MB#193860
Fig. 31B–F
Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Wien. Mathematischnaturwissenschaftliche Classe. Abteilung 1 68: 248 (Peyritsch 1873). –
Type: [Type lost?!] “Auf den Flügeldecken und Extremitäten von Chlaenius vestitus F. ”. [Austria, according to Balazuc 1974b]
Laboulbenia brachiata Thaxt. (Thaxter 1890: 11) [MB#246812]
Cell V subtriangular, dividing into up to eight cells which gradually decrease in size upwards, each cell bearing a small cell which gives rise to secondary appendages. Appendages numerous; outer and inner set of appendages (the primary appendage itself) indistinct from nearby secondary appendages, all together include ± inflated basal cells separated by constricted and variably darkened septa. Insertion cell with the same colour as surrounding cells (Fig. 31C–D, ic). [Detailed descriptions: Thaxter 1896; Sugiyama 1973; Majewski 1994b; Santamaria 1998]
Typical hosts belong to Col. Carabidae of the genus Chlaenius and allied genera (Chlaeniellus Reitter, 1908, Parachlaenius Kolbe, 1894). The genus Patrobus was initially reported as the host for L. brachiata. It also occurs in many other genera of Carabidae belonging to subfamily Cicindelinae and tribes Patrobini, Chlaenini, Omophronini, Pterostichini, Brachinini, Bembidiini and Nebriini (Santamaria et al. 1991; Majewski 2008). Widely distributed in Europe, Africa, America and Asia (Santamaria et al. 1991). Not found in Oceania. Records subsequent to or omitted in Santamaria et al. (1991) are: Latvia (Briedis 1934), Taiwan (Juan & Chien 1996), Belgium (De Kesel 1998), Czech Republic (Rossi & Máca 2006), Denmark (Høier 2007), Cambodia (Try et al. 2017), Eritrea, Bulgaria (Rossi et al. 2019a), and the Netherlands (Haelewaters & De Kesel 2020).
On Patrobus atrorufus (Ström, 1768) (Col. Carabidae) DENMARK – Lolland, Falster, Møn (LFM) • Hjelm Kobbel; 54°54.863′ N, 12°14.918′ E; UA28; 28 Aug. 2019; JP 1506; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-124093 • Krenkerup Haveskov; 54°46.408′ N, 11°39.955′ E; PF77; 12 May 1993; S. Langemark & O.E. Meyer 901; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-123399 • ibid.; 19 Jul. 1993; S. Langemark & O.E. Meyer 921; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-123419 • ibid.; 28 Jul. 1993; S. Langemark & O.E. Meyer 919; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-123417 • ibid.; 16–24 Aug. 1993; S. Langemark & O.E. Meyer 914; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-123412 • Røgbølle Sø ved Sørup; 54°42.608′ N, 11°34.757′ E; PF66; 15 Oct. 2019; JP 1518; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-124273. – Nordøstsjaelland (NEZ) • Kagsmose; 55°42.698′ N, 12°27.378′ E; UB47; 19 Sep. 2013; H. Liljehult 299; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-122778 • Peberholm; 55°35.865′ N, 12°45.308′ E; UB56; 13 Apr. 2005; S. Frank 73; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-122548. – Nordvestsjaelland (NWZ) • Garbølle; 55°34.107′ N, 11°34.293′ E; PG66; 21 Apr. 2018; JP 1060; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-123577. – Sydsjaelland (SZ) • Flommen ved Sorø; 55°25.957′ N, 11°34.477′ E; PG64; 23 Aug. 2009; JP 57; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-122532 • Gammel Kalvehave; 54°59.745′ N, 12°8.232′ E; UA19; 27 Apr. 2018; JP 1083; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-123601 • ibid.; 25 Apr. 2019; JP 1439; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-123986 • Sorø, Kristiansminde; 55°25.115′ N, 11°35.209′ E; PG64; 12 Jul. 2013; H. Enghoff 160; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-122639 • ibid.; 1–15 Aug. 2013; JP 527; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-123011 • ibid.; 15 Aug. 2013; JP 394; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-122877 • ibid.; 2 Jul. 2014; JP 383; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-122866.
On Pterostichus rhaeticus Heer, 1837 (Col. Carabidae) DENMARK – Sydsjaelland (SZ) • Gammel Kalvehave; 54°59.745′ N, 12°8.232′ E; UA19; 27 Apr. 2018; JP 1080; JP det.; ZMUC C-F-123598.
Laboulbenia fasciculata, L. brachiata and L. variabilis form a rather compact group of hardly separable species. To begin with, synonymy of L. fasciculata and L. brachiata might be re-examined. Laboulbenia brachiata was described by Thaxter (1890) on Patrobus longicornis (Say, 1823) and on P. tenuis LeConte, 1850 from USA. From the beginning, Thaxter (1896) expressed some doubts about the distinctiveness of his own species, to be later included among the synonyms of L. fasciculata (Thaxter 1908). In order to clarify the status of these two species, we have attempted to borrow the type of L. brachiata from FH but it was unavailable. The same is true for the type of L. fasciculata, an old species which probably lacks the support of slides kept in a herbarium. Thalli from Patrobus, which should correspond to what was described as L. brachiata, show some differences with those from Chlaenius, particularly the much darker appendages. For comparison, we have included Fig. 31F from a Spanish thallus found on Chlaenius. To draw conclusions, a challenging study should be carried out with more material from different hosts and localities, supported by molecular analysis.
Laboulbenia variabilis was the last of the three species to be described (Thaxter 1892). The list of hosts reported for this taxon is remarkable and extremely wide-ranging. It consists of ground beetles belonging to Anomoglossus Chaudoir, 1857, Chlaenius, Omophron Latreille, 1802, Nebria Latreille, 1802, Pterostichus, Patrobus and Platynus from USA and other American countries. Thaxter (1908) added new records on Tetracha Hope, 1838, Platysma Bonelli, 1810, Poecilus Bonelli, 1810, Aspidoglossa Putzeys, 1846, Brachygnathus Perty, 1830 from more American countries, to consider his species as “absolutely confined to the western hemisphere”. Moreover, he added a short sentence indicating that L. fasciculata shows “a certain resemblance to L. variabilis to which it may be related”. Spegazzini (1912, 1915a, 1917) added new records from Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay on new host genera like Feroniomorpha Chaudoir, 1876, Metius (as Antarctia), Platysma and Loxandrus LeConte, 1852. Spegazzini (1917) described three “forms” named clivinicola, eumetabola, and pachytelica, respectively on Ardistomis Putzeys, 1846 (as Ardistomus) from Argentina, on Platynus ? from Uruguay, and on Athrostictus (as Hypolithus, a name belonging to an Elateridae beetle!) from Paraguay. With these, even more confusion was added to the delimitation of this species. Colla (1925, 1926, 1934) added some Italian records on Chlaenius which don’t help too much. Lastly, Haelewaters et al. (2019b) restored the species and recorded it from several species of Pterostichus, Patrobus, and Chlaenius from USA and Canada, writing that is an “easily recognized” species and “it may be that different hosts (species or genera) carry distinct cryptic or near-cryptic phylogenetic species”. We have not studied any American material of this species complex, so we cannot do anything but highlight the doubts we have about its distinctiveness.