Antron lovellae Melika, Nicholls & Stone, 2021

Melika, George, Nicholls, James A., Abrahamson, Warren G., Buss, Eileen A. & Stone, Graham N., 2021, New species of Nearctic oak gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae, Cynipini), Zootaxa 5084 (1), pp. 1-131 : 75-78

Antron lovellae Melika, Nicholls & Stone , sp. nov.

Figs. 275–286

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FAFB3EBD-65A3-4849-9CCE-AEBB4610281B

Type material: HOLOTYPE female “ USA, Arizona, 25 miles S of Flagstaff on l17, leg. J. Nicholls, 2007.10.31. Code AZ674, spAZl9; ex Quercus turbinella ” . PARATYPES: 3 females: with the same labels as the holotype except with Codes AZ 675, AZ676, AZ677. The holotype is deposited at the USNM , 3 females at the PHDNRL .

Etymology. In recognition of the continuous contribution of Jill D. Lovell, wife of J.A. Nicholls (Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, UK), towards studies of oak gall wasps and especially her contribution in sequencing the Nearctic oak gall wasps that are described herein as new species.

Diagnosis. The gall is somewhat similar to the asexual generation gall of the California species Cynips (Antron) douglasii ( Ashmead, 1896) but rounder and with fewer spines. Adults also differ from asexual females of C. (A.) douglasii . In C. (A.) douglasii genae are broader, clearly visible behind eyes in frontal view, antenna with 12 flagellomeres, the mesoscutum with dark stripes along notauli and parapsidal lines, notaulus distinct along all length, well-impressed but less impressed anteriorly than posteriorly, the metascutellum and central propodeal area much darker than the rest of the mesoscutum, the forewing with dark stripes. In A. lovellae genae are less broad and only just visible behind the eyes in frontal view, the antenna with 11 flagellomeres, the mesoscutum uniformly rusty brown, notaulus indistinct anteriorly, less impressed than posteriorly, metascutellum and central propodeal area concolorous with the rest of the mesoscutum, the forewing without darker stripes. This species also resembles A. franklinensis Lyon, 1996 . In A. lovellae the head is slightly broader than mesosoma in frontal view, the notaulus complete, the mesopleuron is coriaceous, with a few delicate transverse parallel striae in anteromedian part, induces galls on leaves, while in A. franklinensis the head as broad as mesosoma, the notaulus incomplete, the mesopleuron smooth, polished, galls induced on twigs.

Description. Asexual female ( Figs. 275–285 ). Head, mesosoma, metasoma, antennae, maxillary and labial palpi, legs all uniformly reddish brown.

Head alutaceous to reticulate, with white setae, 1.3× as broad as high and slightly broader than mesosoma in frontal view, 2.2× as broad as long in dorsal view. Gena reticulate, broadened behind eye in frontal view, as broad as transverse diameter of eye in lateral view. Malar space coriaceous, with striae radiating from clypeus and reaching eye, eye 2.5× as high as length of malar space; malar sulcus absent. Inner margins of eyes parallel. POL 2.1× as broad as OOL, OOL 1.7× as long as diameter of lateral ocellus, 1.25× as long as LOL; all ocelli ovate, of same size. Transfacial distance 1.3× as long as height of eye; diameter of antennal torulus nearly equal to distance between them, distance between torulus and eye slightly longer than diameter of torulus; lower face coriaceous, with white setae, without striae; slightly elevated median area coriaceous, without striae, with some setae. Clypeus trapezoid, slightly broader than high, smooth, glabrous; ventrally rounded, not emarginate, without median incision, with a few long setae; anterior tentorial pit large, deep, rounded, epistomal sulcus and clypeo-pleurostomal line distinct. Frons and slightly elevated interocellar area reticulate, with short white setae. Vertex reticulate, occiput with delicately transverse parallel striae, with a few white setae; postocciput smooth, glabrous, postgena smooth, glabrous, with dense setae; posterior tentorial pit large, ovate, area below impressed; occipital foramen shorter than height of postgenal bridge; hypostomal carina emarginate, continuing into postgenal sulci which are not united, running parallel in ventral half of postgenal bridge, diverging in anterior 1/2, postgenal bridge anteriorly as broad as occipital foramen. Antenna longer than head+mesosoma, with 11 flagellomeres, scape, pedicel and F1–F2 lighter than all subsequent flagellomeres, pedicel subglobular, F1 3.2× as long as pedicel and 1.2× as long as F2, F2 1.2× as long as F3, F3 slightly longer than F4; F4=F5, subsequent flagellomeres shorter, nearly equal in length; F11 slightly longer than F10; placodeal sensilla on F5–F11.

