Euura togata

318 Euura togata (Zaddach, 1876) Nematus togatus Zaddach, 1876: pl. III fig. 3. Syntype larvae. Adult ♀ ♂ subsequently described in Brischke (1883: 170). Specimens probably destroyed (Blank & Taeger 1998). Type locality: Poland, vicinity of Gdansk [Danzig]. Recorded host plant: Corylus avellana. Notes Among the European Nematinae, adults of Nematus umbratus and Euura melanocephalus have some resemblance to the description of adult N. togatus by Brischke (1883), at least in the thorax being predominantly black and the abdomen mainly yellow. Furthermore, their larvae also sometimes feed on Corylus avellana. However, the forewing stigma and costa of female togatus were described as pale yellow in Brischke (1883), whereas these are almost black in umbratus, and at least the stigma is dark in melanocephalus. Furthermore, the description of the larvae of togatus cannot refer to melanocephalus, because the sides of the body of the latter carry a row of conspicuous yellow spots. As remarked on in the description of E. vesicator which follows the description of togatus in Brischke (1883): [translated from German] “the females of both species are very similar to each other, while the males are very different. The similarity of the females even approaches complete equality”. Unless a third Corylus -feeding European Nematus or species of Euura does exist, it is tempting to think that Brischke’s rearing data are wrong. Perhaps larvae of vesicator found their way into the wrong pot after they had finished feeding. Exactly this sort of error most likely led to the comments in Brischke (1883) about E. viminalis having apparently been reared from galls of E. vesicator. The statement that Brischke reared very large numbers of vesicator, on several different occasions, also seems relevant. Following this line of reasoning, perhaps only the male described under togatus (only a single male was reared) really emerged from the Corylus - larvae. The description of the male adult would fit much better with umbratus than does the description of the female, and according to Stritt (1939: as Pteronidea collina) green larvae with black spots (perhaps similar to sequenced larva DEI-GISHym84094 from unknown host) of umbratus can be found on Corylus avellana in central Europe (umbratus larvae at least on birch are typically largely black). More recently, a few European records under the name togata or togatus have been published (e.g., Pesarini 2012), none of which was reared, but we have not examined such specimens.