Amphibolips rulli Pujade-Villar & Cuesta-Porta, 2020

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 : 29-32

Amphibolips rulli Pujade-Villar & Cuesta-Porta n. sp.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8B5298B8-2E20-4055-A635-738E0A730C1F

Type material. HOLOTYPE. ♀ (deposited in UB) with the following labels: “ MEXICO, Las Cuevitas , Zacatecas, 2270 m.a.s.l.” (white label); “ Q. viminea , (02.xi.2011) 17.xi.2011, leg. J. Pujade-Villar ” (white label); “ Holotype Amphibolips rulli JP-V & Cuesta-Porta n. sp., desig. Cuesta-Porta, 2020” (red label) . Paratypes (deposited in UB): El Carril, Zacatecas, 2243 m.a.s.l., Ex Q. eduardi , (06.ix.2011) 19.x.2011: 1♀ ( UB), leg. J. Pujade-Villar ; Las Cuevitas, Zacatecas, 2270 m.a.s.l., 1♀ ( UB), Ex Q. viminea , (17.x.2011) 26.x.2011, leg. J. Pujade-Villar ; El Cuahilote, Zacatecas, 2162 m.a.s.l., Ex Q. viminea , (12.viii.2011) 06.ix.2011: 1♀ ( UB). leg. J. Pujade-Villar ; Zacatecas, 2243 m.a.s.l., Ex Q. emoryi , (27.iv.2011) 04.v.2011: 1♀ ( UB), leg. J. Pujade-Villar.

Additional material. Deposited in UB with the following labels: “MEX282, MEXICO, Los Chorritos, Cu-atepec de Hinojosa, Hidalgo, (14.x.2011) only galls ( UB), Ex Q. eduardi , leg. JP-V, E. Estrada & A. Equihua ”; “MEX286, MEXICO, Laguna de Gomboa, Monte Escobedo, Zacatecas, 22º16’57.04” N 103º32’58.38” W, (27. iv.2010) only galls ( UB), Ex Q. eduardi , leg. C. Carrillo ”; “MEX289, MEXICO, La Mesa del Carrizal, La Mesa del Carrizal , Sinaola, (20.ii.2012) only galls ( UB), Ex Q. viminea , leg. JP-V ”; “ P065 , MEXICO, San Isidro, Tecolotlán, Jalisco, 20° 59’ 15.44” N 102° 54’ 29.87” W, 2064 m.a.s.l., (04.xi.2011) only galls ( UB), Ex Quercus sp., leg. C. Carrillo ”; “P146, MEXICO, Francia, Monte Escobedo, Zacatecas, 22º 25´20.79” N 103º 28´30.77” W, (03.xi.2010) only galls ( UB), Ex Quercus sp., leg. JP-V ”; “ S032 , MEXICO, Parque Nacional Zoquiapan y Anexas , Zoquiapan , Puebla, 3046 m.a.s.l., (30.v.2012) only galls ( UB), Ex Quercus sp.”; “S066, MEXICO, Monte Escobedo , Monte Escobedo , Zacatecas, (21.vii.2011) only galls ( UB), Ex Quercus sp. ”; “S068, MEXICO, Monte Escobedo , Monte Escobedo , Zacatecas, (21.vii.2011) only galls ( UB), Ex Quercus sp. ”; “S073, MEXICO, El Muerto , El Pino , Zacate-cas, 22º2134.63” N 103º28´39.54” W, 2158 m.a.s.l., (14.v.2011) only galls ( UB), Ex Q. eduardi ”; “S113, MEXICO, Menores, Monte Escobedo, Zacatecas, (27.x.2011) only galls ( UB), Ex Quercus sp.”; “S319, MEXICO, Cañada de los Leones, Monte Escobedo, Zacatecas, (24.vi.2007) only galls ( UB), Ex Q. eduardi ” .

Etymology. Named in honor of Josep Rull i Andreu.

