Amphibolips tarasco Nieves-Aldrey & Pascual

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 : 32-33

Amphibolips tarasco Nieves-Aldrey & Pascual

Amphibolips tarasco Nieves-Aldrey & Pascual, 2012 . In Nieves-Aldrey et al., 2012: 22–24

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE. ♀ deposited in MNCN (Cat. nº 2250; Code: 89207). MEXICO, Micho-acán, Santa María , 2000 m; Ex Q. castanea , (12.iii.2005) 22.iii.2005, leg. E. Pascual. Paratypes (deposited in MNCN): 1♀ & 2♂ with the same data as the holotype (Codes: 89208–89210, respectively) .

Additional material. MEX-136 ‘ La Mojonera’ explanada, dentro de los terrenos del Parque Africam. Blvd. Cap. Carlos, Camacho Espiritu , Oasis , Tecali de Herrera, Puebla ( Mexico), Ex Q. acutifolia , (iv.2012) 1–15.v.2012: 5♂ & 4♀ ( UB), Lilia Ramírez leg. ; MEX-137, ídem, Ex Q. mexicana , (v.2012) v.2012: 1♂ & 2♀ ( UB), Lilia Ramírez leg. ; MEX-456, Carretera Federal Morelia-Uruapan Km. 42, Uruapan , Michoacán ( México), Ex Q. castanea , (19.vi.2018) extrac. 19.vi.2018: 1♀ ( UB), JP-V, Equihua & Estrada leg.

Diagnosis. This species is characterized by triangular scutellar foveae with median carina shorter than total length of foveae, rest of posterior length of foveae covered by coarse rugose sculpture till the lateral margins of foveae. Lateral margin of eye with dorsolateral fine carinae irradiating from eye, rest of margin alutaceous-smooth. Adults closely resemble A. hidalgoensis and A. oaxacae (see Diagnosis to the corresponding species).

Gall ( Figs 16 H–I). A subglobose large bud gall, with maximum 40 mm in diameter, with thin, slightly lignified and resistant outer shell. Pale green with darker green spots when fresh and turning brown when dry. The gall is monolocular, with a spongy internal tissue, filling the entire gall. The larval cell is rounded.

Hosts. Quercus acutifolia , Q. castanea , Q. mexicana .

Biology. The sexual generation is only known. The galls were collected between March and June; adults emerged in the same months of collection.

Distribution. Mexico: Michoacán and Puebla States.

Remarks. Females in this study differ slightly from the holotype by the scutellar foveae, which in the new specimens are finely rugose and oblique, resembling more the type male mesoscutellum. New male specimens identical with the males from the type material.

Figures

FIGURE 16. Galls. (A–D) A. quercuspomiformis comb. nov.: (A) mature gall, (B) dry gall, (C–D) internal tissue, larval cells signaled (white arrow); (E–G) A. bassae n. sp.: (E) dry gall, (F) internal tissue, (G) mature gall; (H–I) A. tarasco: (H) dry gall, (I) internal tissue; (J) A. kinseyi n. sp., dry gall.