Tubpontania, Vikberg, Veli, 2010

Vikberg, Veli, 2010, European species of Tubpontania gen. nov., a new genus for species of the Pontania crassispina group (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae: Nematinae), Zootaxa 2620, pp. 1-28 : 4

Tubpontania gen. nov.

Type species: Nematus anomalopterus Förster, 1854 .

Adults. Small nematine sawflies, length of body 3–5 mm, head width 0.9–1.4 mm. Vertex and frons with tuberculate microsculpture, as in many species of Pristiphora . Supraclypeal area hairy, hollow laterad of antennal torulus hairy. Mandibles asymmetric: Left mandible more bent, in lateral view with broad triangular basal half, narrow apical half twisted, carinate on outer lower margin, right mandible gradually tapering to apex and without carina. Anterior margin of clypeus with medial emargination. Fore wing with 4 submarginal cells. Fourth hind tarsomere with upper surface as long as or longer than apical slope. Claws bifid. Sawsheath in lateral view rounded apically, lower margin convex. Cerci short. Lancet slightly s-shaped, with 18–23 annuli.

Host plants and galls. In Europe larvae feed on leaves of several species of subgenus Vetrix of genus Salix . In areas outside Europe larvae feed on all three subgenera of willows, on Chosenia (Russian Far East), and on Populus (North America). Oviposition in the young leaf results in the development of a procecidium, inside which the larva may feed for a short time. Later, the solitary larva feeds inside a leaf-roll which can be as long as the leaf. In some species the roll may be twisted. One generation per year, or two generations per year in some species.

Larvae. Body about 6–10 mm long, elongate, greenish. Head semiglobose, hairs on vertex and temples rather long, antenna completely flat, 4–segmented. Frons with 6–10 setae, clypeus with 2 setae. Claws of thoracic legs without distinct basal lobe. Third abdominal segment with 4 dorsal annulets, annulets 1–3 with setae. Postspiracular lobes separated. Anal tergum uniformly pale, with minute dark flecks or with lateral longitudinal black stripes, anal margin distinctly convex. Caudal protuberances (pseudocerci) short, conical, arising in lateral corners of anal tergum.

Derivation of the name. The prefix tub- is derived from the tuberculate microsculpture of the head of adults and from the characteristic, more or less tubular leaf-rolls of the larvae. Pontania was erected by A. Costa for species of small, gall-making sawflies. Gender is feminine.