (Santamaria et al. 1991), Switzerland (Baumgartner 1923, as L. ophoni var. dilatata), Russia (Siemaszko & Siemaszko 1928, as L. ophoni var. dilatata), Hungary (Bánhegyi 1940), France (Balazuc 1990), Lithuania (Markovskaja 2000), Sweden (Huggert 2010), Bulgaria (Rossi et al. 2019a). Also in Japan (Terada 1998b) and Algeria (Maire 1920, as L. ophoni var. dilatata). Records from other genera of carabids than the four mentioned above require verification (like Platynus Bonelli, 1810, Chlaenius, Anchomenus Bonelli 1810, Agonum, Pterostichus).

Collections examined from Denmark

On Anisodactylus binotatus (Fabricius, 1787) (Col. Carabidae) DENMARK – Nordøstsjaelland (NEZ) • Lersøparken i København Ø.; 55°42.493′ N, 12°32.612′ E; UB47; 6 May 2018; H. Liljehult 1107; H. Liljehult det.; ZMUC C-F-123625 . – Sydsjaelland (SZ) • Gammel Kalvehave; 54°59.745′ N, 12°8.232′ E; UA19; 27 Apr. 2018; JP 1081; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-123599 • ibid.; 25 Apr. 2019; JP 1438; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-123985 • ibid.; 3 Aug. 2019; JP 1492; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-124078 .

On Harpalus affinis (Schrank, 1781) (Col. Carabidae)

DENMARK – Nordøstsjaelland (NEZ) • Valbyparken; 55°38.568′ N, 12°31.183′ E; UB47; 8 Aug. 2009; L.H. Hansen 72; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-122547 .

On Harpalus griseus (Panzer, 1797) (Col. Carabidae)

DENMARK – Lolland, Falster, Møn (LFM) • Møns Klint, Syd; 54°56.806′ N, 12°32.340′ E; UA49; 3-20 Jul. 2013; O. Karsholt 183; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-122662 .

On Harpalus latus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Col. Carabidae)

DENMARK – Lolland, Falster, Møn (LFM) • Nyord; 55°2.885′ N, 12°12.380′ E; UB20; 27 Apr. 2013; JP 832; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-123326 . – Sydsjaelland (SZ) • Østerskov ved Langebaek; 54°59.572′ N, 12°6.715′ E; UA19; 3 Jan. 2019; JP 1283; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-123815 . – Vestjylland (WJ) • Velling; 56°3.078′ N, 8°18.596′ E; MH51; 16 Dec. 2018; JP 1257; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-123785 .

Remarks

First record from Denmark. Laboulbenia coneglianensis has been considered a synonym of L. flagellata by some authors (Balazuc 1974b; Majewski 1994b). Both species are closely related but may be separated according to Terada (1998b), who analyzed in detail the morphological traits of the two species, by the full black ring area below the perithecial ostiole of L. coneglianensis whereas in L. flagellata both preostiolar spots are separated, by the perithecial apex which is distinctively prominent and cylindrical in L. coneglianensis, by the solitary antheridia, not paired as in L. flagellata, as well as other characteristics previously detailed by Santamaria (1998). Molecular studies have supported the distinctiveness as species of L. coneglianensis (Haelewaters et al. 2019b) . According to De Kesel et al. (2020), L. coneglianensis could be a species complex in need of study with an integrative taxonomical approach.

Laboulbenia anisodactyli was described by Spegazzini (1914) on Anisodactylus binotatus from Italy and later reported from Romania (Bánhegyi 1949), ex-Yugoslavia (Bánhegyi 1960) and Hungary (Bánhegyi et al. 1985). Its distinctiveness as a separate species has not even been debated because of Spegazzini’s poor description and photographs. Considered a synonym of L. coneglianensis or L. flagellata, its status should be reviewed, especially if it is indeed a synonym of L. coneglianensis, since then its name has priority.

Spegazzini (1914) described two infraspecific taxa (without a defined rank) for L. coneglianensis with epithets psittacea and grisea lacking any taxonomical value.