Synergus mesoamericanus Ritchie & Shorthouse, 1987

Nieves-Aldrey, Jose Luis & Medianero, Enrique, 2011, Taxonomy of inquilines of oak gall wasps of Panama, with description of eight new species of Synergus Hartig (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae, Synergini), Zootaxa 2774, pp. 1-47 : 7-8

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.276876
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6189356
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A487F3-FFF4-C60C-FF2A-63ABFB84EEDF
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Synergus mesoamericanus Ritchie & Shorthouse, 1987
status

Treatment

New record from Panama

Studied material. 33, 6Ƥ, Chiriquí, Boquete, road to Volcancito, 1,450 m, ex gall Andricus championi ( Cameron) on Quercus bumelioides , 31.xii.2008. E. Medianero leg. 2Ƥ Volcán Barú, 2,500–3,000 m ex gall Andricus championi ( Cameron) on Quercus bumelioides , 16-vi.2008.

Diagnosis and comments. As in the case of the group composed of S. elegans and S. laticephalus , this species, together with the new species S. ramoni , forms a clearly differentiated group, easily distinguished from the remaining Synergus species from Panama. Distinguishing characters include frontal carinae being indistinct, obscured by very irregular and branched interrupted rugae; facial striae irregularly sinuate, branched near the ventral margin eyes; antennae with F1 1.5 times as long as F 2 in both sexes and F 1 in males strongly expanded apically; basal cell of the forewing densely setose with veins being darkly pigmented and metasomal T2+3 not punctate posteriorly. The body coloration is predominantly red, red-black or black.

S. mesoamericanus was described from materials reared from large tuberose galls collected in Guatemala by Kinsey (assigned the name “ brelandi ” in their manuscript). Type material of the gall inducer insect was examined by us and corresponds to a species of Andricus (Nieves-Aldrey, unpublished). The galls of “ brelandi ” are, however, similar to the galls of Andricus championi ( Cameron) from which the Panamanian material was reared.

The type material of S. mesoamericanus was examined by the first author (see also Nieves-Aldrey 2005). The Panamanian specimens differ from the Guatemalan specimens in their relatively larger size, longer radial cell and the R1 vein being more pigmented along the margin of the forewing, the radial cell appearing unambiguously closed, differently than previously stated in the diagnosis of the species ( Ritchie & Shorthouse 1987). For this reason, we do not discard the possibility that our Panamanian specimen materials could correspond to a different closely related species. We prefer not to describe the material as new until further comparisons are made with freshly collected materials from the type locality in Guatemala, which could elucidate this question in the future. Additional descriptive data

Female (habitus, Fig. 18 View FIGURE 18 D). Head in dorsal view ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 E) 2 times as wide as long; genae not expanded behind compound eye. POL 0.9 as OOL, posterior ocellus separated from inner orbit of eye by 1.9 times its diameter. Head in anterior view ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 D) 1.2 times wider than high. Facial carinae reaching ventral margin of eye and ventral margin of toruli; dorsally extended to frons and branched near margin compound eye. Ventral margin of clypeus straight. Frons with irregular branched frontal carinae reaching ocelli, grosere piliferous punctures present ( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 D, 3E). Vertex and occiput without some rugae.

Female antenna with 14 segments ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 H). Pedicel 1.3 as long as wide; F1 1.5 times as long as F2. Ultimate flagellomere 1.8 times as long as F11. F1 of male curved in de middle and moderately expanded apically.

Pronotum without a lateral pronotal carina. Lateral surface of pronotum with rugose sculpture. Mesoscutum ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 E) with transverse, undulate, interrupted rugae. Notauli percurrent, convergent posteriorly and wider than transscutal fissure; narrowly separated at meeting with the trasscutal fissure. Median mesoscutal impression present, extending anteriorly about 2/3 of length of mesoscutum. Scutellar foveae ellipsoidal, anterior margins widely divergent from the trasscutal fissure, posterior margins indistinct. Scutellum not margined laterally, with rugose sculpture. Mesopleuron ( Fig. 10 View FIGURE 10 D) with strong longitudinal, irregular striae, the striated sculpture extended into the speculum; coriarious sculpture visible in the interspaces, anterodorsally and ventrally. Lateral propodeal carinae distinct, broad, slightly convergent posteriorly.

Tarsal claw ( Fig. 16 View FIGURE 16 D) with base produced into a secondary acute tooth measuring about 1/2 of length of apical tooth.

Forewing ( Fig. 17 View FIGURE 17 D). Veins of radial cell well pigmented, the radial cell appearing unambiguously closed areolet distinct; vein Rs+M visible. Basal cell with dense, closely spaced setae. Apical margin of wing with a short fringe of setae.

Metasoma ( Fig. 13 View FIGURE 13 D). Metasomal tergum T2+3 fused, smooth and shining, without micropunctures, covering almost 2/3 of metasoma; anteromedian area with a group of setae extending towards dorsal region of targeted. Projecting part of hypopygial spine quite extended beyond attachment of lateral flap ( Fig. 15 View FIGURE 15 F); apical setae not projected beyond apex spine.

Distribution. Recorded previously from Guatemala and now from Panama (Volcán Barú).

Biology. The available biological data indicate that this species is a specialist inquiline associated with large tuberose galls induced by Andricus species in Panama and Guatemala ( Fig. 21 View FIGURE 21 B).