Synergus ebenus Lobato-Vila & Pujade-Villar, 2021

Lobato-Vila, Irene & Pujade-Villar, Juli, 2021, The genus Synergus Hartig (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Synergini) in the New World: a complete taxonomic revision with a key to species, Zootaxa 4906 (1), pp. 1-121 : 48-51

Synergus ebenus Lobato-Vila & Pujade-Villar , sp. nov.

( Figures 17–18 , 42 h–j)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1AF52AE5-6E3B-40E5-B806-83C7F22A6B8D

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♀ deposited in JP-V coll. ( UB) with the following labels: ‘ MEX: P313 (82 rosa), San Juan de Coajomulco ( Jocotitlán , EDO. MEX.), 19°45’11.16’’N, 99°58’6.959’’W’ (white label) / ‘Ex. Femuros repandae, 2630m , Q. obtusata , (16.iv.2014) 27.vi.2014, Delia leg.’ (white label) / ‘Holotype ♀ Synergus ebenus Lobato-Vila & Pujade-Villar , IL-V desig-2020’ (red label). PARATYPES (11♂ & 54♀) with the following labels: same as the holotype: 4♂ & 22♀ (1♂ & 3♀ deposited in USNM; the rest deposited in JP-V coll.); ‘ MEX: P187, Ctra. Federal Perote-Puebla (Perote, VER), 19°32’30”N, 97°16’23”W’ (white label) / ‘Ex. Femuros nr repandae, 2410m , Quercus sp., (28.ix.2012) 15.x.2012, E. Estrada & A. Equihua leg.’ (white label) / ‘Paratype Synergus ebenus Lobato-Vila & Pujade-Villar , IL-V desig-2020’ (red label) (2♂ & 9♀; deposited in JP-V coll.); ‘ MEX: P227, Bosques de Santa Fe (Cuajimalpa, CDMX), 19°21’14”N, 99°16’24.22”W’ (white label) / ‘Ex. Femuros nr repandae, 1585m , Q. laeta , (21.vi.2013) vii.2013, JP-V leg.’ (white label) / ‘Paratype Synergus ebenus Lobato-Vila & Pujade-Villar , IL-V desig-2020’ (red label) (8♀; deposited in JP-V coll.); MEX: 255 (65 rosa), same MEX: P313, but (18.i.2014) 22.ii-02.iv.2014: 5♀ (deposited in JP-V coll.); MEX: 256 (63 rosa), same as MEX: 255, but Q. rugosa , (22.xi.2013) 23.i-03.iii.2014: 2♂ & 4♀ (deposited in JP-V coll.); MEX: P314 (9 rosa), same as MEX: P313, but Andricus sp., (16.x.2013) 26.iii.2014: 1♀ (deposited in JP-V coll.); MEX: 32 rosa, same as MEX: P313 and P314, but Ex. Neuroterus sp., (16.x.2013) 18.viii.2014: 1♀ (deposited in JP-V coll.); ‘ MEX: 2797, Bosques de Santa Fe (Cuajimalpa, CDMX), 19°21’14”N, 99°16’24.22”W’ (white label) / ‘Ex. Femuros nr repandae, 1585m , Q. laeta , (27.v.2017) vi.2017, D. Cibrián leg.’ (white label) / ‘Paratype Synergus ebenus Lobato-Vila & Pujade-Villar , IL-V desig-2020’ (red label) (1♂ & 3♀ deposited in UB; 2♂ & 1♀ deposited in UACh).

Etymology. From the Latin term ‘ ebenus’ for ebony (deep black color).

Diagnosis. Synergus ebenus , sp. nov. belongs to a group of species characterized by having the mesopleuron entirely sculptured, covered with fine, regular and dense transversal striae, the speculum medially finely aciculate to almost smooth; hyaline wings and radial cell of fore wing at least 2.5 times as long as wide; gena not broadened behind eye; frons and vertex finely coriaceous with some small punctures, sometimes also with very weak wrinkles, and frontal carinae absent; F1 at least 1.3 times as long as F 2 in females, almost 2.0 times in males; mesoscutum coriaceous, imbricated or weakly and densely transversely carinated; notauli incomplete, not reaching the posterior margin of pronotum; scutellar foveae visible and traceable, either well defined or shallow; first metasomal segment completely sulcate dorsally and laterally; syntergum with a posterodorsal patch of micropunctures; in both sexes, body entirely or almost entirely black. Synergus ebenus , sp. nov. keys out near S. ruficephalus sp. nov. (see below), from which differs by having the body entirely blackish in both sexes ( Fig. 19 a–b) (females with head mostly orange, the rest of the body blackish ( Fig. 35a ), and males not as dark, mesosoma black with yellowish orange surfaces ( Fig. 35b ) in S. ruficephalus sp. nov.); transfacial line as long as height of eye ( Fig. 18a ) (1.2 in S. ruficephalus sp. nov., Fig. 36a ); F1 1.3 times as long as F 2 in females ( Fig. 18c ), almost 2.0 times in males ( Fig. 18d ) (2.0 in both sexes of S. ruficephalus sp. nov., Fig. 36 d–e); mesoscutum and mesoscutellum coriaceous and circumscutellar carina well defined ( Fig. 18j ) (mesoscutum and mesoscutellum weakly but densely transversely carinated and circumscutellar carina weak in S. ruficephalus sp. nov., Fig. 36l ); radial cell of fore wing 2.5 times as long as wide ( Fig. 18g ) (3.0 in S. ruficephalus sp. nov., Fig. 36h ); and female syntergum not dorsodistally incised ( Fig. 18i , k–l) (incised in S. ruficephalus sp. nov., Fig. 36m ), among others (see the identification key).