Mesosoma longer than high, with white setae. Pronotum delicately coriaceous, with delicate striae along posterior margin, with few setae. Mesoscutum alutaceous, with dense setae; slightly longer than broad (greatest width measured across mesoscutum at level of base of tegulae). Notaulus complete, less impressed in anterior half, with smooth, glabrous bottom, slightly broadened in posterior 1/3, converging posteriorly; anterior parallel and parapsidal lines marked by darker, smooth glabrous areas, anterior parallel line extends to half length of mesoscutum, parapsidal line extends to 2/3 of mesoscutum length; median mesoscutal line absent; circumscutellar carina narrow, reaching notaulus. Mesoscutellum slightly longer than broad, trapezoid, broadened in posterior half, uniformly rugose, with long white setae, rounded posteriorly, overhanging metanotum. Mesoscutellar foveae in the form of a transverse anterior impression, not separated medially, with smooth, glabrous bottom. Mesopleuron coriaceous, with a few delicate transverse parallel striae in anteromedian part, with setae; speculum smooth, glabrous, with setae; mesopleural triangle smooth, glabrous, with dense white setae and very delicate transverse parallel striae; dorsal and lateral axillar areas coriaceous, glabrous, with white setae; subaxillular bar smooth, glabrous, triangular, posterior end as high as height of metanotal trough; metapleural sulcus reaching mesopleuron in mid height, upper part of sulcus distinct. Metascutellum delicately coriaceous, 2.0x as long as high, smooth, glabrous; metanotal trough smooth, glabrous, with few setae; central propodeal area lyre-shaped, smooth, glabrous, without rugae and setae; lateral propodeal carinae bent outwards at mid height; lateral propodeal area smooth, glabrous, with long white dense setae. Nucha with numerous delicate sulci dorsally and laterally. Tarsal claws toothed, with broad basal lobe.

Forewing longer than body, hyaline, with dark brown veins, margin with short dense cilia, with dark brown spot in basal half of open radial cell, which is 2.5× as long as broad, R1 reaching wing margin, Rs nearly reaching wing margin, strongly broadened at anterior end; areolet triangular, well-delimited, Rs+M distinct along entire length, reaching basalis in lower 1/3; dark stripe running underneath of Cu1b and Cu1a.

Metasoma as long as head+mesosoma, saddle-shaped, 2.0× as high as long in lateral view; second metasomal tergite occupying 4/5 length of metasoma in dorsal view, with white setae anterolaterally, without micropunctures, subsequent tergites smooth, glabrous, without micropunctures. Hypopygium without micropunctures, prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium as long as broad in ventral view, with long setae extend far beyond apex of spine. Body length 2.6–2.8 mm (n = 3).

Gall. ( Fig. 286 ). A small (up to 8 mm in height and diameter) unilocular leaf gall on underside of leaves, with a reddish-brown surface covered with grey pubescence. Roughly conical with short stubby spines protruding from near the base of the gall. Also pictured in Fig. 163 of Weld (1960).

Biology. Only an asexual generation is known, which induces leaf galls on Q. turbinella . Galls mature in October-November, adults emerge soon afterwards. The holotype and one paratype were sequenced for cytb and ITS2, showing 0.23% divergence for cytb and identical ITS2 sequences (GenBank OK346295 – OK346296 , OK350657 – OK350658 ) .

Distribution. USA, Arizona, Flagstaff.

Figures

FIGURE 286. Antron lovellae Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., asexual generation, galls

FIGURES 275–280. Antron lovellae Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., asexual generation, female. 275–278, head: 275, frontal view, 276, dorsal view, 277, lateral view, 278, posterior view. 279, antenna. 280, forewing, part.

FIGURES 281–285. Antron lovellae Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., asexual generation, female. 281–282, mesosoma: 281, lateral view, 282, dorsal view. 283, mesoscutellum, dorsal view. 284, metascutellum and propodeum, posterodorsal view. 285, metasoma, lateral view.

FIGURES 159–164. Andricus mellificus Nicholls, Stone & Melika, sp. nov., female: 159–162, head: 159, frontal view, 160, dorsal view, 161, lateral view, 162, posterior view. 163, antenna. 164, forewing, part.