Platygaster longicaudata Kieffer, 1906

Notton, David G., 2010, A catalogue of the types of Platygastridae (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea) at the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, with brief notes on the history of the collection, Zootaxa 2358, pp. 1-24 : 11-12

Platygaster brevicaudatus Kieffer, 1906: 133 , fig. 13.

Current status. Platygaster longicaudata Kieffer, 1906

Syntypes 33 ♀♀; 3 3, France, Loir–et–Cher (MNHN).

Labels. Pol. minutus / d’un mûr/ puparium/ de/ C. destruct./ mars/ 1903/ {illeg.}/ 3♀ [3 ♀♀ syntypes]. P. minutus / d’un mûr/ puparium/ de C. destruct./ mars 1903/ 6 ♀/ (1 {illeg.}) [5 ♀♀ syntypes].

Polygn./ min./ {illeg.} d’un/ mûr puparium/ de C. destructor / 21 mars 1903 / (3♀ et 33); le puparium/ etait/ rempli/ et n’avait/ rien/ d’{illeg.} [3 ♀♀, 3 3 syntypes].

8♀ [8 ♀♀ syntypes].

7♀ [7 ♀♀ syntypes].

7♀ [7 ♀♀ syntypes].

Remarks. Marchal (1897b, 1899, 1903, 1904a & c, 1906) originally referred material reared from Mayetiola destructor (Say, 1817) (as Cecidomyia destructor ) to Polygnotus minutus Lindemann 1887 (not Platygaster minuta Zetterstedt, 1838 ). Kieffer however (1906) considered Marchal’s material included two undescribed species different from Lindemann’s species and described them as Platygaster brevicaudatus and Platygaster longicaudatus q.v. Since Kieffer’s description of P. brevicaudata was based on Marchal’s material it might be expected that the types would be found either in Kieffer’s collection or Marchal’s collection. Ten slides were found in Marchal’s collection which agreed with the description, of these one was dated 25 May 1903 and so could not be syntypic. Three contained only males and so could not unambiguously be assigned to either P. brevicaudata or P. longicaudata for which Kieffer did not provide any reliable distinguishing characters. The remaining six slides included female specimens and the specimens on these slides (females and associated males) may reasonably be considered to be syntypes of P. brevicaudata , since the specimens Kieffer described as the ‘female’ of P. longicaudata appear, from his description and illustration, to be a male (or males) with the genitalia extruded. Three of the slides have very little data but have been connected to the type series by the style of mounting (unusual short wooden slide holders) and labelling (stamp paper with red bars) as well as characteristics of the wasps themselves. All the syntypes are mounted on microscope slides, some on wooden slide holders, all in Canada balsalm, some of the cover slips and some of the wasps are broken. Additional material from Marchal’s rearings, although apparently not syntypic, is to be found at the Smithsonian Institution, United States National Museum ( Myers 1917; Gahan 1933). The specific epithet of this species should be brevicaudata since Platygaster is feminine (ICZN 1999: Art. 30.1.2). The effective publication date of this species is 31.v.1906 since Marchal (1906) refers to Kieffer’s paper as having been published and Marchal’s paper has the imprint publication date 1.vi.1906. Platygaster longicaudata and P. brevicaudata were synonymised by Kieffer (1926); both names are available from the same date, but P. longicaudata is the senior name following Kieffer (1926) who was the first revisor. Revisers making type restrictions in future should refer also to the notes under P. longicaudatus below.