Description

FEMALE. Length. Body length 2.0–3.0 mm (n = 25).

Color ( Fig. 17a ). Body black. Head completely black, except the body of mandibulae and, sometimes, a small brownish orange surface at each side of the oral fovea. Antenna testaceous, the tip somewhat darker. Mesosoma black; tegulae yellowish orange. Metasoma chestnut or black. Legs yellow with coxae, basal half of femorae, distal half of metatibiae and metatarsi, dark brown to black. Wings hyaline, veins yellow.

Head. In frontal view ( Fig. 18a ) subtrapezoid to rounded, about 1.1 times as wide as high, gena not broadened behind eye. Face faintly pubescent, lower face with dense regular striae radiating from clypeus, reaching eyes and toruli; medial striae present. Clypeus indistinct, ventral margin straight, not projected over mandibles. Malar space about 0.6 times as long as height of eye. Anterior tentorial pits small, inconspicuous; pleurostomal and epistomal sulcus absent. Transfacial line about as long as height of eye. Toruli situated slightly under mid-height of eyes; distance between torulus and eye slightly shorter than diameter of toruli; distance between toruli slightly shorter than diameter of toruli. Frons finely coriaceous, with very few small piliferous punctures; frontal carinae absent, even though frons is covered by multiple fine discontinuous striae that run from the lower face and surpass toruli, then issue from the dorsal margin of toruli and almost reach lateral ocelli. Head in dorsal view ( Fig. 18b ) is 2.1 times as wide as long. Vertex finely coriaceous, with some small piliferous punctures. POL: OOL: LOL = 6.5: 3.5: 3 and diameter of lateral ocelli, 2.5. Occiput finely coriaceous, with very few small piliferous punctures.

Antenna ( Fig. 18c ). 14-segmented (6: 4: 6.5: 5: 5: 5: 5: 4.5: 4.5: 4: 4: 3.5: 3: 5); filiform, not broadened apically; pubescence dense and short; placodeal sensilla visible on flagellar segments F1–F12. Pedicel about 2.0 times as long as wide; F1 1.3 times as long as F2, F2 as long as F3. Last flagellar segment about 3.3 times as long as wide and 1.7 times as long as F11.

Mesosoma. About 1.1 times as long as high in lateral view including nucha, with short and not dense pubescence ( Fig. 18h ). Ratio of length of pronotum medially/laterally: 0.25. Pronotal plate only defined anteriorly, not reaching the pronotal margin. Lateral pronotum coriaceous, somewhat imbricate ventrally; lateral carina absent, pronotum rounded seen from above. Mesoscutum ( Fig. 18j ) about 1.3 times as wide as long, coriaceous with scarce small piliferous punctures; anterior parallel lines shallow but visible, extended about 1/4 of the mesoscutal length; notauli incomplete, faint in the anterior 1/3, narrow and shallow, interrupted by the mesoscutal sculpture anteriorly; median mesoscutal line absent or just appearing as a small triangular incision; parapsidal lines shallowly impressed, narrow, reaching tegulae. Mesoscutellum ( Fig. 18j ) rounded, slightly longer than wide, coriaceous; circumscutellar carina visible and well defined, weakly projected and upturned; scutellar foveae subtriangular to ovate, very shallow and not well defined, weakly sculptured bottom and separated by a narrow carina. Mesopleuron ( Fig. 18h ) very finely sculptured, with regular and weakly impressed transverse striae covering all of the surface except the speculum medially, which is from finely aciculate to almost smooth; very slightly pubescent basally. Metapleural sulcus reaches 4/5 parts of mesopleural height. Propodeum ( Fig. 18e ) weakly sculptured and not densely pubescent; propodeal carinae straight and parallel; between the two carinae sometimes appears another weak carinae. Nucha weakly sulcate dorsally and laterally.

