Aulacidea piroziae Melika, Stone & Pujade-Villar, 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 : 312-317

Aulacidea piroziae Melika, Stone & Pujade-Villar , sp. nov.

Figs 42–63

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:745B476D-EDF2-4312-80B4-DD8D46B8FC3

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: seven females and 10 males with the same labels as the holotype. The holotype female and the paratypes are deposited at the PHDNRL.

Additional material examined. Eight males with the same labels as the holotype.

Etymology. In recognition of Fatemeh Pirozi, wife of M. Tavakoli, who was one of the first specialists (with M. Chodjai) to work on Cynipidae in Iran.

Diagnosis. Morphologically most closely resembles A. koeiana sp. nov. based on the short dark female metasoma, which has all terga without micropunctures. In A. koeiana sp. nov. the head of the female is slightly elongated in frontal view, POL nearly 1.9× as long as OOL; the female antenna slightly longer than the mesosoma, the anterolateral edge of the pronotum invaginated with white setae, the most ventral part of the mesopleuron striate, the mesopleural sulcus delimiting a small area along the mesopleuron, lateral propodeal carinae subparallel, the central propodeal area anteriorly as broad as posteriorly; the male antenna is dark brown. In A. pirozi sp. nov. the head is more rounded in frontal view, POL 1.5× as long as OOL, the female antenna shorter than the head+mesosoma, the anterolateral edge of the pronotum invaginated and covered with very dense white setae, the invaginated part of the pronotum is hidden, the most ventral part of the mesopleuron is not striate, smooth, shining; the mesopleural sulcus delimiting an area along the mesopleuron which is at least 2.0× broader than in A. koeiana sp. nov.; lateral propodeal carinae bent inwards anteriorly, the central propodeal area anteriorly narrower than posteriorly; the male antenna is brown.

Description. Female ( Figs 42–48 , 55–61 ). Head, mesosoma, black, metasoma dark brown to black. Mandibles, maxillary and labial palpi light brown; scape and pedicel dark brown to black, flagellomeres light brown; tegula yellow; legs reddish-brown, coxae dark brown to black; ventral spine of hypopygium brown.

Head alutaceous-reticulate, with scattered white setae, 1.2× as broad as high, slightly broader than mesosoma in frontal view, 1.7× as broad as long in dorsal view. Gena alutaceous-reticulate, 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 broader than transverse diameter of eye; malar space with distinct striae radiating from clypeus and extending to 2/3 of malar space length, do not reaching eye, malar sulcus absent; eye 1.3× as high as height of malar space. Eyes slightly converging ventrally. POL 1.6× as long as OOL; OOL 2.8× as long as length of lateral ocellus, 1.3× as long as LOL, lateral ocelli ovate, all of the same size. Transfacial distance 1.5x as long as height of eye, diameter of antennal torulus 2.1× as long as distance between them, distance between torulus and eye 1.6× as long as diameter of torulus, toruli located at mid height of eye; lower face with short setae, with distinct striae radiating from clypeus and reaching to half height of lower face, alutaceous between striae; slightly elevated median area delicately coriaceous. Clypeus rectangular, delicately coriaceous, impressed, ventrally not emarginate and without median incision; anterior tentorial pit, epistomal sulcus and clypeo-pleurostomal line indistinct. Frons uniformly alutaceous, small rounded area under median ocellus slightly impressed, smooth, shining. Vertex, occiput, postocciput and postgena alutaceousreticulate, with sparse white setae; posterior tentorial pit large, ovate, deep, area below impressed; occipital foramen shorter than height of postgenal bridge; hypostomal carina emarginate, continuing into united postgenal sulci.

Antenna shorter than head+mesosoma, with 12 flagellomeres (suture between F12 and F11 indistinct but present), pedicel slightly longer than broad, F1 slightly longer than F2, narrower than F2 and longer than pedicel, F2=F3, F4=F5 and slightly longer than penultimate flagellomeres, F6 till F12 nearly equal in length; placodeal sensilla on F3–F12.

