Diplolepis valtonyci Zhu, Wang & Pujade-Villar, 2021

Zhu, Qifan, Looney, Chris, Chen, Tianlin, Cuesta-Porta, Víctor, Zoltán, László, Wang, Yiping & Pujade-Villar, Juli, 2021, A new species of Diplolepis Geoffroy (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Diplolepidini) from northeastern China, Zootaxa 4985 (2), pp. 219-234 : 222-226

Diplolepis valtonyci Zhu, Wang & Pujade-Villar sp. nova

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E67B8B8B-7F2A-4109-942E-756C39C71CE7

Figs 1 , 2

Type material. Holotype: ♀ deposited in ZAFU with the following labels: ‘ Hebin Park ( Haicheng city, Anshan city, Liaoning province), Ex. Rosa rugosa (2018.Χ.26) 2019.IV.15, Guangsheng Zhao & Dong Wang leg. (white label) ; Holotype Diplolepis valtonyci Zhu, Wang & Pujade-Villar sp. nova. ♀, desig. Qifan Zhu-2020 (red label). Paratypes (1 ♂ & 10 ♀, deposited in ZAFU; 2 ♀ UB): 5 ♀ same data as holotype (three specimens with an antenna lost; 2 ♀ UB) ; idem, (2019.IX.27) 2020. V.12: 3 ♀ (two specimens with an antenna lost), Qifan Zhu & Xiaoxue Ju leg. ; Baixianghui community ( Haicheng city, Anshan city, Liaoning province), Ex. R. rugosa , (2019.IX.27) 2020. V.12: 1 ♀ Qifan Zhu & Xiaoxue Ju leg. ; idem, Ex R. rugosa , (2018.X.26) 2019.IV.22: 1 ♀ (missing single antenna), Guangsheng Zhao & Dong Wang leg. ; Beishan Park ( Dunhua City , Yanbian Korea Autonomous Prefecture , Jilin province), Ex. R. rugosa , (2019.IX.25) 2020. V.10: 1 ♀ (missing single antenna), Qifan Zhu & Xiaoxue Ju leg. ; Gusao mountain ( Haicheng city, Anshan city, Liaoning province), Ex. R. davurica , (2019.IX.27) 2020. V.12: 1 ♀ (missing some legs), Qifan Zhu & Xiaoxue Ju leg. ; Green belt opposite Wetland Huahai Park ( Erdaobaihe town , Antu county , Yanbian Korea Autonomous Prefecture , Jilin province), Ex. R. davurica , (2019.IX.25) 2020. V.11: 1 ♂ (missing legs of one side), Qifan Zhu & Xiaoxue Ju leg.

Diagnosis. This species is characterized by the following morphological features: head trapezoidal in frontal view, transverse, slightly wider than mesosoma; antenna 14-segmented; mesosoma alutaceous, without distinct punctures; notauli complete; medial mesoscutal line present. Scutellum usually longer than wide, rugose with interspaces coriaceous; propodeum with sparse pubescence, forewings pubescent in surface and margin, radial cell closed and pigmented around veins, around 2.0 times longer than broad; 2r curved; areolet inconspicuous; tarsal claws with basal lobe. The most closely related Chinese species are D. japonica ( Walker, 1874) , D. hunanensis Wang, Liw & Chen, 2013 , and D. minoriabdomenis Wang, Liw & Chen, 2013 . Diplolepis valtonyci sp. nova differs from D. japonica in shape of head (strongly transverse in frontal view in D. japonica ) and differs from D. hunanensis and D. minoriabdomenis in the setae of propodeum (densely pubescent on both species); D. hunanensis also has 12-segmented antennae. The gall of D. valtonyci is similar to that of D. eglanteriae ( Hartig, 1840) , but multiple morphological differences exist between adults of the two species. The radial cell of D. valtonyci sp. nova is 2.1 times longer than broad, while the radial cell of D. eglanteriae more than 3.0 times longer than broad. The mesosoma of the new species is nearly as long as broad, while conspicuously longer than broad in D. eglanteriae . The mesoscutum is coriaceous without punctures in D valtonyci , while weakly sculptured, alutaceous, and with some distinct piliferous points in D. eglanteriae . The mesoscutellum in D. valtonyci sp. nova is less than 1.3 times longer than broad with lateral sides converging posteriorly, but 2.0 times longer than broad and with parallel lateral sides in D. eglanteriae . The mesopleuron in the new species is distinctly sculptured on the dorso-anterior and posterior margins, and broadly each side of the transversal furrow, whereas the mesopleuron is smooth except for the sculptured transversal furrow and narrow band of sculpture each side of the furrow in D. eglanteriae . The coloration of the metasoma is brown in the new species, but reddish in D. eglanteriae . Males of D. valtonyci have a black metasoma and metasomal tergites with micropunctures from the fifth segment; the entire metasoma is red with smooth tergites in D. eglanteriae .

