Andricus musaazmazi Tataroğlu & Katılmış, 2024

Tataroğlu, Musa & Katilmiş, Yusuf, 2024, Two New Species of Oak Gall Wasp (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae, Cynipini) from Türkiye, Zootaxa 5433 (4), pp. 559-572 : 564-570

Andricus musaazmazi Tataroğlu & Katılmış sp. n.

Type material. HOLOTYPE female (sexual): TÜRKİYE, Burdur, Yeşilova, Niyazlar , 37°28’N, 29°43’E, 1305 m a.s.l.; ex Q. trojana ; M. Tataroğlu & Y. Katılmış leg.; collected date: 24.V.2023; emerging date: 10.VI. 2023 in lab . PARATYPES: 2♀♀, 2♂♂ the same data as the holotype. The holotype and paratypes are deposited in the ERL-PAU.

Etymology. In honour of first author’s grandfather, Musa Azmaz who passed in 2013.

Diagnosis. Andricus musaazmazi sp. n. most closely resembles Andricus pseudoinflator Tavares, 1901 . Both of these species are characterized by F2 being much longer than pedicel; terminal flagellomeres distinctly longer than broad; pronotum laterally and posteriorly exhibiting some distinct striae. However, in A. musaazmazi sp. n. the gena is not visible in front view behind the compound eye, the antenna is 14–segmented (with the suture between F11 and F12 being indistinct), the median mesoscutal line is distinct and shallow, and the radial cell 4.5–5.0 times as long as broad, whereas in A. pseudoinflator , the gena is weakly visible in front view behind the compound eye, the antenna is 13-segmented, the median mesoscutal line is almost invisible, and the radial cell is 3.5 times as long as broad ( Nieves-Aldrey 2001). Moreover, A. pseudoinflator induces sexual galls on section Quercus oaks ( Q. robur ), while A. musaazmazi sp. n. forms sexual galls on section Cerris oaks ( Q. trojana , etc.).

Description.

SEXUAL FEMALE (description based on holotype and paratypes) ( Figs. 5–7a ).

Body length. 2.0– 2.2 mm (n=3).

Colour. The head, mesosoma, legs, and antennae are amber-yellow, while the metasoma is reddish-yellow, with reddish-brown apical and dorsal portions. The last antennal flagellomeres are slightly darker, and the area around the ocelli is dark brown, with black compound eyes. The wing veins are distinct and brown.

Head. The head is entirely rugose-rugulose, with sparse white setae, measuring 2.2–2.4 times as broad as long from above and 1.1–1.2 times as broad as high in front view, slightly broader than the mesosoma. The gena is alutaceous and not visible in front view behind the eye. The malar space has striae and is 0.2–0.3 times as long as the height of the eye. POL is 2.7 times as long as OOL; OOL is slightly shorter than the diameter of the lateral ocellus and 0.7–0.8 times as long as LOL. The transfacial distance is 0.8 times as long as the height of the eye and 1.2 times as long as the height of the lower face (the distance between the antennal rim and the ventral margin of the clypeus); the diameter of the antennal torulus is 1.4 times as long as the distance between them, and the distance between the torulus and the eye margin is slightly shorter than the diameter of the torulus. The lower face is rugulose, with a slightly elevated median area. The clypeus is slightly rugulose, with distinct deep anterior tentorial pits, an indistinct epistomal sulcus, and a distinct clypeo-pleurostomal line. The anterior edge is emarginated, with sparse white setae. The vertex and occiput are rugose.

Antenna. The antenna is 14-segmented; the pedicel is 1.4 times as long as broad. F1 is 1.9 times as long as the pedicel and 1.0–1.1 times as long as F2. Placodeal sensilla are present on F3–F12 but absent on F1–F2.

