Ufo cerroneuroteri Tang & Melika

Melika, George, Tang, Chang-Ti, Yang, Man-Miao, Bihari, Péter, Bozsó, Miklós & Pénzes, Zsolt, 2012, New species of cynipid inquilines of the genus Ufo Melika & Pujade-Villar, 2005 (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Synergini), Zootaxa 3478, pp. 143-163 : 147-150

Ufo cerroneuroteri Tang & Melika , new species

Figs 1–17

Type material. HOLOTYPE female: TAIWAN, Hsinchu Co., Nieuguling, Hsinfong Township, aspirated from Quercus variabilis , 03.XI.2009, 24°52’50.12”N, 120°58’20.54”E, 81m a.s.l., leg. Chang-Ti Tang. Twenty-eight female and 7 male PARATYPES: 2 females and 2 males: TAIWAN, Hsinchu Co., Nieuguling, Hsinfong Township, aspirated from Quercus variabilis , 03.XII.2009, 24°52’50.12”N, 120°58’20.54”E, 81m a.s.l., leg. Chang-Ti Tang; 2 females and 1 males: TAIWAN, Hsinchu Co., Nieuguling, Hsinfong Township, ex Cerroneuroterus vonkuenburgi , asex. galls on Quercus variabilis , 24°52’50.12”N, 120°58’20.54”E, 81m a.s.l., gall collected 02.X.2009, adult emerged 25.X.2009, leg. Chang-Ti Tang; 3 females and 3 males: TAIWAN, Hsinchu Co., Nieuguling, Hsinfong Township, ex Cerroneuroterus vonkuenburgi , asex. galls on Quercus variabilis , 24°52’50.12”N, 120°58’20.54”E, 81m a.s.l., gall collected 17.XII.2009 (TWT279),adult emerged 26.XII.2009, leg. Chang-Ti Tang; 17 females and 1 male: TAIWAN, Hsinchu Co., Nieuguling, Hsinfong Township, ex Cerroneuroterus vonkuenburgi , asex. galls on Quercus variabilis , 24°52’50.12”N, 120°58’20.54”E, 81m a.s.l., gall collected 28.XI.2009, adult emerged 21.XII.2009, leg. Chang-Ti Tang; 1 female: TAIWAN, Nantou Co., Cing Jing Farm, Renai Township, ex Cerroneuroterus vonkuenburgi , asex. galls on Quercus variabilis , 24°01’59.2”N, 121°09’13.0”E, 1566m a.s.l., gall collected 11.XII.2011, adult emerged 11.I.2012, leg. Chang-Ti Tang; 1 female: TAIWAN, Nantou Co., Cing Jing Farm, Renai Township, ex Cerroneuroterus vonkuenburgi , asex. galls on Quercus variabilis , 24°01’59.2”N, 121°09’13.0”E, 1566m a.s.l., gall collected 10.I.2012, adult emerged 6.II.2012, leg. Chang-Ti Tang; 1 female: TAIWAN, Taoyuan Co., Baling bridge, Fuhsing Township, ex Cerroneuroterus vonkuenburgi , asex. galls on Quercus variabilis , 24°40’56.12”N, 121°22’44.53”E, 577m a.s.l., gall collected 02.I.2012, adult emerged 24.I.2012, leg. Chang-Ti Tang; 1 female: TAIWAN, Taoyuan Co., Baling bridge, Fuhsing Township, ex Cerroneuroterus vonkuenburgi , asex. galls on Quercus variabilis , 24°40’56.12”N, 121°22’44.53”E, 577m a.s.l., gall collected 02.I.2012, adult emerged 31.I.2012, leg. Chang-Ti Tang

The female holotype, 8 female and 3 male paratypes are deposited in NMNS, 12 female and 3 male paratypes in BPDL, 2 female and 1 male paratypes in USNM, 6 female paratypes in NCHU.

Other material. 31 females and 25 males: TAIWAN (TWT279, 280, 281), Hsinchu County, Hsinfong Township, 08–27.XII.2009; ex Cerroneuroterus vonkuenburgi , asex. galls, leg. Chang-Ti Tang.

