Feron tetyanae Melika, 2023

Cuesta-Porta, Victor, Melika, George, Nicholls, James A., Stone, Graham N. & Pujade-Villar, Juli, 2023, Re-establishment of the Nearctic oak cynipid gall wasp genus Feron Kinsey, 1937 (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini), including the description of six new species, Zootaxa 5366 (1), pp. 1-174 : 139-143

Feron tetyanae Melika sp. nov.

Figs 409–428

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:89FB0D61-C6EF-47AF-9CF7-C96AC3520F57

Type material. HOLOTYPE asexual female “ USA, AZ, 25miles S of Flagstaff on I17, galltype 40b, ex Q. turbinella, AZ 422; coll. 2007.10.31., leg. J.A. Nicholls ” . PARATYPES (86 asexual females): 19 females “ USA, AZ, 25miles S of Flagstaff on I17, galltype 40b, ex Q. turbinella, AZ 422; coll. 2007.10.31., leg. J.A. Nicholls ” ; 3 females “ USA, AZ, Chiricahua Mtns nr Portal, ex Q. turbinella, AZ 500, AZ501 , AZ509 ; coll. 2007.10.31., leg. J.A. Nicholls ” ; 65 females “ USA, AZ, Chiricahua Mtns summit, ex Q. turbinella, AZ 552, AZ581 , AZ527 ; coll. 2007.10.26., leg. J.A. Nicholls ”. The holotype and five paratypes deposited at the USNM , 71 paratypes deposited in the PHDNRL and 10 paratypes in UB (Barcelona) .

Etymology. Species is dedicated to Tetyana Melika,wife of the second author, for her unconditional understanding and many years support for his studies of world Cynipidae .

Diagnosis. Asexual females are in the group of Feron species characterised by never having the body black; head transversely ovate in frontal view; the gena at least slightly broadened behind the eye; ocelli are not elevated above the frons; inner margins of eyes parallel or very slightly converging ventrally, the transfacial distance is longer than the height of eye; antenna with 12 flagellomeres, sometimes suture between F11 and F12 incomplete; toruli are located above the mid-height of eyes; the eye is less than 3.0× as high as the length of the malar space; lateral ocelli smaller, OOL at least 2.5× as long as the diameter of the ocellus, if shorter then the head and mesosoma are not yellowish or light brown; the pronotum laterally with longitudinal carinae; the mesoscutum alutaceous to coriaceous, rugose-reticulate, reticulate, without piliferous points and the mesopleuron is entirely smooth; as in F. caepula (asex), F. rucklei (asex), F. scutellum (asex), F. stellare (asex) and some F. tibiale (asex). Differs from F. caepula , F. rucklei , F. scutellum and F. stellare in having the slightly elevated median area of the lower face alutaceous to delicately coriaceous, matte, and the mesoscutellar foveae are fused or divided by an incomplete triangular coriaceous elevated area. Feron tetyanae belongs to the morphological species group comprising F. serranoae (asex), F. tecturnarum (asex) and some F. tibiale (asex). The most similar species is the asexual form of F. tecturnarum and both differ from F. tibiale in the chestnut or rusty brown body colour, frons not bulging, POL at least 1.4× as long as OOL, the genae not broadened behind the eyes, the mesoscutellar disk smooth or finely rugose and radial cell 3.7× as long as broad, while the F. tibiale within this group are yellowish or light brown, with the frons bulging, POL subequal to OOL, genae broadened behind the eyes, the mesoscutellar disk reticulate-coriaceous and radial cell 4.8× as long as broad. Feron tetyanae differs from F. tecturnarum in the chestnut brown body with the head darker than mesosoma in frontal view, the frons is coarsely coriaceous and the mesoscutellar foveae are divided by a fine carina while in F. tecturnarum the body is uniformly rusty brown, the head of the same colour as the rest of the body, without dark marks, the frons is finely alutaceous, mesoscutellar foveae divided by a triangular elevated coriaceous central carina.

Description. Asexual female ( Figs 409–427 ). Head, mesosoma, metasoma chestnut brown, head always darker than mesosoma; antennae slightly lighter; mouthparts, legs lighter, with darker coxae. In some specimens antennae darker towards apical end; mesosoma in between notauli in anterior half dark brown to black and black stripes present along parapsidal lines.

Head slightly transverse, ovate in frontal view, broadest part level with halfway up eye, with sparse setae, denser on lower face; 2.2× as broad as long in dorsal view. Gena alutaceous, not or only very slightly broadened behind eye in frontal view in small specimens, narrower than transverse diameter of eye in lateral view. Malar space with a few delicate striae radiating from clypeus and reaching eye; eye 2.3× as high as length of malar space. Inner margins of eyes parallel. POL 1.7× as long as OOL, OOL 2.5× as long as diameter of lateral ocellus and 1.2× as long as LOL, all ocelli ovate, of same size. Transfacial distance 1.3× as long as height of eye; toruli located slightly above mid height of head, frons shorter than height of lower face, diameter of antennal torulus 1.2× as long as distance between them, distance between torulus and eye 1.4× as long as diameter of torulus; lower face smooth, with dense white setae; slightly elevated median area alutaceous, with a few setae. Clypeus rectangular, broader than high, alutaceous, with a few long setae along ventral edge; ventrally rounded, not emarginate and without median incision; anterior tentorial pit rounded, distinct, epistomal sulcus distinct, clypeo-pleurostomal line well impressed. Frons uniformly alutaceous-reticulate, without striae and with a few setae, areas between toruli and between torulus and eye also alutaceous; interocellar area alutaceous-reticulate. Vertex, occiput, postgena alutaceous, with white long setae; postocciput alutaceous-reticulate, with concentric lines around occipital foramen and postgenal bridge; posterior tentorial pit large, elongated, area below impressed; occipital foramen as high as height of postgenal bridge; hypostomal carina emarginate, continuing into postgenal sulci which diverge strongly toward occipital foramen, postgenal bridge anteriorly slightly broader than occipital foramen. Antenna longer than head+mesosoma, with 11 flagellomeres (some specimens with 12 flagellomeres with a distinct suture between F12 and F11), F6 until F11–F12 gradually broadening towards apical end, pedicel slightly longer than broad; F1 1.4× as long as pedicel and 1.3× as long as F2; F2=F3=F4, F5 to F10 nearly equal in length, F11 longer than F10; placodeal sensilla on F5–F11.

