Aulacidea manchuria Nastasi, 2024

Nastasi, Louis F. & Deans, Andrew R., 2024, Aulacidea manchuria Nastasi sp. nov., a new herb gall wasp from China (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Aulacideini), with commentary on hawkweed (Asteraceae: Hieraciinae) gall wasps, Zootaxa 5492 (4), pp. 582-588 : 583-584

Aulacidea manchuria Nastasi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C157654F-E29C-4B0B-AFDC-5B1D7AE8AAC1

Material examined. Holotype female— China: Manchuria , Maoershan, 100 km east of Harbin on Chinese Eastern Railway; 8 June 1941; VN Alin leg.; CASENT 8520652 . Deposited in CAS.

Etymology. Named for Manchuria, the region of Northeast China from which the holotype was collected.

Diagnosis. A. manchuria is easily distinguished from other females of the hieracii species group by F1 being equal in length to F2 and the absence of placodeal sensilla on F2.

Female —Body length 1.9 mm. Head and mesosoma entirely black. Metasoma reddish, perceptibly infuscated distally. Antennae and legs rufous to dark rufous. Antennae with 13 antennomeres. Pedicel 1.0× as long as wide. F1 2.3× as long as wide, 1.8× as long as pedicel, and equal in length to F2. F2 2.1× as long as wide. Apical flagellomere indistinctly subdivided medially; 4.1× as long as wide. Placodeal sensilla apparent on F3 and all following flagellomeres. Head sculpture coriaceous throughout. Facial radiating striae complete and distinct throughout. Compound eye longer than malar space. Clypeus subtrapezoidal, wider than tall, and slightly projecting ventrally over base of mandibles; clypeo-pleurostomal lines divergent ventrally. POL:LOL:OOL=15:8: 12 in holotype; POL longer than OOL and slightly less than twice LOL; OOL 1.5× as long as LOL. Mesosoma strongly convex dorsally in lateral view. Pronotal plate poorly developed, with lateral sutures terminating far before reaching anterior margin of mesoscutum. Mesoscutum coriaceous; moderately pilose, with short, scattered setae throughout. Notauli complete, narrow throughout, and not strongly arched. Median mesoscutal impression distinct, extending about halfway across mesoscutum. Mesoscutellar disc subcircular, about 1.1× as long as wide, and with sculpture coriaceous anteriorly and medially to strongly rugose around outer margins. Mesoscutellar foveae subtriangular, occupying about anterior third of mesoscutellar disc, with anterior margins forming a straight line. Mesopleuron transversely striate throughout. Propodeal carinae apparent as two slightly curved lateral carinae. Wings hyaline, with veins dark brownish. Marginal cell closed, 2.6× as long as wide. Areolet distinct. Marginal cilia distinct; short. Tarsal claws simple, without conspicuous lobes. Metabasitarsus distinctly shorter than combined length of following tarsomeres. Metasoma with distinct anterolateral patch of dense setae on T2. T2 apparently impunctate; T3 and following tergites perceptibly punctate throughout. Ovipositor sheaths distinctly surpassing apex of metasoma.

Male —Unknown.

Biology —Unknown.

Distribution — Heilongjiang Province, China.