Mesosoma 1.3× as long as high. Pronotum uniformly alutaceous, without striae and with dense white setae laterally along anterior margin, dorso-medially 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, separated by an area broader than the submedian pit; propleuron alutaceous, glabrous. Mesoscutum alutaceous, with scattered short white setae; slightly longer than broad (largest width measured across mesoscutum at level of base of tegulae). Notaulus complete, distinctly impressed, converging at posterior end; anterior parallel line indistinct, parapsidal line distinct, extending to level of tegula; median mesoscutal line short to 1/5 length of mesoscutum. Mesoscutellum uniformly sculptured, weak rugose, longer than broad, overhanging metanotum; mesoscutellar foveae distinct, with a smooth, glabrous bottom and separated by a narrow elevated, smooth median carina. Mesopleuron, including speculum with strong parallel transverse striae going across entire width, with dense white setae ventrally; mesopleural triangle coriaceous, with few setae; dorsal axillar area and lateral axillar area alutaceous, with a few white setae; subaxillular bar smooth, glabrous, triangular, most posterior part as high as height of metanotal trough; metapleural sulcus reaching mesopleuron slightly about its half height; upper part of sulcus indistinct. Metascutellum coriaceous, metanotal trough smooth, glabrous, without setae; ventral impressed area as high as height of metascutellum, smooth, glabrous; central propodeal area smooth, glabrous, without rugae; lateral propodeal carinae strong, high, bent inwards anteriorly; lateral propodeal area delicately coriaceous, with dense long, white setae. Nucha with distinct broad longitudinal 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, 2.6× as long as broad; areolet triangular, closed, distinct. Rs+M distinct on 4/5 of distance between areolet and basalis, its projection reaching basalis slightly below its mid height.

Metasoma slightly longer than head+mesosoma, slightly longer than high in lateral view; 2nd metasomal tergum extending to above half length of metasoma in dorsal view, with patch of white dense setae anterolaterally, all metasomal terga without setae, smooth, glabrous, without micropunctures. Hypopygium with micropunctures, ventral spine of hypopygium short and broad, prominent part 2.5× as long as broad, without setae. Body length 1.6–1.8 mm (n = 7).

Male ( Figs 49–54 ). Similar to female but POL 1.7× as long as OOL; OOL 2.1× as long as length of lateral ocellus, 1.2× as long as LOL. Transfacial distance 1.4x as long as height of eye. Antenna as long as body, with 12 flagellomeres, F1 nearly straight, apically not swollen, shorter and narrower than F2, placodeal sensilla on F1–F13. Body length 1.5–1.7 mm (n = 10).

Gall ( Figs 62–63 ). 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.

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 42–48. Aulacidea piroziae Melika, Stone & Pujade-Villar, sp. nov., female. 42–45, head: 42, frontal view, 43, dorsal view, 44, posterior view, 45, lateral view; 46, antenna, 47, pronotum and mesoscutum, anterodorsal view, 48, propleura, frontal view.

FIGURES 49–54. Aulacidea piroziae Melika, Stone & Pujade-Villar, sp. nov., male. 49–52, head: 49, frontal view, 50, dorsal view, 51, posterior view, 52, lateral view; 53, antenna; 54, metasoma, lateral view.

FIGURES 55–58. Aulacidea piroziae Melika, Stone & Pujade-Villar, sp. nov., female. 55–56, mesosoma: 55, lateral view, 56, frontal view (without propleura), 57–58, mesoscutum and mesoscutellum, dorsal view.

FIGURES 59–63. Aulacidea piroziae Melika, Stone & Pujade-Villar, sp. nov.. 59–61, female: 59, forewing, 60, metascutellum and propodeum, posterodorsal view, 61, metasoma, lateral view. 62–63, infested flowerheads: 62, young, growing, 63, dried old, adult wasps emerged.