Synergus laticephalus Nieves-Aldrey & Medianero

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 : 6-7

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.276876
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6189354
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A487F3-FFF7-C60D-FF2A-64A8FB39EE43
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Synergus laticephalus Nieves-Aldrey & Medianero
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Synergus laticephalus Nieves-Aldrey & Medianero sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 B, 3C, 5B, 7E, 8B, 10E, 13B, 15B, 17A, 18C)

Type material. Holotype ̩ ( Fig. 18 View FIGURE 18 C) (in MNCN, Madrid, Spain), card-mounted. Cat. nº 2096). PANAMA, Chiriquí, Boquete, El Salto, 8º 47' 32.08” N, 82º 27' 37.09” W, 1,431 m; ex gall of an unidentified cynipid genus on twigs of Quercus salicifolia Née (Fagaceae) ( Fig. 22 View FIGURE 22 G), gall collected 19.vii.2008, E. Medianero leg. Paratypes: 4̩, same data as holotype.

Additionally, 1̩ paratype of the type series was dissected for SEM observations (in the MNCN).

Etymology. Named after the short, wide shape of its head.

Diagnosis and comments. This species is closely related to S. elegans , being similar in color, habitus and a majority of its morphological characters. It differs with respect to a more transverse head in dorsal view, which is more than 2.5 times as wide as long; POL about 1.2 as long as OOL and OOL more than two times the diameter of a lateral ocellus. Notauli are percurrent in S. laticephalus . Furthermore, F1 is as long as F2, while it is longer than F 2 in S. elegans , and the malar distance is as long as the eye (0.6 times as long as eye in S. elegans ).

Description. Body length 2.64 mm (range 2.53–2.77; N = 5) for females. Male unknown.

Head yellow-red with frons and vertex medially and occiput black. Mesosoma black; metasoma dorsally black, and reddish ventrally; tegulae yellow. Antenna dirty yellowish; legs entirely yellowish, excepting metacoxae with reddish coloration basally. Forewing hyaline, with dirty yellow veins.

Female. Head in dorsal view ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 C) 2.7 times wider than long. Gena not expanded behind compound eye. POL 1.2 times longer than OOL, posterior ocellus separated from inner orbit of eye by 2.3 times its diameter. Head in anterior view ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 B) wide, trapezoid, 1.4 times wider than high, genae straight, not expanded. Face weakly pubescent. Face with marked, regular, irradiating carinae from clypeus, reaching ventral margin of eye and ventral margin of toruli; laterally to the toruli some rugae extended dorsally towards frons; the carinae are present laterally and medially on the face. Ventral margin of clypeus sinuate, slightly not projecting over mandibles ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 B). Malar space as long as height of compound eye. Toruli situated mid-height of compound eye; distance between antennal rim and compound eye as wide as antennal socket including rim. Frons alutaceous, not punctuate, without visible frontal carinae ( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 B, 3C). Vertex and occiput without rugae or punctures. Head posterior view and mouthparts as S. elegans .

Antenna with 14 segments ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 B); flagellum filiform. Relative lengths of antennal segments: 23:13:26:26:22:20:17:16:14:14:12:12:12:20; Pedicel 1.8 as long as wide; F1 as long as F2. Ultimate flagellomere 2.8 times longer than wide, 1.6 times as long as F11. Placodeal sensillae on F8–F11 disposed in one single row of 2–4 visible sensillae in each flagellomere.

Mesosoma. Pronotum with lateral margins rounded, without a lateral pronotal carina. Lateral surface of pronotum with coriarious sculpture. Mesoscutum ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 B) with weak coriarious-alutaceous-sculpture. Notauli percurrent, well impressed but narrow, posteriorly not wider than transscutal fissure; not strongly converging posteriorly, widely separated at meeting with the trasscutal fissure. Median mesoscutal impression invisible, at most indicated as an obsolete median depression. Anteroadmedian signa scarcely visible. Scutellar foveae superficial, smooth, quadrangular, posterior margins indistinct. Scutellum with coriarious sculpture and some transversal rugae visible; dorsal surface with a distinct sharp margin posteriorly and posterolaterally ( Figs. 8 View FIGURE 8 B, 10E). Mesopleuron ( Fig. 10 View FIGURE 10 E) with weak longitudinal, regular striae, the interspaces smooth, not extended ventrally and dorsolaterally, at the speculum ( Fig. 10 View FIGURE 10 F).

Metapectal-propodeal complex as in S. elegans . Lateral propodeal carinae distinct, broad, subparallel, slightly curved.

Legs. Tarsal claw with base produced into a secondary acute tooth measuring about 1/3 of length of apical tooth.

Forewing ( Fig. 17 View FIGURE 17 A). Slightly longer than body. Radial cell 2.4 times longer than wide. R1 depigmented along margin of radial cell, the radial cell appearing ambiguously closed ( Fig. 17 View FIGURE 17 A); radius more heavily pigmented; areolet indistinct; vein Rs+M invisible. Basal cell with dense, closely spaced setae. Apical margin of wing with a moderately long fringe of setae.

Metasoma ( Fig. 13 View FIGURE 13 B). As long as head plus mesosoma. First metasomal tergum longitudinally sulcate dorsally and laterally. Metasomal tergum T2+3 fused, smooth and shining, without micropunctures, covering almost the entire metasoma; anteromedian area only with a row of 5–7 setae. Projecting part of hypopygial spine not quite extended beyond attachment of lateral flap ( Fig. 15 View FIGURE 15 B); apical setae projected beyond apex spine.

Distribution. Found at a single site near Boquete ( Panama, Chiriqui), altitude 1,400 m.

Biology. This new species was reared from unidentified galls on Quercus salicifolia ( Quercus, Lobata section). The host gall is irregularly spherical on twigs, falling to the ground when mature ( Fig. 22 View FIGURE 22 G). Unfortunately the gall inducer host cynipid was not reared and could not been identified, even to the generic level.