Phanacis ciceki, Azmaz & Katilmiş, 2021

Azmaz, Musa & Katilmiş, Yusuf, 2021, Three new species of herb gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) from Turkey, European Journal of Taxonomy 757, pp. 152-168 : 157-162

Phanacis ciceki sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:47C3578E-5FB8-44EB-A332-03A374F41FAF

Figs 4–5

Diagnosis

Based on the identification key of Melika (2006), together with Phanacis cichorii (Kieffer, 1909) and P. lampsanae (Perris, 1873) form a group of species in which notauli distinctly and deeply impressed along entire length; Rs+M indistinct, weakly pigmented; R1 reaching wing margin and never extending to half-length of radial cell. Most closely related to P. cichorii , but in P. ciceki sp. nov. all antennal flagellomeres with normal light setae; POL 1.5 times as long as OOL and 3.7 times as long as diameter of lateral ocellus; pronotum rugulose and slightly angled from above view; scutum distinctly broader than long, 2.3 times as long as scutellum; coriaceous to alutaceous; scutellar foveae separated by a thick central carina; mesopleuron coriaceous, with smooth to wrinkled in the upper half; R1 extending along wing margin to ⅓ length of radial cell; Rs + M reaching to nearly half-length of distance between areolet and basalis; metasomal tergites all without punctures, while in P. cichorii all flagellomeres with long dark setae; POL 1.8 times as long as OOL and 6.3 times as long as diameter of lateral ocellus; pronotum alutaceous and rounded in view from above; scutum slightly longer than broad, 1.3 times as long as scutellum, reticulate; scutellar foveae confluent; mesopleuron reticulate, with some short-interrupted transverse striae in the upper half; R1 extending along margin on a short distance; Rs + M never reaching to half-length of distance between areolet and basalis; metasomal tergites only T2 without punctures. Although P. ciceki sp. nov. and P. caulicola (Hedicke, 1939) are similar in terms of use of host plant ( Picris sp. ), other diagnostic morphological characters allow the separation of P. ciceki sp. nov. from P. caulicola . In P. ciceki sp. nov., notauli distinctly and deeply impressed along entire length; POL 1.5 times as long as OOL and 3.7 times as long as diameter of lateral ocellus; median mesoscutal line weakly extending to ⅓ of scutum length; R1 reaching wing margin and extending along wing margin to ⅓ length of radial cell; the radial cell of the fore wing around 3.0 times as long as broad, while in P. caulicola notauli distinctly impressed only in posterior half, reaching pronotum but very indistinct, shallow; POL 1.2 times as long as OOL and 3.0 times as long as diameter of lateral ocellus; median mesoscutal line usually long, extending at least to ⅓ of scutum length; R1 indistinct, depigmented; the radial cell of the forewing 2.5 or less times as long as broad. In addition, the gall of P. ciceki sp. nov. develops as an irregular swelling on stem of Picris sp. , while ellipsoid gall of P. caulicola develops on stem of Picris , usually with no external deformations.

Etymology

In honour of Assoc. Prof. Dr Mehmet Çiçek who is an expert botanist.

Type material

Holotype

TURKEY • ♀; Gümüşhane Province, Kelkit, Çağlar ; 40°05′ N, 39°17′ E; 1650 m a.s.l.; ex Picris sp. (Asteraceae) ; M. Azmaz and Y. Katılmış leg.; gall collected 21 Feb. 2018; adult emerged May 2018; PAU.

Paratype

TURKEY • 1 ♀; Gümüşhane Province; same collection data as for holotype; PAU .

Description

Female

LENGTH. 1.8–2.0 mm.

COLOURATION. Head and mesosoma black; mandibles and palpi dark brown; antenna brown, except much lighter pedicel and F1, and scape dark brown. Legs chestnut brown, with darker coxa and proximal tarsomeres. Metasoma chestnut brown, with much darker to black posterior tergites, hypopygium light brown to orange. Wing veins pale brown.