Diagnosis. The new species is characterized by the dorsal projection, which is situated towards the anterior margin of the area of punctured sculpture on tergum II, never reaching half of the tergal length; smooth area bordering lateral margin of compound eye, usually posterodorsally limited by a carina; F1 1.6x as long as F2. Most closely resembles A. nevadensis but can be differentiated by the female metasomal tergum II, which is mainly polished, smooth with faint coriaceous sculpture bordering posterior punctures in the new species (metasomal tergum II completely coriaceous except for posterior band of micropunctures in A. nevadensis ). Galls of both species are subglobose, elongate to an apical tip, with hard outer shell and mottled surface. Amphibolips nassa has similar galls but the adults strongly differ by the forewing colour pattern, degree of radial cell infuscatation: veins visible through infuscation in the new species (radial cell highly infuscate, hidden veins in A. nassa ); scutellar foveae with transverse rugae, distinctly divided medially in the new species (notaular furrow smooth and scutellar foveae indistinctly separated medially in A. nassa ). These species cannot be differentiated by galls, only by the host plant; Amphibolips nassa on Q. castanea , A. nevadensis on Q. calophylla and A. rulli n. sp. on Q. eduardi , Q. viminea .

Description. ( Figs 9 A–9G).

Female. Body length 7.5 mm (n=4).

Colour. Head black, except mandibles chestnut brown; antennae black, mesosoma black, legs chestnut brown, metasoma chestnut to black.

Head ( Figs 9 B–9C) ovate in anterior view, 2.4x as broad as long from above, 1.2x as broad as high in anterior view and narrower than mesosoma; frons and lower face uniformly rugose with alutaceous interspaces; frons almost glabrous, lower face with sparse white setae, with faint irregular carinae from ventral margin of toruli to tentorial pits. Gena faintly rugose with alutaceous interspaces, broadened behind eye, visible behind eyes in anterior view, 1.2x as broad as cross diameter of eye, smooth band on posterior margin of eye usually emarginate with distinct carina posterodorsally; malar space dull rugose on ventral half and alutaceous-smooth on ventral margin of eye; height of eye 1.4x as long as length of malar space. POL subequal to OOL; diameter of lateral ocellus 1.7x as long as LOL; ocelli ovate. Transfacial distance 1.5x as broad as height of eye; diameter of antennal torulus 2.6x as long as distance between toruli, distance between torulus and inner margin of eye subequal to diameter of torulus. Clypeus faintly rugoso-alutaceous, ovate, ventrally projected, covering part of mandibles, with ventral margin slightly incised medially; anterior tentorial pits deep, epistomal sulcus inconspicuous, clypeo-pleurostomal lines distinct. Frons, vertex, interocellar area and occiput uniformly rugose with alutaceous interspaces. Occiput with dorsal faint carina. Labial palpus 3-segmented, maxillary palpus 5-segmented.

Antenna ( Fig. 9A ) with 11 flagellomeres; slightly longer than head+mesosoma, scape 2.0x as long as pedicel; pedicel subglobose, slightly broader than long; F1 slightly longer than scape+pedicel and 1.6x as long as F2; F2 1.3x as long as F3; F3 nearly equal in length to F4, subsequent flagellomeres shorter, F11 partially divided by sulcus, 2.5x as long as F10; placodeal sensilla visible on F5–F11, absent on F1–F4.