Etymology. Species dedicated to Josep Miquel Arenas Beltran, a Mallorcan rapper, known by his stage name Valtònyc. Noun in the genitive case.

Description. Female. Length. Body length: 2.3-3.25mm (N=14)

Color. Head and mesosoma usually black. The antennae are black with the pedicel and apex of F1, and sometimes the scapus, lighter and shining. Mandibles reddish, with black tips and labial palpi brown. Legs orange brown, tarsomeres darker and coxae dark brown to orange brown. Metasoma chestnut brown; basal and posterior parts and hypopygium dark brown. Wings hyaline but slightly smoky in the radial cell; wing veins distinct, dark brown.

Head ( Fig. 1e , 2a ). Head trapezoidal in frontal view, transverse, slightly wider than mesosoma, shining, with short sparse white setae, 1.5 times as broad as high in frontal view and 2.3 times as broad as long in dorsal view. Lower face with two lateral rounded smooth area above clypeus, with distinct piliferous punctures; median elevated area alutaceous. Clypeus pentagonal, impressed, flat, broader than high, alutaceous, glabrous, with few setae along ventral edge, ventrally rounded, not emarginate and without median incision; anterior tentorial pits, epistomal sulcus and clypeo-pleurostomal line distinct. Gena alutaceous to weak coriaceous, with piliferous punctures, not broadened behind eye in frontal view and 1.9 times as broad as the cross diameter of eye in lateral view. Malar space coriaceous with some weak inconspicuous carinae, around 0.6 times as long as height of compound eye. Transfacial distance 1.7 times longer than height of eye; diameter of antennal toruli 1.1 times longer than the distance between them, and distance between torulus and eye margin 1.3 times longer than torulus diameter. Inner margins of eyes parallel. Frons and vertex shining, alutaceous to coriaceous with piliferous points in the ocellar triangle and around lateral ocelli; occiput coriaceous. Ocelli subequal, circular; POL 1.2 times longer than OOL; OOL 1.9 times longer than the diameter of the lateral ocellus and 2.1 times longer than LOL; LOL slightly shorter than the diameter of the lateral ocellus.