HEAD. Delicately coriaceous to alutaceous, with uniformly sparse white setae, 1.9 times as broad as long from above, 1.15 times as broad as high and slightly broader than mesosoma. Gena alutaceous, not broadened behind eye; not visible behind eye in front view. Malar space 0.7 times as long as height of eye, with short interrupted strong striae, radiating from clypeus and nearly reaching inner margin of eye. POL 1.5 times as long as OOL; 2.4 times as long as LOL and 3.7 times as long as diameter of lateral ocellus. Transfacial distance 1.4–1.5 times as long as height of eye; diameter of antennal torulus 1.5–1.6 times as long as distance between them and 0.9 times as long as distance between torulus and eye margin. Lower face with interrupted striae, radiating from clypeus and nearly reaching eye and antennal sockets, median elevated area very slightly coriaceous. Clypeus alutaceous to smooth, rectangular, 1.5 times as high as broad; with slightly distinct anterior tentorial pits and epistomal sulcus, clypeo-pleurostomal line indistinct, ventrally rounded, slightly projecting over mandibles. Frons, vertex and occiput coriaceous to alutaceous. Postocciput around occipital foramen not impressed, alutaceous.

ANTENNA. 14-segmented; pedicel 1.6 times as long as broad; F1 2.1 times as long as pedicel and 1.5 times as long as F2, F2 slightly shorter than F3; flagellomeres with normal light setae; placodeal sensilla on all flagellomeres.

MESOSOMA. Convex, longer than high in lateral view, with very sparse white setae. Pronotum rugulose and slightly angled from above view, with dense setae along antero-lateral edge. Submedian pronotal pits in form of narrow transverse impressions, without median carina. Scutum distinctly broader than long, 2.3 times as long as scutellum; coriaceous to alutaceous. Notauli distinctly and deeply impressed along entire length; median mesoscutal line weakly extending to ⅓ of scutum length; parapsidal lines narrow, indistinct, reaching tegula level; anterior parallel lines narrow, indistinctly extending to ⅓ of scutum length. Scutellum distinctly broader than long, rounded posteriorly; dull rugose along sides and posteriorly, with more delicate coriaceous sculpture towards centre of disk. Scutellar foveae separated by a thick central carina. Mesopleuron coriaceous, smooth to wrinkled in upper half; mesopleural triangle wrinkled, with white setae. Metapleural sulcus reaching mesopleuron at upper ⅓ of its height; axillula with white setae; subaxillular bar smooth, shining, as broad as height of metanotal trough; metapleuron rugose. Dorsellum smooth, shining, narrow medially. Propodeum rugose, lateral propodeal carinae uniformly thick, subparallel; central propodeal area rugose; lateral propodeal area rugose, with sparse white setae.

FORE WING. Margin with long cilia; R1 reaching wing margin and extending along wing margin to ⅓ length of radial cell; radial cell partially closed, around 3.0 times as long as broad, areolet absent, Rs + M indistinct, weakly pigmented, reaching to nearly half length of distance between areolet and basalis. Tarsal claws without basal lobe.

METASOMA. Longer than high in lateral view; metasomal tergite 2 with a few setae antero-laterally; all tergites and hypopygium without punctures; prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium short, with relatively long white setae.

Male

Unknown.

Biology

Only females are known. The adult wasps are known to induce galls on Picris sp. (Asteraceae) . The only cynipid species previously known to gall this host is P. caulicola . Larvae overwinter in the gall, adults emerge next spring, in May.

Distribution

Only known from Turkey (Gümüşhane).

Gall structure

The gall develops on the stem ( Fig. 6 ), forming a 30–60 mm long irregular swelling. Multilocular. There are small larval cells in the typical form inside the stem, like in many species of Phanacis .

Figures

Fig. 4. Phanacis ciceki sp. nov., ♀. a. Head in anterior view. b. Mesosoma in dorsal view. c. Metasoma in lateral view. d. Pronotum in dorsal view. e. Scutum in dorsal view. f. Scutellum in dorsal view.

Fig. 5. Phanacis ciceki sp. nov., ♀. a. Antenna. b. Head in dorsal view. c. Radial cell of forewing. d. Mesosoma in lateral view. e. Mesopleuron. f. Scutellum in lateral view.

Fig. 6. Phanacis ciceki sp. nov., mature gall on host plant Picris sp. (photos by Y. Katılmış).