Mesosoma. The mesosoma is convex with white setae, and it is 1.2–1.3 times as long as high in lateral view. The pronotum is rugose-rugulose, with delicate wrinkles along the ventro-lateral area. The scutum is mostly coriaceous, with some areas partially alutaceous, and slightly broader than long (width measured across the basis of the tegulae). The notauli are complete and well-impressed along their entire length. The median mesoscutal line is distinct and shallow, extending to 1/4 of the scutum’s length. The parapsidal lines are indistinct and narrow, reaching to half the length of the scutum, while the anterior parallel lines reach to 1/3 of the scutum’s length. The scutellum is 2.3 times as short as the scutum, slightly broader than long, and dull rugose, overhanging the metanotum. The scutellar foveae are transversely ovate, deep, and posteriorly not delimited by sculpture, with a smooth, mat bottom, without setae, and separated medially by a central carina. The mesopleuron is partially smooth and finely striated only in the antero-median part, sparsely punctate ventrally, with the speculum always smooth and shining. The upper anterior part of the mesopleural triangle exhibits some delicate wrinkles and white setae, while the acetabular carina delimits an area laterally. The metapleural sulcus reaches the mesopleuron in the upper 1/3 of its height, and the area delimited by the inferior part of the metapleural sulcus is smooth with long white setae. The axillar carina has some longitudinal striae, and the axillula is smooth with some wrinkles and sparse white setae. The subaxillular bar is smooth and shining, broader than the height of the metanotal trough at its most posterior end. There is a carina along the anterior border of the propodeal spiracle, strongly raised. The ventral bar of the metanotal trough is sculptured with some wrinkles and is at least 2.0 times narrower than the height of the metanotal trough. The metanotal trough is smooth, slightly wrinkled, with setae. The lateral propodeal area is smooth with white setae, while the nucha is rugose-rugulose.

Forewing has distinct brown veins, with cilia along the margin. The radial cell is 4.5–5.0 times as long as broad, Rs nearly reaching the wing margin and R1 never reaching the wing margin. The areolet is distinct, and Rs+M is also distinct, projecting into the lower part of basalis.

Legs. The tarsal claws have a basal lobe.

Metasoma is slightly shorter than the head+mesosoma, and it is higher than long in lateral view. The tergites and hypopygium are without punctures. The prominent part of the ventral spine of the hypopygium is 5.5 times as long as broad in ventral view, with a few short setae that do not reach behind the apex of the spine.

MALES. ( Fig. 7b ). 1.8–2.0 mm (n=2). Similar to the female but the head is dark brown, POL 4.7 times as long as OOL. OOL is 0.3–0.4 times as long as the diameter of the lateral ocellus and 0.3–0.4 times as long as LOL. The antenna is 15-segmented (with the suture between F12 and F13 being indistinct), much longer than the body length. F1 is slightly curved, nearly equal to F2. The placodeal sensilla are present on all flagellomeres.

Gall. ( Fig. 8 ). The gall of the sexual generation develops as a tapered oval single chambered structure on a thin and delicate stalk, measuring a total of 10–15 mm. When fresh, the gall is green and covered by soft, sparse white hair, but it becomes dark purple as it matures. According to Shachar et al. (2018), the gall shape of the sexual generation is also very similar to galls of Andricus amenti Giraud, 1859 . However, the sexual galls of the new species develop on leaves of oaks from section Cerris, while those of A. amenti form on catkin petioles of oaks from section Quercus , and their adults are also morphologically very different.

Biology. Only the sexual generation is known from galls on Q. trojana . Fresh galls become apparent from the end of May, and adult wasps emerged in the mid-June under laboratory conditions.

Host plant. Quercus trojana .

Distribution. Currently known only from Türkiye. Additionally, sexual generation galls of the new species were also collected in Israel on Quercus libani G.Olivier and Quercus cerris L. However , no a formal description of this species was made as only one adult was reared ( Shachar et al. 2018).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Andricus musaazmazi sp. n., sexual female: a, head in anterior view; b, mesosoma in dorsal view; c, metasoma in lateral view; d, antenna; e, head in dorsal view; f, mesosoma in lateral view.

FIGURE 6. Andricus musaazmazi sp. n., sexual female: a, scutum in dorsal view; b, scutellum in dorsal view; c, mesopleuron; d, leg; e, tarsal claw; f, fore wing.

FIGURE 7. Andricus musaazmazi sp. n.: a, female; b, male.

FIGURE 8. Fresh (a–b) and mature (c–d) galls of Andricus musaazmazi sp. n. (Photos by M. Tataroğlu).