Antenna ( Fig. 1c ).14-segmented, 2.1 times longer than head plus mesosoma; pedicel slightly longer than broad; F1 very long, 3.5 times longer than pedicel and nearly 1.4 times longer than F2; F2 slightly longer than F3; F12 slightly longer than F11; placodeal sensilla present in all flagellomeres in F1 only anteriorly. Antennal formula (segments length): 20: 10(x8): 35: 26: 23: 21: 18: 18: 15: 14: 14: 13: 11: 14.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 2c, e ). Mesosoma dorsally convex in lateral view and slightly longer than high in lateral view, with short white setae. Pronotum very narrow, coarsely punctured, almost smooth in the middle and rugulose with some carinae in the basal part. Mesoscutum longer than wide and 1.8 times longer than the scutellum, coriaceous, without distinct punctures. Notauli complete, convergent posteriorly; median mesoscutal line present, shallow impressed, reaching at least the level of tegulae; parapsidal lines visible, narrow, shining, reaching tegulae; anterior parallel lines distinct, smooth, extending to half the length of the scutum. Scutellum longer than wide (rarely as long as broad), pentagonal, and the lower part of the scutellum is slightly pointed, dull, rugose with interspaces coriaceous. Scutellar foveae short, transversal, inconspicuous, smooth and shining, not delimited posteriorly. Mesopleuron smooth and shining, with a strong transverse dull rugose furrow, also present anteriorly in the dorsal part, speculum and posterior area of mesopleuron; mesopleural triangle sculptured, rugose. Metapleural sulcus reaching the mesopleuron slightly above half of its height; axilla smooth, with some rugae and sparse setae; axillula without setae; subaxillular bar short, smooth. Metascutellum rugulose with some carinae, inferiorly convex; ventral impressed area smooth with longitudinal wrinkles and convergent posteriorly, shining. Metanotal trough smooth, shining, with some longitudinal parallel weak wrinkles and without setae. Propodeum laterally rugose with sparse setae; lateral propodeal carinae anteriorly with three straight and parallel carinae and strongly curved outwards in posterior 2/3, delimiting a closed carinated-rugose area, medial carina visible.

Legs. Tarsal claws with basal lobe.

Forewing ( Fig. 2b ). Pubescent in surface and margin. Radial cell closed and pigmented around veins, 2.1 times longer than wide, first abscissa of radius straight, 2r curved, slightly extending to radial cell. Areolet short, not well defined. Rs+M well-marked and reaching basalis in the lower third.

Metasoma ( Fig. 2d ). Slightly shorter than head plus mesosoma length (0.8×); in lateral view, slightly longer than high. Second metasomal tergite reaching 1/3 if the metasoma; metasomal tergites without punctures, 2 to 5 smooth and 6 to 8 coriaceous. Hypopygium plough-shaped, shining, smooth and large; prominent part of the ventral spine of the hypopygium very thin, 2.0 times longer than broad, with sparse white setae, apical setae short, not extending behind apex of the spine.

Male. 2.3 mm. Similar to female but ocelli larger, POL subequal to OOL; OOL 2.1 times longer than the diameter of the lateral ocellus and 2.4 times longer than LOL. Antenna black, longer than body, with 13 flagellomeres; placodeal sensilla present in all flagellomeres; F1 shorter around 1.1x F2, not modified; antennal formula: 12.5: 9(x8): 23: 21: 21: 21: 20: 20: 17: 17: 16: 16: 14: 19. Fifth and following tergites with micropunctures.

Gall. ( Fig. 2g, h ). The galls of the new species are similar to those of D. eglanteriae . They are spherical, smooth and usually unicellular. Galls occurred on the leaves of roses and were only observed on the lower surface. Young galls are pea green or reddish green and soft, gradually turning dark brown and harder when maturing, without luster.

Host. The new species was collected on the R. rugosa Thunb. (1784) and R. davurica Pall. (1788) . These species are commonly used as ornamental plants in parks and roadsides in China. The host species are native to eastern Asia, in northeastern China, Japan, Korea and southeastern Siberia.

Biology. Mature galls were collected in the end of September and October, and adults emerged from late April through May. The galls were heavily parasitized by chalcidoid wasps. The parasitoids associated with Diplolepis galls from China will be thoroughly assessed in future studies.

Distribution. China: Liaoning and Jilin provinces, close to Korea. It is likely that the new species has a similarly wide distribution as its hosts, R. rugos a and R. davurica , in their native range.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Diplolepis valtonyci Zhu, Wang & Pujade-Villar sp. nova: (a) general habitus female, (b) general habitus male, (c) antenna female, (d) antenna male, (e) female head in dorsal view, (f) male head in dorsal view.

FIGURE 2. Diplolepis valtonyci Zhu, Wang & Pujade-Villar ♀ sp. nova: (a) head in frontal view, (b) forewing, (c) mesosoma in lateral view, (d) metasoma in lateral view, (e) mesosoma in dorsal view, (f) propodeum. Galls: (g) older galls on Rosa rugosa, (h) young galls on R. davurica.