Amphibolips zacatecaensis Melika & Pujade-Villar

Cuesta-Porta, Víctor, Equihua-Martínez, Armando, Estrada-Venegas, Edith G., Cibrián-Tovar, David, Barrera-Ruíz, Uriel M., Silva, Salvador Ordaz, Sánchez, Imelda Virginia López, Melika, George & Pujade-Villar, Juli, 2020, Revision of the Amphibolips species of the ‘ nassa’ complex from Mexico and central America (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), Zootaxa 4877 (1), pp. 1-50 : 34-39

Amphibolips zacatecaensis Melika & Pujade-Villar

Amphibolips zacatecaensis Melika & Pujade-Villar, 2011 .In Melika et al., 2011: 48

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE. ♀ (deposited in JP-V col., UB) with the following labels: “ MEXICO, Monte Escobedo , Zacatecas ” (white label), “ Q. eduardi , (31.v.2010) ext. 31.v.10. leg. J. Pujade-Villar ” (white la-bel). “ Holotype Amphibolips zacatecaensis Pujade-Villar & Melika 2011 ” (red label).

Additional material. Deposited in UB with the following labels: “S120, MEXICO, Las Cuevitas, Monte Esc-obedo, Zacatecas, (25.x.2011) only galls ( UB), Ex Quercus sp.” .

Diagnosis. This species is characterized by a completely infuscate forewing with infuscate anterior band; basal half of radial cell highly infuscate; R1, Rs and 2r veins not traceable through infuscate band or hardly visible. Scutellar foveae with distinct median carina and transversal carinae extending from the median carina ( Fig. 11K ). Most closely resembles A. nassa (see Diagnosis to A. nassa ). The gall resembles that of A. dampfi , but in A. zacatecaensis the internal tissue is dense and light brown while it is soft, cotton-like, white to rosy near the larval chamber in A. dampfi .

Gall ( Figs 15 C–D). Galls on buds, rather large, with maximum diameter 50–68 mm, subglobose, gradually tapering to a tip at apex; outer shell thin and fragile, usually smooth, sometimes wrinkled or rugose; internal tissue soft, light brown and spongious, but consistent with central larval chamber, which is around 5 mm in diameter.

Host. Quercus eduardi .

Biology. Only females are known. The mature galls were collected in late May; adults emerged soon after field collection.

Distribution. Mexico: Zacatecas State.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Female dorsal meosoma: (A) A. cibriani (Type); (B) A. durangensis (Type); (C) A. fusus, scutellar postermedian depression signaled (white arrow); (D) A. hidalgoensis (Type); (E) A. jalisciensis (Type); (F) A. michoacaensis (Type), posterior carina of scutellum signaled (white bracket); (G) A. nassa (Type); (H) A. nevadensis (Type); (I) A. oaxacae (Type); (J) A. tarasco (Type), less dense sculpture signaled (white arrow); (K) A. zacatecaensis (Type); (L) A. fusus, mesoscutellum.

FIGURE 15. Galls: (A–B) A. hidalgoensis; (C–D) A. zacatecaensis; (E) A. dampfi dry gall, apical tip signaled (white arrow), detail of the spongious internal tissue (top right) and the larval cell (bottom right); (F–G) A. nassa dry galls; (H–I) A. rulli n. sp. dry gall.