Planetella tarda ( Rübsaamen, 1914 )

Ševčík, Jan, Hippa, Heikki, Burdíková, Nikola, Sopuch, Kryštof, Skuhravá, Marcela & Bruun, Hans Henrik, 2023, Integrative taxonomy of Central European Planetella (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) indicates high species diversity, intraspecific variation and low host specificity, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 63 (2), pp. 413-450 : 444

Planetella tarda ( Rübsaamen, 1914)

Jaapiola tarda Rübsaamen, 1914: 95 . Type locality: Germany, Triglitz. Type material. SYNTYPEs: 1 J (No. 481a) and 1 ♀ (No. 481b, coll. ZMHB Berlin), both examined.

Comments. The original description in RȖBsAAMEN (1914) contains only text without figures. Characters given to describe the genus: Scutum not much produced over the head, antennae binodose, in females less conspicuously. Three palpomeres, palpomere 1 longer and broader. Claws simple, almost as long as empodium. Gonostylus broadened. Both ‘lamellae’ in the same position, apically with a notch. Last abdominal segment stretchable, with two upper and one lower lamella. Description of the species: Length 10 mm. Eyes black, broadly converging on the top of the head. The face, neck and back of the head are dark chestnut brown, yellow-brown; Basal segments not lighter, but more reddish, 2 + 19 segmented, all segments without white markings, black hairy. Thorax mostly blackish brown, described in detail. Abdomen described. Wing described.

Larvae whitish, similar to Planetella gallarum (‘ Dichrona gallarum ’), in galls on Carex vesicaria . Spatula sternalis with two teeth in P. tarda , but only one tooth in P. gallarum . The gall received from Mr. Otto Jaap, who collected them near Triglitz in der Priegnitz.

Both apparently complete antennae have 14 binodose flagellomeres, plus an apical shorter segment, not 19 as stated in the description. The species thus belongs to the group of several species with 14 flagellomeres (plus the apical short one), which differ in tiny details of the male terminalia and DNA sequences are necessary to safely distinguish particular species in this group. We thus leave this species as unrecognized.