Lithosaphonecrus nagalandi Melika, Lobato-Vila & Pujade-Villar, 2021

Melika, George, Ranjith, Avunjikkattu Parambil, Lobato-Vila, Irene, Priyadarsanan, Dharma Rajan & Pujade-Villar, Juli, 2021, A new cynipid inquiline of the genus Lithosaphonecrus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae Synergini) from India, with an updated key to all known species, Zootaxa 5060 (1), pp. 124-136 : 126-132

Lithosaphonecrus nagalandi Melika, Lobato-Vila & Pujade-Villar , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5B71CFA7-C2F0-4E4A-BEEE-5D98394BF1D5

Figs 1–23

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♀: ‘ INDIA: Nagaland, Middle Khomi Village , 25.392 0 N, 94.235 8 E, altitude 1446 asl, in bud gall on Lithocarpus sp. , (17.iii.2021) 24.iii.2021, A.P.Ranjith col.’ (white label) / ‘ Holotype ♀, Lithosaphonecrus nagalandi Melika, Lobato-Vila & Pujade-Villar , sp. nov., desig. A.P. Ranjith-2021’ (red label). PARATYPES: 9 ♂ and 22 ♀ with same data as the holotype .

Etymology. The species is named after Nagaland, the state of India from where the galls, which yielded the new species, were collected. Noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. The new species is morphologically grouped with L. edurus Fang, Melika & Tang, 2020 and L. puigdemonti Pujade-Villar, 2020 for having an absent or incomplete occipital carina (if so, present only above the mid part of the occipital foramen), the posterolateral margin of the gena strongly angled and the parascutal carina extended to the notaulus. However, in L. edurus females syntergite 2+3 is posterodorsally incised (very slightly or not incised in L. nagalandi , sp. nov.), the radial cell of the fore wing is 2.5x as long as broad (about 3.0x as long as broad in L. nagalandi , sp. nov.), the malar space is almost 0.8x the height of eye (0.6x in L. nagalandi , sp. nov.), the transfacial distance is 1.2x as long as the height of the eye (about as long as the height of the eye in L. nagalandi , sp. nov.), the propodeal carinae are parallel (converging ventrally in L. nagalandi , sp. nov.) and the lower face in males is covered with very dense and long white setae (not as dense in L. nagalandi , sp. nov.), among others (see also the key). Lithosaphonecrus nagalandi , sp. nov. is more similar to L. puigdemonti , but in L. puigdemonti head and metasoma are reddish brown or chestnut (black in L. nagalandi , sp. nov.), the radial cell is 2.5x as long as broad (about 3.0x in L. nagalandi , sp. nov.), the propodeal carinae are almost parallel (converging ventrally in L. nagalandi , sp. nov.) and F 11 in females is more than 2.0x as long as F10 (less than 2.0x in L. nagalandi , sp. nov.), among others (see also the key).

Description. FEMALE ( Figs 1–12 , 21 ). Head and mesosoma black; antennae, maxillar and labial palps yellowish; mandibulae (except teeth, which are black) yellowish brown; legs dark brown to black, with slightly lighter tibiae and tarsi; wings with pale venation; metasoma dark chestnut, lighter ventrally.

Head. Lower face, malar space and clypeus with relatively dense white setae; frons, gena, postgena, occiput and vertex with only few scattered setae ( Figs 2–6 ). Head rounded ( Figs 2–3 ), about 1.3x as broad as high in frontal view; slightly broader than mesosoma, 2.4x as broad as long in dorsal view ( Fig. 4 ). Malar space 0.6x as long as height of eye and without malar sulcus. Clypeus small, striate, not impressed, ventrally triangular, not emarginate; epistomal sulcus indistinct, clypeus smoothly joins the central area of the 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 extending into the area between eye and torulus; central elevated area indistinct, with striae reaching toruli. Frons delicately coriaceous to alutaceous, shining, with delicate longitudinal striae running from toruli to central ocellus and with some irregular longitudinal striae running from both sides of toruli and reaching lateral ocelli. Inner margins of eyes converging ventrally. Transfacial distance about as long as height of eye; distance between eye and antennal torulus slightly shorter than diameter of torulus; diameter of torulus 3.2x longer than distance between them. POL 1.5x as long as OOL and about 2.0x as long as LOL; OOL about 1.6x as long as diameter of lateral ocellus; all ocelli slightly ovate and of a similar size ( Fig. 4 ). Vertex and interocellar area delicately rugose ( Fig. 4 ). Occiput shining, reticulate, with some delicate striae, descending nearly vertically, not concave backwards; occipital carina absent. Gena slightly broadened behind eye in frontal view ( Fig. 2–3 ), with delicate striae in anterior half and reticulate in posterior half, separated of postgena by a sharp carina and a broad foveolate, impressed stripe ( Fig. 5 ); dorsally narrower, ventrally broader than width of eye ( Figs 5–6 ).

Antenna ( Fig. 21 ). As long as head+mesosoma, with 11 flagellomeres, pedicel almost 2.0x as long as broad, F1 1.6x as long as F2 and 1.5x as long as pedicel; F2=F3, F4 slightly longer than F3, subsequent flagellomeres subequal, F11 1.8x as long as F10; placodeal sensilla on F5–F11.

