Synergus personatus 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 : 81-84

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

( Figures 31–32 , 42 p–q)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9B812362-9FE3-42A9-821D-777091D2ABBC

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♀ deposited in JP-V coll. ( UB) with the following labels: ‘ MEX: P318 (99 verde), Tunal-El Salto ( San Felipe del Progreso , EDO. MEX.), 19°42’28.403’’N, 99°55’49.353’’W’ (white label) / ‘Ex. Atrusca sp., 2555m, Q. glabrescens , (14.ix.2014) 13.x.2014, Delia leg.’ (white label) / ‘Holotype ♀ Synergus personatus Lobato-Vila & Pujade-Villar , IL-V desig-2020’ (red label). PARATYPES (1ϐ & 3♀) deposited in JP-V coll. ( UB) with the following labels: ‘ MEX: P183, Road Calpulalpan to San Martín km 208 (Calpulalpan, TLAX)’ (white label) / ‘Ex. Atrusca sp., 2794m, Q. microphylla , (31.viii.2012) 10.ix.2012, E. Estrada & A. Equihua leg.’ (white label) / ‘Paratype ♀ Synergus personatus Lobato-Vila & Pujade-Villar , IL-V desig-2020’ (red label) (1♀); ‘ MEX: P317 (92 verde), Tunal-El Salto (San Felipe del Progreso, EDO. MEX.), 19°42’28.403’’N, 99°55’49.353’’W’ (white label) / ‘Ex. Atrusca sp., 2555m, Q. microphylla , (11.viii.2014) 12.x.2014, Delia leg.’ (white label) / ‘ Paratype Synergus personatus Lobato-Vila & Pujade-Villar , IL-V desig-2020’ (red label) (1ϐ & 2♀).

Etymology. From the Latin term ‘ persona’ for mask, regarding the mask-like black coloration of the head of this species.

Diagnosis. Synergus personatus , sp. nov. belongs to a group of species characterized by having the mesopleuron entirely sculptured, including speculum, covered with reticulated wrinkles at least anteriorly; hyaline wings and radial cell of fore wing 2.7–3.0 times as long as wide; gena not broadened behind eye; POL longer than OOL; antenna long and thin, first flagellomeres more than 6.0 times as long as wide and F1 and F2 equal or subequal; lateral pronotum carinated to wrinkled; notauli complete, reaching the posterior margin of pronotum; circumscutellar carina weak; tarsal claws bidentate; first metasomal segment completely sulcate dorsally and laterally; syntergum posteriorly with a band of micropunctures extended at most 1/3 of its length; and basal half of lower face and basal half of gena yellow to yellowish orange, the rest of the head, black. Synergus personatus , sp. nov. is morphologically close to S. rufinotaulis (see below), from which differs by having mesopleuron finely, regularly and densely striated, somewhat reticulated anteriorly, interspaces smooth, glabrous and shining ( Fig. 32g ) (with reticulate wrinkles and coriaceous interspaces covering all of the surface in S. rufinotaulis ); transfacial line 1.1–1.2 times as long as height of eye ( Fig. 32a ) (slightly shorter that height of eye in S. rufinotaulis ); frons and vertex coriaceous, vertex with some small piliferous punctures and weak wrinkles ( Fig. 32 a–b) (with reticulated wrinkles in S. rufinotaulis ); and areolet of fore wing visible ( Fig. 32f ) (small to inconspicuous in S. rufinotaulis ).

Description

FEMALE. Length. Body length 2.5–3.0 mm (n = 6).

Color ( Fig. 31 ). Body black and yellow. Lower half of face and lower half of gena, yellow, the rest of the head, black; rarely, gena completely yellow. Antenna yellowish brown, the distal half usually lighter. Mesosoma almost completely black, but lateral margins of pronotum, base of notauli and margins of mesoscutellum, usually orange; tegulae pale yellow. Metasoma black dorsally, yellow laterally and ventrally. Legs yellow, except metacoxae basally, which are black; tarsi infuscate. Wings hyaline, veins yellow.