Mesosoma ( Figs 9 C–D, 9E) slightly longer than high. Pronotal plate smooth, rugate laterally; propleuron black. Mesoscutum round, uniformly rugose with alutaceous interspaces, 0.9x as long as broad in dorsal view (largest width measured across mesoscutum on the level of tegulae base). Notauli inconspicuous under rugose sculpture; anterior parallel lines visible under sculpture, elevated, surrounded by alutaceous sculpture, extending to almost half of mesoscutum length; parapsidal lines distinct, originating from posterior margin and extending to nearly half length of mesoscutum, elevated, surrounded by alutaceous sculpture; median mesoscutal sulcus absent; parascutal carina short, extending to level of tegula only. Mesoscutellum 0.4x as long as mesoscutum, coarsely dull rugose, quadrangular, slightly broader than long, slightly overhanging metanotum, emarginate laterally by carinae ended with small posterolateral tips slightly pointing upwards; scutellar foveae round, deep, shiny and smooth, lateral sides with strong narrow carinae; complete strong median carina dividing foveae, transversal carinae radiating from median carina, posteriorly emarginate by faint carinae; posterior margin of mesoscutellum with depression extended from posterior margin of scutellar fovea to posterior margin of mesoscutellum. Mesopleuron uniformly rugose with alutaceous interspaces and sparse pubescent, some rugae orientated into transverse subparallel striae on anterior margin. Mesopleural triangle rugose and pubescent; dorsoaxillar area rugose; lateral axillar area and axillula faintly rugose, with few short, white setae; subaxilular bar shining, smooth, with parallel sides in anterior part, height less than height of metanotal trough, posterior part extending to half height of mesoscutellum; postalar process long, with parallel striae. Metapleural sulcus hidden under dull rugose sculpture. Metanotum uniformly faintly rugatecoriaceous, metanotal trough smooth, with sparse white setae; impressed ventral area rugate-coriaceous, slightly shorter than height of metanotum. Central propodeal area rugate, dull; lateral propodeal carinae visible, partially covered by sculpture, subparallel, curves outwards medially, extended posteriorly to lateral sides of nucha; lateral propodeal area with irregular strong wrinkles and dense white setae; nucha short, alutaceous with faint wrinkles.

Legs chestnut brown, with sparse short white setae; tarsal claws with basal lobe.

Forewing ( Fig. 9A ) longer than body, with short dense cilia on margin; completely infuscate, with heavily infuscate band on anterior margin of wing not covering the costal cell; veins dark brown; radial cell narrow, long, opened on margin, 3.4x as long as broad; R1 not reaching wing margin; areolet visible, triangular, elongate towards basalis, closed; Rs+M reaching basalis at its half height.

Metasoma ( Figs 9E, 9G ) as long as head+mesosoma, slightly longer than high in lateral view; metasomal tergum II reaching 2/3 of metasoma length, mainly shining smooth, with short sparse setae laterally; conspicuous punctuation on posterior third, micropunctures becoming progressively fainter anteriorly, punctures projected anteriorly forming a triangular projection on dorsal view, not reaching half height of tergum II, coriaceous sculpture sometimes present between half of tergum II and anterior margin of micropunctures, posterior margin of metasomal tergum II with a very narrow smooth band, without punctures; all subsequent terga dorsally and laterally uniformly and entirely micropunctate, with a narrow smooth band posteriorly on each tergum. Ventral spine of hypopygium robust, short, needle-like, prominent part 3.3x as long as broad, with two rows of white setae each side, extending beyond apex of spine.

Gall ( Figs 15 H–I). A subspherical, bud gall, fusiform at apex, ending in a tip, with greatest diameter near middle of the gall, up to 35 mm in diameter. The gall is thin-walled, olive green, mottled with clear spots when mature and turn brown when dry, mottles still visible; parenchyma rather lignified, rugose; internal tissue hard spongious, with central ovate hard-walled larval chamber, with mature length 5.0–6.0 mm.

Hosts. Quercus eduardi , Q. emoryi , Q. viminea .

Distribution. Mexico: Zacatecas State.

Biology. Only females are known. Mature galls were collected in October; adults emerged in November.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Amphibolips rulli n. sp.: (A) habitus; (B) head in frontal view, detail of the posterodorsal carinae around the eyes (black arrows); (C) head and mesosoma in lateral view, speculum and lateral margin of compound eye signaled (white arrows); (D) mesosoma in dorsal view; (E) metasoma in lateral view; (F) scutellum; (G) metasoma in dorsal view and detail of micropunctures, anterior projection of micropunctures signaled (white arrow).

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.