Volucella pellucens pellucens (Linnaeus)

Choi, Deuk-Soo, Ôhara, Kenji & Han, Ho-Yeon, 2006, Taxonomic notes on the Volucella pellucens species group (Diptera: Syrphidae) with a description of one new species from the Eastern Palaearctic, Zootaxa 1185, pp. 1-19 : 11-12

Volucella pellucens pellucens (Linnaeus) ( Figs. 4A, B , D­J, 5M–P, 6A, B)

Musca pellucens Linnaeus, 1785: 595 (Type­locality: Sweden (restricted by Thompson ); Type?, LSL).

Conops dryaphila Scopoli, 1763: 353 (Type­locality: “Carniola”, Slovenia; Type?, Lost).

Syrphus putescens Schellenberg, 1803 : pl. 8, misspelling of pellucens Linnaeus.

Volucella pellucens: Sack, 1931: 247 (redescription); Walker, 1951: 261 (redescription); Zimina, 1961: 145 (in Palaearctic key); Bankowska, 1963: 58 (in Polish key); Violovitsh, 1983: 110 (in Siberian key); Stubbs et Falk, 1983: 216 (British hoverflies); Stackelberg, 1988: 103 (in European part of USSR key); Verlinden, 1991: 178 (in Belgian key).

Diagnosis

Volucella pellucens and V. thompsoni are similar in having almost entirely pale abdominal tergite 2, with which they can be readily distinguished from the other species of the V. pellucens species group. Volucella thompsoni can be further separated from V. pellucens by the diagnosis already given. We found that there are clear differences between the Far Eastern and European subspecies of V. pellucens especially in females (see also Remarks of V. p. tabanoides ). Females of V. p. tabanoides can be distinguished from those of V. p. pellucens by their scutum with distinct brown triangular prescutella macula ( Figs. 6C, D ). Males are hardly separable but their eye contiguity­vertex ratios seem different: 0.54–0.67 in V. p. tabanoides (89 specimens measured), and 0.75–1.00 in V. p. pellucens (9 specimens measured) ( Table 1 ).

Material examined

SPAIN: Pyrenees, Aran Valley nr. Banh des Tredos , 1,500 –1,800 m, 30.VII.2003, G. Ståhls, 1♂ ( YSUW) ; Pyrenees, Aran Valley nr. Arties 1,500m, 1.VIII.2003, G. Ståhls, 1♀ ( YSUW) . UK: Esher , Surrey, 16. VI.1947, J. F. G. Clarke, 1♂ ( USNM) ; ditto, 13.VII.1947, J. F. G. Clarke, 1♀ ( USNM) . GERMANY: Emmend. Vorbergz. Kohlwald carex pil. ­ Schlag Blauschale 6B, 310m, 9. VI.1986, A. Ssymank, 1♂ ( YSUW) ; ditto, ­ Schlag Weiβschale 6W, 310m, 19. VI.1986, A. Ssymank, 1♀ ( YSUW) . SWITZERLAND: Sr Cagues , aout, Genève, 1927, A. Naville, 1♂ ( YSUW) ; SUISSE­Vaud, Bonvillars­La Coudre , 27. V.1992, J. Steffen, 1♂ ( YSUW) ; Helv. ZH 650m Zürich­Zürichberg , 7.VII.1998, B. Merz, 1♀ ( YSUW) ; CH GR Valbella 178/761 1,500m U Brache, 27.VII.1997, Merz & Müller, 1♀ ( YSUW) ; Helv. Geneva 350m river of “La Laire” 25.VII.2004, H.­Y. Han & K.­E. Ro, 1♀ ( YSUW) ; Helv. Valais 1,400 –1,433 m Viez die Morgins , Morgins , 27.VII.2004, H.­Y. Han & K.­E. Ro, 1♂, 1♀ ( YSUW) ; Helv. Valais 1,900 –2,200 m Visperterminen­Gebidempass (46.15.28N / 7.56.23E), 21.VII.2004, H.­Y. Han & K.­E. Ro, 1♀ ( YSUW) .

Distribution

Widespread in Western Palaearctic region.

Biology

This species is associated with Vespa and Vespula species (Hymenoptera) during immature stage ( Verrall, 1901; Lundbeck, 1916; Bury, 1920; Krüger, 1926; Nixon, 1934 etc.).

Remarks

See Remarks of V. pellucens tabanoides .

Figures

FIGURE 4. Volucella pellucens (Linnaeus). A, male head, anterior view; B, male head, dorsal view (pellucens pellucens type); C, male head, dorsal view (pellucens tabanoides type); D, male head, lateral view; E–G, female head in anterior, dorsal, and lateral view; H, male genitalia, lateral view; I, surstylus, inner view; J, male genitalia, posterodorsal view. b epand lb = basal epandrial lobe.

FIGURE 6. Female thoracic patterns of Volucella pellucens subspecies. A, B, V. pellucens pellucens; C, D, V. pellucens tabanoides.