Aulacidea lorestanica Melika, Tavakoli & Stone, 2022

Tavakoli, Majid, Stone, Graham N., Pujade-Villar, Juli & Melika, George, 2022, New herb gall wasps from Iran (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), Zootaxa 5155 (3), pp. 301-333 : 307-312

Aulacidea lorestanica Melika, Tavakoli & Stone , sp. nov.

Figs 20–41

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D8E74FFF-A77C-434E-A2C7-C2924F8F3864

Type material: HOLOTYPE female “ IRAN, Lorestan, Zaghe ( Natural Resources Research Station ),, GPS coordinates: 48°40’28”E, 33°29’16”N, 1988 m a.s.l., Code 31 (2016), galls in stems and flowerheads of Centaurea pterocaula , coll. M. Tavakoli, 2015; galls coll. in summer; adults emerge by end of winter 2015” . PARATYPES: 10 females and 6 males with the same labels as the holotype. The holotype female and the paratypes are deposited at the PHDNRL.

Additional material examined. Ten females and 3 males with the same labels as the holotype.

Etymology. Named after the Iranian province, Lorestan, where the species was collected.

Diagnosis. The new species is morphologically similar to Aulacidea koelpiniae Diakontschuk, 1988 , based on the shape of the male head, which is higher than broad, presence of cilia on the forewing margin, and the mesoscutellar foveae, which are as high as broad, with a smooth, glabrous bottom, separated by a narrow elevated, coriaceous median carina. However, Aulacidea koelpiniae Diakontschuk, 1988 , induces galls in fruits on Koelpinia linearis Pall. (Asteraceae) and is known only from Turkmenistan ( Diakontschuk 1988, Melika 2006). In A. koelpiniae the antenna is yellowish, F1 1.5× as short as F2, the mesosoma reddish brown, the notaulus with sculpture like the mesoscutum, anterior parallel and parapsidal lines indistinct, invisible, the median mesoscutal line extending to the half length of the mesoscutum, the metasoma is rounded, shorter than the head+mesosoma, F 1 in the male antenna excavated, while in Aulacidea lorestanica sp. nov. the antenna uniformly dark brown, F1 only slightly shorter than F2, the mesosoma black, the notaulus smooth, shining, the anterior parallel line distinct extending to 1/5–1/6 of the mesoscutum length, the parapsidal line distinct, slightly impressed, extending to the level of tegula; the median mesoscutal line extends to 1/5 length of the mesoscutum, the metasoma distinctly longer than the head+mesosoma; F 1 in the male antenna straight, not excavated, galls in stems and flowerheads of Centaurea sp. (Asteraceae) . Also resembles A. ascanica Diakontschuk, 1984 in which POL nearly equal OOL, the malar space with few delicate striae radiating from the clypeus and not reaching the eye margin, the antenna with 10 flagellomeres, mesoscutellar foveae as broad as high, rugose, the metasomal tergum 3 without micropunctures, smooth; the galls of A. ascanica are lignified, relatively soft stem deformations on Serratula xeranthemoides M.B. ( Asteraceae ) and known only from the steppe zone of Southern Ukraine ( Diakontschuk 1984).

Description. Female ( Figs 20–26 , 33–39 ). Head and mesosoma black, mandibles and mouthparts yellow, tegula yellowish white; legs yellowish brown, except dark brown to black coxae; metasoma dark brown.

Head alutaceous, with scattered white setae, only slightly broader than high, slightly broader than mesosoma in frontal view, 1.7× as broad as high in dorsal view. Gena alutaceous, not broadened behind eye in frontal view; upper part of gena narrower than cross diameter of eye, lower part on the level of ventral edge of eye as broad as transverse diameter of eye; malar space with distinct striae radiating from clypeus and reaching eye, malar sulcus absent; eye 1.2× as high as height of malar space. Inner margins of eyes parallel. POL 1.5× as long as OOL; OOL 2.7× as long as length of lateral ocellus, 1.6× as long as LOL, lateral ocelli ovate, slightly bigger than median ocellus. Transfacial distance 1.2x as long as height of eye, toruli located at the mid height of eyes, diameter of antennal torulus 1.9× as long as distance between them, distance between torulus and eye 1.4× as long as diameter of torulus; lower face smooth, shining, with sparse short setae, with delicate very short striae radiating from clypeus; slightly elevated median area with delicate waved short striae. Clypeus rectangular, smooth, glabrous, impressed, ventrally not emarginate and without median incision; anterior tentorial pit, epistomal sulcus and clypeo-pleurostomal line indistinct. Frons and area between toruli uniformly alutaceous, medially not impressed, small rounded area under median ocellus slightly impressed. Vertex, occiput, postocciput and postgena alutaceous-reticulate, with sparse white setae; posterior tentorial pit large, ovate, deep, area below impressed; occipital foramen as high as height of postgenal bridge; hypostomal carina emarginate, continuing into united postgenal sulci. Antenna longer than mesosoma, with 12 flagellomeres (suture between F12 and F11 indistinct, hardly traceable but present); pedicel slightly longer than broad, F1 only slightly shorter and narrower than F2, longer than pedicel, F2=F3=F4, all subsequent flagellomeres slightly longer than F1–F3 and nearly equal in length, F12 shorter than F11; placodeal sensilla on F1–F12.

