Clytus relictus, a rare endemic species to to Alpes de Haute-Provence (South-East France), has been described from Drôme department by Philippe Jacquot in 2022 [✮].
However, the story of this enigmatic longhron beetle begins on June 28, 1984, when André Mineau caught a unique specimen of the genus Clytus
near the village of Saint-Laurent (1550 m above sea level, Alpes de Haute-Provence). This Clytus was later described by André Mineau and Pierre Téocchi in honor
of André's wife Roberta as Clytus robertae in an article where the description of the species is not formally completed and where it is not explicitly stated
that it is a new valid species [❖]. This description does not meet the requirements of the ICZN, and therefore the species name chosen on this occasion has been considered as nomen nudum [✧].
Later, the opinion was generally accepted that it is probably the Turkish species Clytus schneideri Kiesenwetter, 1879,
either introduced or with a changed locality, and the synonymy schneideri = robertae was born. The synonymy was proposed without any real comparison
between the two species, even though the differences were so obvious! Additionally, as of June 2022, no other specimen was known and original beetle disappeared [✳] (André and Roberta Mineau both died tragically on March 13, 2009).
This taxonomic-faunistic enigma did not let our friend Philippe Jacquot sleep, and the result of the survey of possible localities in the Drome departement is the
discovery of several specimens of the genus Clytus, which clearly corresponds to the original description of C. robertae. A careful description and notes
on the possible bionomics of this extremely interesting and unexpected species are summarized in Phillipe's paper published in November 2022 [✮]. This very rare
montane species is probably relict, developing in Alpine buckthorn (Rhamnus alpina), and has a short period of occurrence and therefore escaped attention for decades...
The biology of this unique species was elucidated by an Czech expedition led by David Navrátil and Tomáš Lengál in June 2024. A special page of our website is dedicated to its description.
| Body length: | 6.2 - 10.9 mm |
| Life cycle: | 2 years |
| Adults in: | June |
| Host plant: | Rhamnus alpina (Alpine buckthorn) |
| Distribution: | an endemic species to Alpes de Haute-Provence (South-East France) |
The depicted mounted female beetle (paratype) was collected on Laserpitium siler flowers in Chamaloc village environs (1410 mn a.s.l., Le Diois canton, Drôme department,
Rhône-Alpes region, France) on June 5, 2022. The living freshly emerged specimens were found in dying Alpine buckthorn (Rhamnus alpina) branches in the type locality on June 15, 2024.
Collected by our friend Philippe Jacquot (...to whom we thank for providing all the information on this interesting species and for the loan of a paratype for photographing) and David Navrátil
]