Mesosoma. Slightly longer than high in lateral view ( Figs 1, 6 ). Pronotum rounded in dorsal view ( Fig. 7 ); dull rugose; laterally strongly wrinkled ( Figs 5–6 ), area between rugae smooth, shining; lateral pronotal carina short but always present, distinct ( Fig. 6 ). Mesoscutum ( Fig. 7 ) broader than long measuring along anterior edge of tegulae, with very few white setae, denser along pronotum; with irregular and incomplete transverse carinae, interspaces smooth or delicately alutaceous, shining, with some irregular short longitudinal anastomoses between transverse carinae. Notauli complete, reaching pronotum, not or slightly broader posteriorly, with some parallel rugae on smooth, shining bottom. Anterior parallel lines distinct, in a form of darker stripes, extending to 1/5 of mesoscutum length. Parapsidal lines distinct, impressed, smooth, shining, extending to 1/3 of mesoscutum length; distinct parascutal carina reaching notauli; median mesoscutal line short and shallow, almost inconspicuous. Dorsoaxillar and lateroaxillar areas with dense white setae, hiding the surface sculpture. Mesoscutellum ( Fig. 7 ) trapezoid, nearly as long as broad, uniformly dull rugose, with strong irregular wrinkles. Scutellar foveae impressed, separated by a narrow median carina, bottom smooth, shining, with strong parallel longitudinal carinae. Mesopleuron ( Figs 5–6 ) reticulate anteriorly, posteriorly with numerous delicate parallel longitudinal striae. Metapleural triangle with dense white setae, coriaceous ( Figs 5–6 ). Metapleural sulcus reaching mesopleuron in upper 1/4 of its height ( Figs 5–6 ). Propodeum ( Fig. 8 ) delicately rugose, glabrous, with sparse short white setae laterally of central propodeal area; lateral propodeal carinae distinct, uniformly broad, converging posteriorly; central propodeal area smooth, shining, with irregular delicate wrinkles. Metascutellum ( Fig. 8 ) very narrow, shorter than ventral impressed area; metanotal trough smooth, shining, with white setae; propodeal spiracle transversely ovate, with strong raised carina along anterior border. Nucha short, with longitudinal parallel striae dorsally and laterally. Tarsal claws simple, without basal lobe.

Fore wing ( Fig. 12 ). Longer than body, hyaline, with distinct short dense cilia on margin, radial cell around 3.0x as long as broad; R1 and Rs not reaching wing margin; areolet absent; Rs+M very indistinct, its projection reaching basal vein in lower 1/3 of its height.

Metasoma. Slightly longer than head+mesosoma and slightly longer than high in lateral view ( Fig. 9 ). Syntergum 2+3 with very few white setae anterolaterally, smooth, shining, glabrous, posterodorsally slightly or not incised ( Figs 9–10 ), with a distinct band of reticulate sculpture in posterior 1/4, reaching the ventral edge ( Figs 9, 11 ). Subsequent terga invisible under syntergum 2+3, hypopygium with micropunctures; prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium short and slender, as long as broad in ventral view, with few short white setae ventrally ( Fig. 11 ).

Body length ( Fig. 1 ). 1.59–2.27 mm (n = 23).

MALE ( Figs 13–20, 22 ). Similar to female; antenna and legs, including coxae, yellow ( Figs 13 , 22 ); ocelli slightly larger than in female ( Fig. 17 ); antenna with 13 flagellomeres, F1 curved and broadened apically, almost 2.4x as long as F2; F1 slightly longer than F2+F3, F2 being the shortest flagellomere; subsequent flagellomeres longer than F2; F3 slightly shorter than F4, F4 to F13 nearly equal in length; placodeal sensilla from F8 ( Fig. 22 ). Body length 1.40–1.93 mm (n = 9) ( Fig. 13 ).

Biology. Lithosaphonecrus nagalandi sp. nov. was reared from undescribed bud galls ( Fig. 23 ) collected from an undetermined Lithocarpus . Galls were collected in March; adults emerged during the same month. In addition to the inquilines, three different parasitoid species ( Aprostocetus sp. , Bootanomyia sp. and Ormyrus sp. ) emerged from the galls.

Distribution. Currently known only from the state of Nagaland, India.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Lithosaphonecrus nagalandi, sp. nov., female: 1, general habitus, lateral view. 2–4, head: 2, anteroventral view, 3, frontal view, 4, dorsal view. 5–6, head and mesosoma, lateral view.

FIGURES 7–12. Lithosaphonecrus nagalandi, sp. nov., female: 7–8, mesosoma: 7, dorsal view, 8, posterodorsal view. 9–11, metasoma: 9, lateral view, 10, dorsal view, 11, ventral view. 12, fore wing.

FIGURES 13–18. Lithosaphonecrus nagalandi, sp. nov., male: 13, general habitus, lateral view. 14–18, head: 14, anteroventral view, 15, frontal view, 16, lateral view, 17, dorsal view, 18, ventral view.

FIGURES 19–23. Lithosaphonecrus nagalandi, sp. nov., 19–20, male: 19, mesosoma, lateral view, 20, metasoma, lateral view. 21–22, antenna: 21, female, 22, male. 23, galls on Lithocarpus sp., inquiline host tree.