Etymology. The species is named after the host, Cerroneuroterus spp. ( Cynipini ), from whose galls the adults of the new species emerged.

Diagnosis. Most closely resembles U. nipponicus and U. koreanus : in U. cerroneuroteri notauli are complete ( Fig. 12 ) (incomplete in U. nipponicus , Fig. 26 and U. koreanus , Fig. 45 ); the 2nd metasomal tergite strongly incised posterodorsally ( Fig. 16 ) (straight, not incised in U. nipponicus , Fig. 29 and U. koreanus , Fig. 47 ).

Description. FEMALE. Head and mesosoma black or very dark brown; antennae light brown, mouthparts, maxillar and labial palps yellowish; legs yellowish brown with darker coxae; wings with very pale venation; 1st metasomal tergite always black, rest of metasoma dark brown to reddish brown.

Head smooth, glabrous, with some parts alutaceous. Lower face, malar space and clypeus with relatively dense white setae, row of setae present along inner margin of eye; frons with only few scattered setae; gena behind eye, postgena occiput and vertex with few setae; posterior areas aside hypostomata with dense setae. Head trapezoid, 1.4´broader than high in frontal view; slightly broader than mesosoma, 2.5´broader than long in dorsal view. Height of eye 1.5–1.7´higher than length of malar space. Malar space without malar sulcus, with delicate striae radiating from clypeus and reaching eye. Clypeus very small, alutaceous, slightly impressed, ventrally straight, not emarginate; epistomal sulcus indistinct and clypeus smoothly joins central area of lower face; anterior tentorial pits small and indistinct; clypeo-pleurostomal line indistinct. Lower face with distinct striae radiating from clypeus and extending to lower level of toruli and eyes; central elevated area narrow, alutaceous, without striae. Frons uniformly alutaceous to microreticulate, with scattered piliferous points (micropunctures). Transfacial distance 1.1´longer than height of eye; distance between inner margin of eye and antennal torulus slightly shorter than diameter of torulus; diameter of torulus 1.2´longer than distance between toruli. POL 3.6´longer than OOL and 2.2´longer than LOL; OOL 1.3´longer than length of lateral ocellus; posterior edge of median ocellus lies on a line between anterior edges of lateral ocelli. Vertex very narrow, smooth, shiny. Occiput smooth, shiny, descending nearly vertically, not concave backwards; occipital carina absent. Gena not broadened behind eye in anterior view, smooth, delicately alutaceous, with some setae. Postgena smooth, shiny. Postgenal bridge reduced to long, narrow median strip; postgenal sulci united well before reaching hypostomata; posterior tentorial pits distinct, area around occipital foramen well-impressed, smooth, shiny. Antenna with 11 flagellomeres, pedicel 1.8´longer than broad, F1 1.35´longer than F2 and 2.1´longer than pedicel; F2=F3, F11 nearly 2.0´longer than F10; placoid sensillae on F2–F11.

