Synergus gifuensis Ashmead, 1904

Schwéger, Szabina, Melika, George, Tang, Chang-Ti, Bihari, Péter, Bozsó, Miklós, Stone, Graham N., Nicholls, James A. & Pénzes, Zsolt, 2015, New species of cynipid inquilines of the genus Synergus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Synergini) from the Eastern Palaearctic, Zootaxa 3999 (4), pp. 451-497 : 485-486

Synergus gifuensis Ashmead, 1904

Synonyms: Synergus atamiensis Ashmead, 1904 , syn. nova. The type female labelled as ”Atami”, ” Japan, Koebele” red label ”Female Type No.7306 USNM”, Ashmead’s handwritten label „ Synergus atamiensis ” was examined by the authors. The type partially damaged, lacking antennae, only F1–F3 from one antenna are attached to the head; all the other parts of the insect are in good condition. The species was described from two females (Ashmead 1904). Since the original description nobody did not refer to this species from Japan or the Eastern Palaearctic. Detailed examination of the type and comparison with other species showed that there are no appreciable characters based on which it can continue to be treated as a valid species. We synonymize it with S. gifuensis .

Synergus gifuensis was described from three specimens (Ashmead 1904). The type female labelled as ” Y, Nawa, Gifu, Jap. det. 1902”, red label ”Female Type No.7304 USNM”, Ashmead’s handwritten label ” Synergus gifuensis ” was examined by the authors. Abe (1990) referred to this species as Synergus japonicus type B. which appeared to be univoltine and arrhenotokous. Adults emerge from asexual galls of Andricus mukaigawae in early June. Galls of A. mukaigawae inhabited by S. gifuensis are usually larger than those inhabited by S. japonicus , and the inquiline larval cells are usually separated by a woody wall inside the host gall ( Abe 1990, 1992, Pujade-Villar et al. 2002). A detailed description of the adults, species diagnosis and additional data on hosts (galls of the asexual generation of A. kashiwaphilus ), are given by Pujade-Villar et al. (2014). We reared this species from galls of A. mukaigawae , collected in Japan (Hokkaido) and the Far East of Russia, Primorskij Kraj (Khazan Lake).