Head. In frontal view ( Fig. 32a ) trapezoid to subquadrate, about 1.2 times as wide as high, gena not broadened behind eye. Face faintly pubescent, lower face with well-marked and spaced, regular striae radiating from clypeus, reaching eyes and toruli; medial striae also present, but weaker. Clypeus indistinct, ventral margin almost straight, not projected over mandibles. Malar space 0.6 times as long as height of eye. Anterior tentorial pits visible; pleurostomal and epistomal sulcus absent. Transfacial line 1.2 times as long as height of eye. Toruli situated mid-height of eyes; distance between torulus and eye shorter than diameter of toruli; distance between toruli shorter than diameter of toruli. Frons coriaceous, without punctures; frontal carinae branched in their whole length and reaching lateral ocelli. Head in dorsal view ( Fig. 32b ) is about 2.2 times as wide as long. Vertex finely coriaceous, with some weak wrinkles and punctures. POL: OOL: LOL = 7.5: 5.5: 3, and diameter of lateral ocelli, 3. Occiput finely coriaceous, with some weak wrinkles.

Antenna ( Fig. 32c ). 14-segmented (7: 3.5: 13: 13: 12: 11.5: 10: 9: 8: 6: 5.5: 5: 4.5: 7); filiform and thin, long, not broadened apically; pubescence dense and short; placodeal sensilla visible on flagellar segments F2–F12. Pedicel about as long as wide; F1 as long as F2, F2 slightly longer than F3. Last flagellar segment about 3.5 times as long as wide and 1.6 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. 32g ). Ratio of length of pronotum medially/laterally: 0.3. Pronotal plate only defined anteriorly, not reaching the pronotal margin. Lateral pronotum very weakly carinated and somewhat wrinkled dorsally; lateral carina absent, pronotum rounded seen from above. Mesoscutum ( Fig. 32i ) about 1.2 times as wide as long, coriaceous with very weak transversal elements not forming true carinae, especially posteriorly; anterior parallel lines weakly impressed, reaching about 1/3 of the mesoscutal length; notauli complete; narrower, less impressed and somewhat interrupted by the sculpture anteriorly, wider and convergent posteriorly; median mesoscutal line short, just appearing as a small incision; parapsidal lines shallow, surpassing tegulae. Mesoscutellum ( Fig. 32i ) rounded, about as long as wide, strongly wrinkled, interspaces coriaceous; circumscutellar carina weak, but visible; scutellar foveae ovate, smooth, well defined and impressed, and separated by a narrow carina. Mesopleuron ( Fig. 32g ) finely, regularly and densely striated, somewhat reticulated anteriorly, interspaces smooth, glabrous and shining; slightly pubescent basally. Metapleural sulcus reaches ¾ parts of mesopleural height. Propodeum ( Fig. 32d ) alutaceous and densely pubescent; propodeal carinae narrow, straight and convergent posteriorly. Nucha weakly sulcate dorsally and laterally.

Legs. Tarsal claws with a basal lobe ( Fig. 32e ).

Wings. Fore wing pubescent with short marginal setae, longer than body length ( Fig. 31 ). Radial cell closed, about 3.0 times as long as wide; areolet large, but only posterior vein well pigmented ( Fig. 32f ). Rs+M inconspicuous, not reaching the basal vein. Basal cell with sparsely spaced setae.

Metasoma. About as long as head plus mesosoma and about 1.2 times as long as high in lateral view ( Fig. 32h ). First metasomal segment sulcate dorsally and laterally. Syntergum smooth. with an anterolateral pubescence composed of a few setae and posteriorly with a complete wide band of micropunctures reaching about 1/3 of its length ( Fig. 32h , dot line), less widespread dorsally ( Fig. 32j , dot line); dorsodistally incised ( Fig. 32j ), not pointed; following segments minutely punctate. Hypopygial spine about as long as wide and with a few lateral setae; without apical setae.

MALE. Similar to female, except for the following: body length 2.5 mm (n = 1). Transfacial line 1.1 times as long as height of eye. Metasoma shorter than head plus mesosoma. Lower face medially black, with the black surface reaching the margin of clypeus; all coxae dark basally; metasoma completely dark chestnut to black. Antenna are broken, so we do not know how many flagellomeres do they have.

Distribution. Mexico. México and Tlaxcala.

Biology. Reared from galls of undetermined species of Atrusca ( Fig. 42 p–q) on Q. microphylla and Q. glabrescens .

Figures

FIGURE 31. Lateral habitus of Synergus personatus Lobato-Vila & Pujade-Villar, sp. nov. (female).

FIGURE 32. Synergus personatus Lobato-Vila & Pujade-Villar, sp. nov. (female): a) head in frontal view; b) head in dorsal view; c) antenna; d) propodeum; e) tarsal claw; f) radial cell of the fore wing; g) mesosoma in lateral view; h) metasoma in lateral view; i) mesosoma in dorsal view; j) metasoma in dorsal view.

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).