Aprostocetus smilax Gates & Zhang, 2020

Gates, Michael W., Zhang, Y. Miles & Buffington, Matthew L., 2020, The great greenbriers gall mystery resolved? New species of Aprostocetus Westwood (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) gall inducer and two new parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Eurytomidae) associated with Smilax L. in southern Florida, USA, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 80, pp. 71-98 : 71

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/jhr.80.59466
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9E555C15-F6BB-46C7-BB54-6BAAC78D4831
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/D29A7AF7-E6D5-488D-996A-1228BD8F320F
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:D29A7AF7-E6D5-488D-996A-1228BD8F320F
treatment provided by	Journal of Hymenoptera Research by Pensoft
scientific name	Aprostocetus smilax Gates & Zhang
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Aprostocetus smilax Gates & Zhang sp. nov.

Figs 2-3 View Figure 2–3 , 4-11 View Figure 4–11 , 12-18 View Figure 12–18

Diagnosis.

This species keys to Aprostocetus subgenus Aprostocetus , couplet 103 in Schauff et al. (1997) and 53 in La Salle (1997). This is the most biologically diverse and speciose of the five Aprostocetus subgenera, often associated with insects inhabiting plant galls such as Diptera ( Cecidomyiidae ), Hymenoptera ( Cynipoidea ), Hemiptera ( Coccoidea ), Coleoptera , and eriophyid mites ( La Salle 2005). Burks (1967) published a key to 13 North American species, which is dated, and a comparative diagnosis of all 58 species is beyond the scope of this paper. Nevertheless, this species keys to couplet 2 of Burks’ key, and differs from the two species with coriaceous mesoscutum ( A. coelioxydis Burks and A. granulatus Ashmead) which are both metallic blue/black in coloration. Recent phylogenomic study of Eulophidae has shown Aprostocetus to be paraphyletic ( Rasplus et al. 2020), and some of these subgenera might be elevated to genus level in the future.

Material examined.

Holotype, female: USA • FL: Dade Co.: SE Miami, Rockdale Pineland, Ex Smilax havanensis stem gall; 19.Dec.2001, C. Rodriguez & T. Smith leg.; USNMENT01735185 (deposited at USNM) . Paratypes (4♀, 7♂): Same information as holotype; USNMENT01735186, 01735187 (1♀, 1♂, USNM). FL: Dade Co.: SE Miami, Rockdale Pineland , Ex Smilax havanensis stem gall; 18.Apr. 2010; M. Gates & M. Buffington leg.; USNMENT01735188-01735196 (3♀, 6♂, USNM) .

Description.

Female. Body length 1.7 mm (Fig. 2 View Figure 2–3 ).

Color. Mostly whitish-yellow, pedicel, flagellomeres, clava, axillula, and marginal vein, sides of gastral tergites brown. Fore and midlegs white (Fig. 2 View Figure 2–3 ).

Head. Squareish in dorsal view, 1.2 × as wide as long in dorsal view (Fig. 4 View Figure 4–11 ). Lower face coriaceous, clypeus bilobed, mandible tridentate (Fig. 5 View Figure 4–11 ). Malar sulcus present, malar space 0.7 × eye height. Genal carina absent. Toruli positioned slightly below median of compound eyes, diameter of torulus equal that of the intertorular space. Frons striate, scrobal depression converging towards the clypeus with a row of setae along depression (Fig. 4 View Figure 4–11 ). Vertex coriaceous, ratios of POL:OOL:LOL equal to 2.8:2.1:1 (Fig. 6 View Figure 4–11 ). Ratio of scape (minus radicle):pedicel:A1:A2: F1:F2: F3:club as 72:33:3:1:53:40:35:68; pedicel conical expanding distally; funicle cylindrical; anellus two segmented, funicular segments with single row of longitudinal sensilla and one whorl of setae, shorter than its bearing segment; clava trisegmented (Fig. 8 View Figure 4–11 ). Head posteriorly coriaceous with a ring of setae around the outer edge, smooth with two setae. Postgenal bridge ornamentation narrow. Postgenal sulci, postgenal groove, and hypostomal bridge absent (Fig. 7 View Figure 4–11 ). Labium square-shaped.

Forewing. Three setae on submarginal vein, 7 setae on marginal vein. Ratio of marginal vein:postmarginal vein:stigmal vein as 22.5:1:6.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma coriaceous, 1.14 × as long as broad (Fig. 9 View Figure 4–11 ); notauli complete, shallow. With 2 adnotaular seta on the midlobe of mesoscutum, and two setae on the lateral lobes (Fig. 10 View Figure 4–11 ). Scutellum with two setae on each side, submedian groove deep, complete. Lateral panel of axilla strigate, axillula coriaceous dorsally and strigate ventrally. Prepectus coriaceous. Mesopleuron coriaceous, dorsally delimited from femoral depression raised ridge. Epicnemium flat and ventral shelf not projected forward (Fig. 11 View Figure 4–11 ). Propodeum coriaceous and divided by median carina that diverges into raised, scalloped ridges posteriorly. Spiracle within a depression. Callus with a single seta, raised and partly overhanging outer rim of conspicuous spiracle (Fig. 10 View Figure 4–11 ).

Metasoma. Metasoma smooth, Gt1 and Gt2 dorsally glabrous (Fig. 12 View Figure 12–18 ), subsequent tergites each with a ring of setae (Fig. 13 View Figure 12–18 ). Cercus with 1 seta distinctly longer (>1.5 ×) than others (Fig. 14 View Figure 12–18 ).

Male. 1.1 mm. Color and sculpture as described for female (Fig. 3 View Figure 2–3 ). Antennae with setae>1.5 × as long as width of segment (Fig. 15 View Figure 12–18 ). Gt7 curves up to form genital opening (Figs 16 View Figure 12–18 , 17 View Figure 12–18 ), with a pair of long and three pairs of shorter cercal setae (Fig. 18 View Figure 12–18 ).

Variation.

Size ranges from 1.6-1.8 mm for females, and 1.1-1.2 mm for males. The number of setae on marginal vein ranges from 6-8.

Biology.

It induces round galls on the stems of Smilax havanensis , often coalescing to form irregularly rounded, polythalamous swellings. Individual galls can also be found on the edge of leaves. Green when fresh and of a pithy structure (Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 63 View Figure 63 inset), tissues around the emergence hole often form a black ring.

Distribution.

Southern Florida, USA.