Mesosoma 1.3× as long as high. Pronotum uniformly alutaceous-reticulate, without striae, with few white setae laterally along anterior margin, dorsomedially 1.8× as short as greatest length on outer lateral margin; pronotal plate with very few short white setae, well-delimited in anterior half, as broad as long, pronotal submedial pits distinct, ovate separated by an area narrower than width of submedian pit; propleuron alutaceous, glabrous, with few short setae. Mesoscutum alutaceous-reticulate, with scattered short white setae; slightly longer than broad (largest width measured across mesoscutum at level of base of tegulae). Notaulus complete, distinctly impressed, smooth, shining bottom, converging at posterior end; anterior parallel line distinct, impressed, extending to 1/5–1/6 of the mesoscutum length, parapsidal line distinct, slightly impressed, extending to the level of tegula; median mesoscutal line extends to 1/5 length of mesoscutum. Mesoscutellum uniformly alutaceous-reticulate with some carinae laterally and distally, longer than broad, posteriorly rounded, overhanging metanotum; mesoscutellar foveae distinct, as high as broad, with a smooth, glabrous bottom, separated by a narrow elevated, coriaceous median carina. Mesopleuron, including speculum with strong parallel transverse striae going across entire width, with some white setae ventrally; mesopleural triangle smooth, shining, without setae; dorsal axillar area and lateral axillar area alutaceous-reticulate, with a few white setae; subaxillular bar smooth, shining, triangular, most posterior part as high as height of metanotal trough; metapleural sulcus reaching mesopleuron slightly above half its height; upper part of sulcus indistinct. Metascutellum coriaceous, metanotal trough smooth, shining, without setae; ventral impressed area as high as height of metascutellum, smooth, shining; central propodeal area smooth, glabrous, without rugae; lateral propodeal carinae strong, high, parallel; lateral propodeal area coriaceous, with dense long, white setae. Nucha with inconspicuous sulci dorsally and laterally. Tarsal claws narrow, without basal lobe.

Forewing longer than body, hyaline, with distinct long, dense cilia on margin, veins brown, radial cell closed, 2.8× as long as broad; areolet triangular, closed, indistinct. Rs+M distinct on 2/3 of distance between areolet and basalis, its projection reaching basalis at mid height.

Metasoma longer than head+mesosoma, 1.5× as long as high in lateral view; 2nd metasomal tergum extending to 1/5 of metasoma length in dorsal view, with few white setae anterolaterally, without micropunctures; third and fourth terga without setae, smooth, shining, with inconspicuous micropunctures; 5th to 7th terga and hypopygium with distinct dense micropunctures, ventral spine of hypopygium short and broad, prominent part as long as broad, without setae. Body length 1.9–2.3 mm (n = 10).

Male ( Figs 27–32 ). Head and mesosoma black, antenna dark brown to black, legs coloured as in females, metasoma dark brown, dorsally darker, to black. Similar to female but head is higher than broad in frontal view, POL 1.8× as long as OOL, OOL 1.5× as long as length of lateral ocellus, slightly shorter than LOL. Antenna as long as body, with 13 flagellomeres, F1 straight, not swollen apically, slightly shorter than F2, placodeal sensilla on F1–F13. Body length 1.8–2.0 mm (n = 10).

Gall ( Figs 40–41 ). Galls are cryptic chambers hidden in flowerheads and stems, without detectable external swelling. Usually more than one larval chamber is present in a single flowerhead or stem.

Biology. Galls mature in summer; adults overwinter in the gall and emerge by the end of winter, before spring of the following year. The host plant is Centaurea pterocaula Trautv. (Asteraceae) .

Distribution. Zaghe (Natural Resources Research Station), Lorestan Province, Iran.

Figures

FIGURES 20–26. Aulacidea lorestanica Melika, Tavakoli & Stone, sp. nov., female. 20–23, head: 20, frontal view, 21, dorsal view, 22, posterior view, 23, lateral view; 24, antenna, 25, pronotum and mesoscutum, anterodorsal view, 26, propleura, frontal view.

FIGURES 27–32. Aulacidea lorestanica Melika, Tavakoli & Stone, sp. nov., male. 27–30, head: 27, frontal view, 28, dorsal view, 29, posterior view, 30, lateral view; 31, antenna; 32, metasoma, lateral view.

FIGURES 33–36. Aulacidea lorestanica Melika, Tavakoli & Stone, sp. nov., female. 33–34, mesosoma: 33, lateral view, 34, frontal view (without propleura), 35–36, mesoscutum and mesoscutellum, dorsal view.

FIGURES 37–41. Aulacidea lorestanica Melika, Tavakoli & Stone, sp. nov. 37–39, female: 37, forewing, 38, metascutellum and propodeum, posterodorsal view. 39, metasoma, lateral view. 40–41, infested flowerheads: 40, young, growing, 41, dried old, adult wasps emerged.