Isocolus beheni Melika & Karimpour, 2008

Tavakoli, Majid, Stone, Graham N., Pujade-Villar, Juli & Melika, George, 2022, New herb gall wasps from Iran (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), Zootaxa 5155 (3), pp. 301-333 : 317

Isocolus beheni Melika & Karimpour, 2008

Figs 64–85

Material examined. Total 70 females and 24 males: four females and 8 males “ IRAN, Lorestan, Aligudarz-Ab Sefid Waterfall. GPS coordinates: 49°34’45”E, 32°59’58”N, 2363 m a.s.l., Code 8 (2016) in flowerheads of Centaurea behen , coll. M. Tavakoli, summer 2016; adults emerge in July-August, 2016”. 20 females and 9 males “ IRAN, Lorestan, Aligudarz- Khakbetieh, GPS coordinates: 49°39’30”E, 33°07’35”N, 2035 m a.s.l., Code 40, galls in flowerheads of Centaurea behen , coll. M. Tavakoli, 2016; galls collected by the end of spring 2016; adults emerge from June 2016 till February 2017. ” 15 females and 7 males “ IRAN, Lorestan, Aligudarz-Khakbetieh. GPS coordinates: 49°39’30”E, 33°07’35”N, 2035 m a.s.l., Code 41, galls in flowerheads of Centaurea ammoyanus , coll. M. Tavakoli, 2016; galls collected by the end of spring 2016; adults emerge from June 2016 till February 2017. ” 31 female “ IRAN, Lorestan, Khorramabad-Tafe Nozhian , GPS coordinates: 48°27’56”E, 33°16’53”N, 2056 m a.s.l., Code 39, galls hidden in flowerheads of Centaurea bruguierana , coll. M. Tavakoli, 2015; galls collected in July 2016 ; adults emerge from December till March 2017.”

Diagnosis and Description of females were given in Karimpour, Tavakoli & Melika (2008). Here we provide colour plates for females ( Figs 64–69 , 76–82 ) for easier identification. Males ( Figs 70–75 ) were found for the first time which are similar to females but the antenna as long as body, dark brown to black, with 12 flagellomeres, the pedicel only slightly longer than broad, F1 straight, apically not swollen, shorter than F2, F2=F3 and longer than F1, F2 till F 11 nearly equal in length, F12 1.6× as long as F11, placodeal sensilla indistinct, on F1–F12. Body length 3.2–3.9 mm (n = 7).

Gall ( Figs 83–85 ). Galls are cryptic chambers inside flowerheads that cause no visible external deformation. Usually more than one larval chamber is present in a single flowerhead.

Biology. Galls mature by the end of spring and early summer; adults emerge from June-August through to February of the following year. Host plants are Centaurea ammoyanus (L.), C. behen L., C. bruguierana (DC.) Hand. -Mazz. ( Asteraceae ).

Distribution. Aligudarz-Khakbetieh, Aligudarz-Ab Sefid Waterfall, Khak-be Tiahe, Khorramabad-Tafe Nozhian, Lorestan Province, Iran. Previously recorded in Iran also from Urmia, West Azarbaijan Province ( Karimpour, Tavakoli & Melika 2008).

Comments. The galls of I. beheni resemble those of I. melikai Pujade-Villar, 2014 , but the wasps are morphologically different. The lower face of I. beheni is reticulate, the clypeus ventrally is rounded, without a median incision, the mesoscutum with some transverse rugae, the median mesoscutal line present, the 2nd metasomal tergum completely micropunctured while in I. melikai the lower face is delicately coriaceous, the clypeus is incised ventrally, the mesoscutum strongly rugose, without median mesoscutal line, the 2nd metasomal tergum with micropuncture only in the posterior half (Pujade- Villar et al. 2014).

Figures

FIGURES 64–69. Isocolus beheni Melika & Karimpour, 2008, female. 64–67, head: 64, frontal view, 65, dorsal view, 66, posterior view, 67, lateral view; 68, antenna, 69, pronotum and mesoscutum, anterodorsal view.

FIGURES 70–75. Isocolus beheni Melika & Karimpour, 2008, male. 70–73, head: 70, frontal view, 71, dorsal view, 72, posterior view, 73, lateral view; 74, antenna; 75, metasoma, lateral view.

FIGURES 76–79. Isocolus beheni Melika & Karimpour, 2008, female. 76–77, mesosoma: 76, lateral view, 77, frontal view, 78–79, mesoscutum and mesoscutellum, dorsal view.

FIGURES 80–84. Isocolus beheni Melika & Karimpour, 2008. 80–82, female: 80, forewing, 81, metascutellum and propodeum, posterodorsal view, 82, metasoma, lateral view. 83–84, infested flowerheads: 83, young, growing and mature, dried, 84, dried, with wasp emergence hole.

FIGURE 85. Isocolus beheni Melika & Karimpour, 2008. Infested flowerheads of Centaurea sp.