Legs. Tarsal claws with a small basal lobe ( Fig. 18f ).

Wings. Fore wing pubescent with short marginal setae, about as long as body length ( Fig. 19a ). Radial cell closed, about 2.5 times as long as wide; areolet visible, but only the posterior vein is well pigmented ( Fig. 18g ). Rs+M inconspicuous, not reaching the basal vein. Basal cell with sparsely spaced setae.

Metasoma. Longer than head plus mesosoma, 1.5 times as long as high in lateral view ( Figs 17a , 18i ). First metasomal segment sulcate dorsally and laterally. Syntergum smooth with an anterolateral pubescence composed of very few setae and posterodorsally with a very small and almost inconspicuous patch of micropunctures ( Fig. 18k, l ); not dorsodistally incised ( Fig. 18k, l ), pointed. Hypopygial spine about as long as wide and with a few lateral setae; without apical setae.

MALE ( Fig. 17b ). Similar to female, except for the following: body length 1.6–2.1 mm (n = 5). Antenna 15- segmented (6: 4: 10: 5: 5: 5: 4.5: 4: 4: 3.5: 3.5: 3: 3: 3: 5); F1 almost 2.0 times as long as F2; F1 long, slightly curved and medially incised, not broadened apically nor basally ( Fig. 18d ). POL: OOL: LOL = 7: 3: 3, diameter of lateral ocelli, 2. Metasoma shorter than head plus mesosoma.

Distribution. Mexico: Ciudad de México, México, and Veracruz.

Biology. Reared from galls of Femuros repandae Kinsey, 1937 ( Fig. 42i ) on twigs of Q. obtusata and Q. rugosa Née ; from galls of Femuros nr repandae ( Fig. 42h ) on Q. laeta and an undetermined species of Quercus ; and from galls of Neuroterus sp. on leaves and Andricus sp. ( Fig. 42j ) on twigs of Q. obtusata .

Figures

FIGURE 17. Synergus ebenus Lobato-Vila & Pujade-Villar, sp. nov.: a) female lateral habitus; b) male lateral habitus.

FIGURE 18. Synergus ebenus Lobato-Vila & Pujade-Villar, sp. nov. Female: a) head in frontal view; b) head in dorsal view; c) head in lateral view and antenna; e) propodeum; f) tarsal claw; g) radial cell of the fore wing; h) mesosoma in lateral view; i) metasoma in lateral view; j) mesosoma in dorsal view; k) metasoma in dorsal view; l) detail of the syntergum punctuation. Male: d) detail of the first antennal segments.

FIGURE 19. Synergus erinacei (lectotype, USNMENT 00802049): a) lateral habitus; b) dorsal habitus; c) head in frontal view.

FIGURE 35. Synergus ruficephalus Lobato-Vila & Pujade-Villar, sp. nov.: a) female lateral habitus; b) male lateral habitus.

FIGURE 36. Synergus ruficephalus Lobato-Vila & Pujade-Villar, sp. nov.. Female: a) head in frontal view; b) head in dorsal view; c) antenna; e) detail of the first antennal segments; f) propodeum; g) tarsal claw; h) radial cell of the fore wing; i) mesosoma in lateral view; j) metasoma in lateral view; k) detail of the syntergum punctuation; l) mesosoma in dorsal view; m) metasoma in dorsal view. Male: d) detail of the first antennal segments.

FIGURE 42. a) Andricus sp. (Ref.: MEX: P141); b) Andricus sp. (Ref.: MEX: P230); c) Melikaiella bicolor (Ref.: MEX: 044, 049, P026, P071); d) Sphaeroteras sp. (Ref.: MEX: P024); e) Undetermined genus (Ref.: MEX: P184); f) Neuroterus sp. (Ref.: MEX: P386, P388); g) Disholcaspis sp. (Ref: MEX: P398); h) Femuros nr repandae (Ref.: P187, P227, 2797); i) Femuros repandae (Ref.: MEX: P313, 255, 256); j) Andricus sp. (Ref.: MEX: P314); k) Disholcaspis sp. (Ref.: MEX: P140); l) Undetermined genus (Ref.: MEX: P259); m) Neuroterus sp. (Ref.: MEX: P381); n) Loxaulus hyalinus (Ref.: MEX: 333); o) Undetermined genus (Ref.: Clark-49); p) Atrusca sp. (Ref.: P317, P318); q) Atrusca sp. (Ref.: MEX: P183); r) Andricus sp. (Ref.: MEX: P394); s) Andricus sp. (Ref.: MEX: P038).