Mesosoma 1.2× as long as high, with sparse white setae, except dense setae on lateral propodeal area. Pronotum smooth, with sparse setae, with some delicate striae in dorsoposterior quarter in lateral view; propleuron alutaceous, glabrous. Mesoscutum alutaceous to reticulate, smooth along parapsidal lines with sparse white setae, slightly longer than broad (greatest width measured across mesoscutum level with base of tegulae). Notaulus complete, deep, bottom smooth, posteriorly broader and slightly converging; at posterior end the distance between notauli shorter than distance between notaulus and side of mesoscutum; anterior parallel line distinct, in the form of a bare, smooth stripe, extending to half-length of mesoscutum; parapsidal line distinct, marked with broad impressed smooth glabrous stripes; median mesoscutal line absent; parascutal carina broad, reaching notaulus. Mesoscutellum ovate, slightly longer than broad, circumscutellar carina present; disk of mesoscutellum smooth, glabrous, dull rugose laterally and posteriorly, overhanging metanotum, with dense setae. Mesoscutellar foveae fused in the form of a semilunar depression, with smooth, glabrous bottom, occupying at least 1/3 of mesoscutellum length. Mesopleuron entirely smooth, with setae in antero and posteroventral part; mesopleural triangle smooth, with numerous short white setae; dorsal and lateral axillar areas smooth, with dense white setae; subaxillular bar smooth, glabrous, triangular, as high as height of metanotal trough; metapleural sulcus reaching mesopleuron at half of its height, upper part of sulcus indistinct, lower part of sulcus separating smooth, glabrous area, with dense setae. Metascutellum alutaceous to smooth, glabrous, 3.0x as high as height of smooth, glabrous ventral impressed area; metanotal trough smooth, with some setae; central propodeal area lyre-shaped, smooth, glabrous, with irregular interrupted rugae at the base in large specimens; lateral propodeal carinae strong, bent outwards in posterior 1/3; lateral propodeal area smooth, with long dense white setae. Nucha with numerous sulci dorsally and laterally. Tarsal claws with basal lobe.

Fore wing longer than body, hyaline, with distinct dense cilia on margin, veins dark brown, radial cell open, 3.7× as long as broad; R1 and Rs not reaching wing margin; areolet small, triangular, closed and distinct. Rs+M distinct, its projection reaching basalis slightly above mid height.

Metasoma as long as head+mesosoma, higher than long than in lateral view; 2nd metasomal tergum extending to 2/3 of metasoma length in dorsal view, with short white setae anterolaterally, without micropunctures; subsequent terga and hypopygium smooth, glabrous, without micropunctures. Prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium 5.0× as long as broad in ventral view, with some short setae ventrally which do not extend beyond apex of spine.

Body length 1.4–2.2 mm (n = 15).

Gall ( Fig. 428 ). Reddish-yellow furry leaf gall mass, a gregarious cluster of individual cells. Hairs covering the gall cluster are quite brittle and crystalline. On underside of leaf, to 20 mm long, projecting from leaf by up to 15 mm.

Biology. Only the asexual generation is only known, which induces galls on Q. arizonica , Q. oblongifolia , Q. turbinella and Q. toumeyi (section Quercus , subsection Leucomexicana) and on Q. gambelii (section Quercus , subsection Dumosae) ( Burks 1979). The gall matures in late autumn and adults start emerging the next spring. This species is newly recognized as being distinct from F. tecturnarum (based on both morphology and DNA sequences); all specimens we have examined from previous collectors taken in the USA south-west and identified as F. tecturnarum show the diagnostic characters of F. tetyanae , so we consider that all records of F. tecturnarum from the USA should actually be attributed to the new taxon F. tetyanae .

Distribution. USA: New Mexico, Arizona.

Figures

FIGURES 409–418. Feron tetyanae, sp. nov., asexual female (photos were taken from two different sized females). 409–413, larger specimen: 409–412, head: 409, frontal view, 410, dorsal view, 411, posterior view, 412, lateral view; 413, antenna. 414–418, smaller specimen: 414–417, head: 414, frontal view, 415, dorsal view, 416, posterior view, 417, lateral view; 418, antenna.

FIGURES 419–425. Feron tetyanae, sp. nov., asexual female (photos were taken from two different sized females). 419–422, larger specimen: 419, mesosoma, lateral view, 420, mesoscutum and mesoscutellum, dorsal view, 421, metascutellum and propodeum, posterodorsal view, 422, fore wing, part.423–425, smaller specimen:423, mesosoma, lateral view, 424, mesoscutum and mesoscutellum, dorsal view, 425, metascutellum and propodeum, posterodorsal view.

FIGURES 426–428. Feron tetyanae, sp. nov., asexual generation (photos were taken from two different sized females). 426, asexual female, larger specimen, metasoma, lateral view, 427, asexual female, smaller specimen, metasoma, lateral view. 428, galls.