Andricus arslani Azmaz & Katılmış, 2022

Demirel, Mustafa, Azmaz, Musa & Katilmiş, Yusuf, 2022, A new species of oak gall wasp (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae, Cynipini) from Turkey, Zootaxa 5087 (4), pp. 583-590 : 584-589

Andricus arslani Azmaz & Katılmış sp. n.

Type material. HOLOTYPE female: TURKEY, Burdur, Bozlar village , 37°24’N, 30°11’E, 1285 m a.s.l.; ex Q. cerris ; M. Demirel, M. Azmaz & Y. Katılmış leg.; collected date: 24.V.2021; emerging date: 02.VII. 2021 in lab. PARATYPES: 2♀♀, 4♂♂, the same data as the holotype. The holotype and paratypes are deposited in the ERL-PAU.

Etymology. The specific epithet was given in honour of Prof. Dr. Şevki Arslan, of the Pamukkale University, a senior biochemist.

Diagnosis. The new species most closely resembles Andricus istvani Melika, 2008 . However, in A. arslani sp. n. the body is dark brown to black, metasoma usually slightly lighter, scape, pedicel and F1-F2 antennal flagellomeres amber-yellow and rest of the antennal flagellomeres (F3-F11) dark brown, while in A. istvani body and antenna entirely and uniformly light brown. The gena is not broadened behind the eye, invisible in anterior view, being hidden behind the compound eye, whereas the gena is slightly broadened behind the eye, visible in anterior view in A. istvani . POL 1.7–1.8 times as long as OOL; OOL equal to LOL; as opposed to POL 1.2 times as long as OOL; OOL 1.5 times as long as LOL in A. istvani . Transfacial distance equal or very slightly shorter than height of eye and 1.35 times as long as height of lower face; as opposed to transfacial distance 1.2 times as long as height of eye and 1.6 times as long as height of lower face; diameter of antennal torulus 1.15 times as long as distance between them whereas diameter of antennal torulus is 1.9 times as long as distance between them in A. istvani . Clypeus quadrangular, broader than high; antenna 13-segmented; pedicel 1.5 times as long as broad; F1 very slightly longer than F2; placodeal sensilla on F3–F 11 in A. arslani sp. n., while clypeus trapezoid, nearly as broad as high; antenna 12-segmented; pedicel 2.0 times as long as broad; F1 1.5 times as long as F2; placodeal sensilla distinct on F5–F 10 in A. istvani . Moreover, in A. arslani sp. n. pronotum, with delicate parallel wrinkles posteriorly along mesopleural triangle and dull rugose along postero-dorsally edge on the level of pronotal spiracle, small smooth part in lateromedially, antero-lateral edge with some wrinkles and dense setae; median mesoscutal line absent; anterior parallel lines distinct, extending to 1/3 of scutum length; mesopleuron longitudinally delicate striate, with small non-striate area posteriorly and ventrally; as opposed to pronotum coriaceous, with some delicate subparallel interrupted wrinkles along mesopleuron; median mesoscutal line in a form of short triangle; anterior parallel lines distinct, very short, extending to ¼ of mesoscutum length; mesopleuron uniformly transversely delicately striate in A. istvani . Forewing margin with distinct cilia; radial cell 4.6–4.8 times as long as broad, areolet distinct in A. arslani sp. n., whereas forewing margin without cilia; radial cell 4.2 times as long as broad, areolet absent in A. istvani . In addition, while the formation of the galls of A. arslani sp. n. prevent development of the leaf, the galls of A. istvani result in the formation of an irregular shape to the leaf.

Description.

SEXUAL FEMALE (description based on holotype and paratypes) ( Figs. 1–4a ).

Body length. 1.6–1.7 mm (n=3).

Colour. Body dark brown to black, metasoma usually slightly lighter. Scape, pedicel and F1-F2 antennal flagellomeres amber-yellow, remaining antennal flagellomeres (F3-F11) dark brown. Legs amber-yellow to light brown. Compound eyes silvery-grey and partially black, ocelli silvery-grey. Wing veins distinct, brown. All of body with very sparse setae.

Head. Delicately coriaceous, with sparse white setae; 1.9–2.0 times as broad as long in dorsal view; 1.1–1.2 times as broad as high in anterior view. Gena delicately coriaceous, not broadened behind eye, narrower than cross diameter of eye in lateral view. Malar space delicately coriaceous, 0.3 times as long as eye height, with strong striae radiating from clypeus and nearly reaching eye. POL 1.7–1.8 times as long as OOL; OOL 2.2–2.3 times as long as diameter of lateral ocellus and equal to LOL. Transfacial distance equal or very slightly shorter than eye height and 1.35 times as long as height of lower face (distance between antennal rim and tip of clypeus); diameter of antennal torulus 1.15 times as long as distance between toruli, and slightly shorter than distance between torulus and eye margin. Inner margins of eyes slightly curving outwards ventrally. Lower face coriaceous, with elevated median area. Clypeus quadrangular, central elevated area coriaceous, impressed, broader than high, with distinct deep anterior tentorial pits, deeply impressed along distinct epistomal sulcus, clypeo-pleurostomal line deeply distinct, ventrally widely emarginated. Frons, vertex and occiput uniformly delicately coriaceous.

