Euura auritae Kopelke 2000

Euura auritae Kopelke, 2000

Euura (Euura) cinereae Kopelke, 1996: 102. Described: ♀, ♂, gall, recorded host: Salix cinerea. Holotype, ♀, SMF [examined]. Type locality: Finland, Joensuu. Preoccupied in Euura by Nematus cinereae Thomson, 1871 (= Euura saliciscinereae (Retzius)). Syn. nov.

Euura (Euura) auritae Kopelke, 2000: 160 –162. Described: ♀, ♂, gall, recorded host: Salix aurita. Holotype, ♀, SMF [examined]. Type locality: Norway, N.- Trøndelag, Malm.

Euura (Euura) lapponica Kopelke, 1996: 106. Described: ♀, ♂, gall, recorded host: Salix lapponum. Holotype, ♀, SMF [examined]. Type locality: Norway, Nordland, Korgfjellet. Preoccupied in Euura by Pontania lapponica Malaise, 1921 (= E. crassipes (Thomson)). Syn. nov.

Euura salicislapponicae Kopelke in Prous et al. 2014: 53, replacement name for E. lapponica Kopelke.

Notes on types and taxonomy. Kopelke (1996) described the underside of valvula 3 of E. cinereae in lateral view as concave, and stated that this is unique amongst the nominal taxa previously treated as E. atra. The ventral edge of valvula 3 of the holotype is quite strongly concave, but of eight further specimens labelled as reared from S. cinerea, only one has valvula 3 somewhat concave: in one other this edge is straight, and in the remaining six convex. The lancets of these specimens are not as strongly curved as described or illustrated by Kopelke (1996) and are in this respect not clearly distinguishable from those of other nominal taxa (this can be seen in the illustrations of the lancets published by Kopelke 2006). In particular, we found no morphological differences between specimens reared from S. aurita, S. cinerea, and S. lapponum. Therefore, we treat the three nominal taxa associated with these hosts as conspecific.

Variability. Female: Body length: 3.3–5.5mm. Antennal flagellum apically extensively pale to completely black. Upper hind angle of pronotum pale to completely dark. Tegula yellow to black. Male: 2.6–5.2mm. Female and male: outer orbits and lateral vertex somewhat brown to completely black. Total number of specimens examined: 37.

Genetic data. No COI barcoding data are available for specimens reared from S. aurita and S. cinerea. Roininen et al. (1993b) presented allozyme data which show that there is no significant differentiation between E. auritae and E. salicislapponicae.

Similar species. Females are most similar to E. atra, which may also have pale tegulae. They can usually be distinguished by the different distribution of ctenidia on the lancet (see key). Males of the atra subgroup are not morphologically separable.

Bionomics. Host plants: Salix aurita (Kopelke 2000, 2002; Roininen et al. 2001), S. lapponum (Kopelke 1996), S. atrocinerea, S. ? bebbiana × atrocinerea (Zinovjev 2010: these hosts only recorded in N. America), S. ? cinerea (Kopelke 1996), S. ? starkeana (below). According to Roininen et al. (2001) the host from which the types of E. cinereae were reared was misidentified and is really S. aurita. Kopelke (2002) rejected this opinion and repeated that S. cinerea is the correct host. On balance, we find the interpretation of Roininen et al. (2001) more plausible. Zinovjev (2010) reached the same conclusion, and questioned whether E. auritae uses S. cinerea as a host. Galls made by a species of the atra subgroup have been found on S. starkeana at many localities in southern Finland by Nyman and Vikberg. The adults are very similar to those of auritae, and possibly conspecific. Biology: Kopelke (1996), Roininen et al. (1993b: as E. atra on S. cinerea and S. lapponum).

Distribution. Central and North Europe (Taeger et al. 2006), north to Finland and N. Trøndelag in Norway. Occurrence in Sweden: published records; Halland (Andersson 1955: E. atra on Salix aurita), Uppland (Wahlgren 1951: recorded a female E. atra reared from a gall on Salix cinerea, which may belong to this species), Lule Lappmark, Torne Lappmark (Malaise 1921a, Coulianos & Holmåsen 1991, both as E. atra on S. lapponum).