Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
per
(1), the name
R. viridis has been misapplied. True
R. viridis is a rare European species. The common European species is instead
R. scalaris.
Identification
Key to our species adapted from (4)
1. Some pubescence on upper head and mesonotum long (as long as second antennal segment); eyes of female often strongly convergent (distance less than width of clypeus); scutellum with post-tergite broader than long........................... 2
Pubescence on upper head and mesonotum short (shorter than ocellar diameter); eyes of female not strongly convergent (distance greater than width of clypeus); scutellum with post-tergite longer than broad.................................. 3
2. Eyes further apart than greatest measurement of eye; both sexes with continuous lateral bands on the tergites........ R. addenda
Eyes closer together than greatest measure of eye; female without continuous bands on the tergites (male with)... R. lateraria
3. Head with frontal groove much shallower than antennal groove; antennal crests aligned with raised edge of frontal area..... R. viridis auctt.
Head with frontal groove almost as deep as antennal groove; antennal crests upstanding and not so aligned....... R. californica
Range
Holarctic and Oriental
(3); in our area:
Rh. addenda (Cresson 1880): western (BC‒CA to MT‒CO)
Rh. californica (Norton 1862): transcontinental (YT‒QC south to CA‒NM‒MB‒NY)
Rh. lateraria (Cresson 1880): western (BC‒CA to AB‒MT‒NV)
Rh. viridis auctt. nec Linnaeus: western (YT‒AK south to MB‒MT‒CA)
Food
larvae of two of our spp. feed on a wide variety of plants (poplar, alder, buttercup,
Filipendula, Stellaria, Circaea)
(2)