Mesosoma 1.4´longer than high in lateral view. Side of pronotum rectangular in dorsal view, anterior and lateral sides form a right angle; pronotum descending vertically to propleura; lateral part of pronotum descending from dorsal part nearly at right angle; strong pronotal carina divides lateral from frontal part, which oriented almost at right angle to each other; pronotum coriaceous, laterally with some striae, area between them weakly coriaceous or almost smooth, shiny. Propleuron alutaceous with some transverse striae in lower half. Mesoscutum slightly longer than broad measuring along anterior edge of tegulae, with white setae, denser between notauli; uniformly densely micropunctured, area between them delicately coriaceous. Notaulus complete, reaching pronotum, slightly broadened posteriorly, with smooth shiny bottom. Anterior parallel lines very indistinct, present in anterior 1/4 of mesoscutum, indicated by smooth glabrous surface. Parapsidal lines very narrow, extending to half length of mesoscutum; distinct parascutal carina present only along tegula; median mesoscutal line in a form of very short triangle posteriorly or invisible. Dorsoaxillar area very finely coriaceous, shiny, with micropunctures; lateroaxillar area joins dorsoaxillar area at acute angle. Mesoscutellum 1.4´longer than broad in dorsal view, emarginate and rugose laterally and posteriorly, uniformly delicately coriaceous centrally. Scutellar foveae transverse with smooth bottom, separated by distinct median carina. Mesopleuron smooth, shiny, with parallel longitudinal striae, especially in central and posterodorsal parts. Metapleural sulcus reaches mesopleuron in most upper 1/4 of its height. Propodeum smooth, glabrous, with sparse short white setae laterally of central propodeal area; lateral propodeal carinae distinct, uniformly thin, slightly curved outwards in mid-height; central propodeal area delicately coriaceous, without striae. Metascutellum indistinct, much shorter than ventral impressed area; metanotal trough smooth, shiny, without setae; propodeal spiracle transversely ovate, with strong raised carina along anterior border. Nucha black, with longitudinal parallel ridges.

Forewing veins very pale, hardly traceable; margin with long cilia; radial cell opened, 2.8–3.0´as long as broad; Rs and R1 straight, areolet absent. Legs with short white setae, tarsal claws with distinct basal lobe.

Metasoma longer than head+mesosoma and slightly longer than high in lateral view. Second metasomal tergite with few white setae anterolaterally, smooth, shiny, glabrous; posterodorsally strongly incised. Subsequent tergites and hypopygium micropunctate; prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium very short and slender, with very few short white setae ventrally. Body length 1.7–2.2 mm (n =15).

MALE. Similar to female but head more rounded in frontal view; antenna with 12 flagellomeres, F1 slightly curved and broadened apically, 1.6´longer than F2; placoid sensillae on F3–F11. Body length 1.5–1.8 mm (n = 6).

Biology. This species was reared exclusively from the spangle galls of the asexual generation of Cerroneuroterus vonkuenburgi (Dettmer) ( Fig. 48 ) on Quercus variabilis Blume. Galls were collected in October – December, the adult inquilines emerged during November–December.

Distribution. Currently known only from Taiwan in Nantou County, Hsinchu County, and Taoyuan County.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 9. Ufo cerroneuroteri, new species: 1 – 4, head, female: 1, anterior view, 2, dorsal view, 3, posterior view. 4, lateral view, 5 – 7, head, male: 5, anterior view, 6, dorsal view, 7, posterior view. 8 – 9, antenna: 8, female, 9, male.

FIGURES 10 – 17. Ufo cerroneuroteri, new species: 10 – 16, female: 10, pronotum and propleuron, anterior view, 11, mesosoma, lateral view, 12, mesoscutum, dorsal view, 13, mesoscutellum, dorsal view, 14, metascutellum and propodeum, posterodorsal view, 15, tarsal claw, 16, metasoma, female, lateral view. 17, metasoma, male, lateral view.

FIGURES 23 – 29. Ufo nipponicus, new species, female: 23, mesosoma, lateral view, 24, pronotum, anterior view, 25, propleuron, anterior view, 26, mesoscutum, dorsal view, 27, mesoscutellum, dorsal view, 29, metascutellum and propodeum, posterodorsal view, 29, metasoma, lateral view.

FIGURES 40 – 47. Ufo koreanus Melika, Pujade-Villar & Choi, female: 40 – 41, head: 40, anterior view, 41, dorsal view. 42, antenna. 43, mesosoma, lateral view, 44, mesoscutum, dorsal view, 45, mesoscutellum, dorsal view, 46, mesosoma, ventral view, 47, metasoma, lateral view.

FIGURES 48 – 52. Host oak galls of Ufo spp.: 48, Cerroneuroterus vonkuenburgi, asexual galls, 49, C. monzeni, asexual galls, 50, C. nawai, asexual galls, 51, Trichagalma acutissimae, asexual galls, 52, Andricus kunugifoliae, asexual galls (photos by G. Csóka).