Saphonecrus fabris Pujade-Villar, Wang, Guo, 2014

Lobato-Vila, Irene, Wang, Yiping, Melika, George, Guo, Rui, Ju, Xiaoxue & Pujade-Villar, Juli, 2021, A Taxonomic Review of the Gall Wasp Genus Saphonecrus Dalla-Torre and Kieffer and other Oak Cynipid Inquilines (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) from Mainland China, with Updated Keys to Eastern Palaearctic and Oriental Species, Zoological studies (Zool. Stud.) 60 (10), pp. 1-25 : 11-12

Saphonecrus fabris Pujade-Villar, Wang, Guo

and Chen, 2014

Saphonecrus fabris Pujade-Villar, Wang, Guo and Chen in Pujade-Villar et al. (2014). Zool. Sys. 39(3): 420. Type material: ZAFU (holotype), paratypes in ZAFU and UB.

Material examined (83 and 68): Deposited in ZAFU and UB with the following data: West Tianmu Mountain (Zhejiang), Ex undetermined gall found on the main vein of leaves of Q. stewardiana , (07.ix.2010) 11.ix.2010, Rui Guo leg. (63 and 38 deposited in ZAFU, 23 and 18 deposited in UB); Dashuwang, Tianmu Mountain (Zhejiang), Ex unknown gall, Q. ciliaris , (24.iv.2013) 08.v.2013, Shijun Wang leg. (28 deposited in UB).

Diagnosis: Saphonecrus fabris belongs to a group of species ( S. albidus , S. lithocarpi , S. nantoui and S. taiwanensis ) with a strong and complete lateral pronotal carina, simple tarsal claws (without a basal lobe), complete notauli, and the radial cell of the fore wing at most 3.0x as long as wide. The differences between S. fabris and S. albidus have already been commented (see the diagnosis of S. albidus ). Saphonecrus fabris differs from S. lithocarpi and S. taiwanensis by having F1 1.3–1.4x as long as F 2 in females and 1.5–1.6 in males (F1 just slightly longer than F 2 in both sexes in these two species) and the scutellar foveae separated by a narrow carina (separated by a wide septum in these two species). Furthermore, S. fabris associates with galls on Quercus (on Lithocarpus in these two species). Saphonecrus fabris is close to S. nantoui , from which differs by the malar space being 0.7–0.8x as long as height of eye (0.6 in S. nantoui ), the scutellar foveae with smooth and shining bottom (with some wrinkles on a smooth bottom in S. nantoui ) and female syntergite slightly incised dorsodistally (strongly incised in S. nantoui ). See also the key to species below.

Description: Male: Similar to female, except for the body length 1.3 (n = 3); antennae 15-segmented (4.5: 3: 6: 4: 4: 4: 4: 4: 4: 4: 3.5: 3:5: 3: 2.5: 3.5); F1 medially incised, thin and long, slightly expanded apically and basally; F1 1.5x as long as F2; POL: OOL: LOL = 6: 3: 2.5, and diameter of lateral ocellus 2.0; and transfacial distance about as long as height of eye.

Distribution: Mainland China. Zhejiang Province ( Pujade-Villar et al. 2014; this work, see the material examined).

Biology: Saphonecrus fabris was associated with galls of Andricus flavus Pujade-Villar, Wang, Guo and Chen on Quercus fabri ( Pujade-Villar et al. 2014) , but this association appeared to be incorrect (see remarks). The new material presented here was reared from unknown galls on the main vein of leaves of Quercus stewardiana A. Camus , and from unknown galls on Q. ciliaris C.C. Huang and Y.T. Chang (= Cyclobalanopsis gracilis (Rehd. and Wils.) W.C. Cheng and T. Hong ).

Remarks: According to the original description ( Pujade-Villar et al. 2014: 420), the type series of S. fabris is composed exclusively of females: the holotype (deposited in ZAFU) and five paratypes (four deposited in ZAFU and one deposited in UB); males were unknown. However, a posterior re-examination of the type series revealed that one of the paratypes is, in fact, a male. Currently, the holotype and three female paratypes are deposited in ZAFU, while a female paratype and the only male paratype are deposited in UB. Since we identified more males of S. fabris among the material deposited in ZAFU, we described them here for the first time.

Pujade-Villar et al. (2014) report that Saphonecrus fabris was reared from galls of A. flavus on Q. fabri . The gall-maker adults that were presumably related to these galls were confirmed to be Andricus mairei (Kieffer) (= A. flavus ); however, the galls mentioned in Pujade-Villar et al. (2014) do not correspond to A. mairei , but to an undetermined gall wasp species ( Pujade-Villar et al. 2020b). Furthermore, the host tree of A. mairei is not Q. fabri , but Q. serrata (= Q. glandulifera var. brevipetiolata (A.DC.) Nakai ) ( Pujade-Villar et al. 2020b). According to the new material examined herein and to the determination conflict addressed by Pujade-Villar et al. (2020b), the biology of Saphonecrus fabris (at least of its type material) is doubtful.