Antenna. 13-segmented; pedicel 1.5 times as long as broad; F1 very slightly longer than F2; F2 very slightly longer than F3; terminal flagellomeres longer than broad; placodeal sensilla on F3-F11.

Mesosoma. Convex, longer than high in lateral view, with sparse white setae. Pronotum, with delicate parallel wrinkles posteriorly along mesopleural triangle and dull rugose along postero-dorsally edge on the level of pronotal spiracle; small smooth part positioned latero-medially; antero-lateral edge with some wrinkles and dense setae. Scutum uniformly alutaceous-coriaceous, slightly broader than long (width measured across the basis of tegulae). Notauli complete, well-impressed for entire length, converging posteriorly, groove with smooth, shining base; median mesoscutal line absent; parapsidal lines distinct, reaching well above the level of the base of tegulae; anterior parallel lines distinct, extending to 1/3 of scutum length. Scutum 2.0 times as long as scutellum. Scutellum subquadrate, broader than long, uniformly dull rugose. Scutellar foveae transversely ovate, indistinctly delimited posteriorly by sculpture; shining, smooth, without setae; separated distinctly by a narrow central median carina. Mesopleuron longitudinally delicately striate, with small non-striate area posteriorly and ventrally; speculum smooth shining; mesopleural triangle, with some delicate wrinkles and dense setae; acetabular carina narrow with some delicate wrinkles ventrally. Metapleural sulcus with dense white setae; axillar carina broad, with longitudinal delicate striae; axillula more triangular-like, smooth, with dense white setae; subaxillular bar smooth, shining, in the most posterior broadened end at least 1.8 times as high as height of metanotal trough; propodeal spiracle distinctly elevated; ventral bar of metanotal trough narrower than height of metanotal trough measured above propodeal spiracle; area between spiracle and metapleural sulcus, smooth without setae. Dorsellum rugulose or wrinkled, nearly 2.0 times as high as height of ventral impressed area; metanotal trough smooth, with white setae; ventral impressed area smooth. Lateral propodeal carinae subparallel, without white setae; central propodeal area uniformly smooth and shining without setae; lateral propodeal area uniformly smooth, with dense white setae. Tarsal claws with basal lobe.

Forewing with distinct brown veins, margin with distinct cilia; radial cell 4.6–4.8 times as long as broad, areolet distinct, Rs+M extending to 2/3 of distance from areolet to basalis.

Metasoma higher than long in lateral view; metasomal tergite 2 with a small patch of sparse white setae antero-laterally; all tergites and hypopygium without micropunctures; prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium 5.5–6.0 times as long as broad in ventral view, with very few short sparse white setae, these not extending beyond apex of spine.

MALES ( Fig. 4b ). 1.3–1.4 mm (n=4). Similar to female but antennal segments yellowish-brown, legs yellowish. Antenna 14-segmented, F1 curved; placodeal sensilla on all flagellomeres. Metasoma small and short.

Gall. ( Fig. 5 ). A leaf gall that develops on petioles and laminae of very young leaves, irregularly shaped. Fresh galls covered by soft brown dense hair, becoming whitish and partially pale violet when they mature. Galls usually occur gregariously, preventing development of the leaf. The galls of A. arslani sp. n. are more similar to the sexual galls of Chilaspis nitida (Giraud, 1859) than to the galls of A. istvani .

Biology. Only the sexual generation is known from galls on Q. cerris . Fresh galls become apparent from the end of May; adult wasps emerged in beginning of July under laboratory conditions.

Host plant. Quercus cerris .

Distribution. Currently known only from Turkey (Burdur province).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Andricus arslani sp. n., sexual female: a, head in anterior view; b, mesosoma in dorsal view; c, metasoma in lateral view; d, head in dorsal view; e, mesosoma in posterior view; f, mesosoma in lateral view.

FIGURE 2. Andricus arslani sp. n., sexual female: a, scutum in dorsal view; b, scutellum in dorsal view; c, mesosoma in posterior view; d, the ventral spine of hypopygium in ventral view; e, leg; f, tarsal claw.

FIGURE 3. Andricus arslani sp. n., sexual female: a–b, antenna; c, fore wing; d, hind wing.

FIGURE 4. Andricus arslani sp. n.: a, female; b, male.

FIGURE 5. Fresh (a–b) and mature (c–d) galls of Andricus arslani sp. n. (Photos by M. Azmaz).