Kinseyella quercusobtusata Pujade-Villar & Melika

J. Pujade-Villar, S. Romero-Rangel, Chagoyán-García, A. Equihua-Martínez, E. G. Estrada-Venegas & G. Melika, 2010, A new genus of oak gallwasps, Kinseyella Pujade-Villar & Melika, with a description of a new species from Mexico (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini), Zootaxa 2335, pp. 16-28 : 19-25

Kinseyella quercusobtusata Pujade-Villar & Melika , new species

Figs 1–5

Type material. HOLOTYPE female: MEXICO, San Luis Anahuac (2545 m., Municipio de Villa del Carbón, Estado de México), code C2F24S1 Chagoyan leg.; ex. Q. obtusata (11.May.2005) 24.September.2005: 1 female; Kinseyella quercusobtusata P-V & M det., asexual gen.; Holotype Kinseyella quercusobtusata ” (red label). Three female PARATYPES: one female: San Luis Anahuac (2545 m., Municipio de Villa del Carbón, Estado de México, México), code C2F1S1 Chagoyan leg., ex. Q. obtusata , (11.May.2005) 18.August.2005; one female: Tepotzotlán (2250 m., Estado de México), code C1C1F1 Chagoyan leg., ex. Q. obtusata , (09.Setember.2007) 18.Setember.2007: 1 female; one female: Arcos del Sitio (2352 m., Municipio de Tepotzotlán, Estado de México), code C4F1S4 Chagoyan leg., ex Q. obtusata , (09.Setember.2007) 18. Setember.2007. The holotype female and 1 female paratype (code C2F1S1) are deposited in the collection of UB, one female paratype (code C1C1F1) in the collection of PDL, and one female paratype (code C4F1S4) in the collection of CP.

Etymology. The species is named after the host plant, Q. obtusata , which on it induces galls.

Diagnosis. Kinseyella quercusobtusata is most closely related to Kinseyella lapiei (Kieffer) , comb nova, known also from Mexico. In the uniformly amber K. lapiei genae behind eye 1.3 times as broad as the cross diameter of eye (measuring along the transfacial line); the clypeus impressed around its limits, elevated in the middle; the propodeum with very superficial but complete lateral propodeal carinae, however, the sculpture of the central propodeal area nearly the same as laterally; the projecting part of the ventral spine of the hypopygium is short, not longer than broad; the metasomal tergites are alutaceous-reticulate dorsally and laterally. In K. quercusobtusata the body is brown-testaceous and the mesoscutum with longitudinal dark stripes; the gena behind the eye as broad as the cross diameter of the eye; the clypeus uniformly impressed, flat, not elevated in the middle; the propodeum with indistinct, incomplete lateral propodeal carinae, the sculpture of the central propodeal area the same as laterally; the prominent part of the ventral spine of the hypopygium is nearly 2.0 times as long as broad; the metasomal tergites smooth dorsally, alutaceous laterally.

Description. ASEXUAL FEMALE (holotype). Head and mesosoma uniformly; metasoma redtestaceous, dorsally lighter; all legs uniformly brown.

Head uniformly coriaceous, covered with short dense white setae, narrower than mesosoma, 1.5 times as broad as high, 2.3 times as broad as long from above, trapezoid in front view; gena strongly broadened behind eye, as broad as cross diameter of eye (measuring along transfacial line); malar space without sulcus, 0.4 times as long as eye height, with very delicate short striae, radiating from clypeus and nearly reaching eye margin; POL:OOL:LOL=7:3:3, diameter of lateral ocellus slighly less than length of LOL; lower face and frons without or with very delicate striae. Clypeus impressed, flat, rounded, delicately coriaceous, rounded and broadly emarginated ventrally, medially not incised, anterior tentorial pits small, indistinct; epistomal sulcus and clypeo-pleurostomal line distinct, broad, impressed. Antenna with 12 flagellomeres; F1 slightly longer than F2, F2 broader distally; subsequent flagellomeres progressively shorter, F12 longer than F11. Antennal formula: 5: 4(x2.5): 9(x1.5): 8(x2): 6: 5.5: 5: 4: 3: 3: 3: 3: 3: 4. All flagellomeres with placodeal sensilla.

Mesosoma longer than high, slightly concave laterally. Pronotum coriaceous laterally, with few weak striae posteriorly, anterolateral rim of pronotum strongly carinated, with deep invagination along the side.

Mesoscutum slightly broader than long; microreticulate, rugose-reticulate anterolaterally, between notauli and anterior parallel lines. Notauli incomplete and superficial, extending the most to 2/3 length of mesoscutum, median mesoscutal line in a form of very short triangle, if longer than very superficial; parapsidal lines indistinct, anterior parallel lines differentiated by more delicate sculpture. Mesoscutellum rounded, as long as broad, uniformly dull rugose; with transverse depression anteriorly, with longitudinally carinated, shiny bottom. Mesopleuron coriaceus, with dense white setae. Propodeum weakly and uniformly rugulose, with dense setae; lateral propodeal carinae indistinct, incomplete or absent, central propodeal area of the same sculpture as lateral areas. Metascutellum subrectangular, coriaceous. Ventral bar of metanotal trough shiny, smooth, slightly higher than metanotal trough, which delicately coriaceous, shiny, with setae and some parallel longitudinal carina. Tarsal claws with distinct lobe. Forewing 1.15 times longer than body, weakly brown-infuscated, with uniform dense setae and cilia on margins; radial cell opened, around 3.0 times as long as broad; veins dark brown, areolet triangular, closed.

Metasoma as long as head+mesosoma, as high as long; all metasomal tergites with dense white setae laterally, smooth dorsally, alutaceous laterally. Ventral spine of hypopygium short, nearly 2.0 times as long as broad, with parallel sides along entire length, without narrowing to a point at apex, with tuft of long subapical setae, reaching far beyond apex. Body length 4.1–4.2 mm (n=4).

Gall ( Fig. 4 ). A leaf gall, almost always on the underside, usually attached to the midrib, more rarely on the lateral veins or leaf petiole. Usually one gall per leaf, sometimes two-three. Unilocular, approximately spherical, 20–40 mm in diameter, yellowish and tinged with pink and red when mature, the surface with dense rusty-brown felt-like pubescence. The gall is very fragile, with a very thin external wall. The hard larval chamber is 3–4 mm in diameter, with 2–3 mm thick hard wall, in rusty dense hairs and located in the centre of the gall, supported by numerous radiating brown fibres.

Biology. Only the asexual generation of this species is known, inducing leaf galls on Q. obtusata (Section Quercus ‘ sensu stricto ’). The gall starts to develop in summer and mature in autumn; adults start to emerge in late autumn and probably prolong the winter. This is the first record of a cynipid gallwasp on this endemic Mexican oak species, characteristics of which are given in Romero-Rangel et al. (2002), Flores-Maya et al. (2006) and Rodriguez-Rivera & Romero-Rangel (2007).

Distribution. Adults currently known only from Mexico: Estado de México. Galls were collected in the following counties: Tepotzotlan, Villa del Carbón, Chapa de Mota y Villa Nicolás Romero.

Kinseyella lapiei (Kieffer) , comb. nova

Disholcaspis lapiei Kieffer, 1911: 346 –347 (female, gall); Melika & Abrahamson, 2002. Holcaspis weldi Beutenmueller, 1911: 86 –87 (female, gall).

Adleria lapiei: Weld (1952) ; Burnett (1977).

Studied material. Type material of Disholcaspis lapiei probably lost. Authors (JP-V and GM) were unable to locate the type. Weld (1952) stated that the holotype is deposited in the Zoological Museum of the University in Berlin and presumably it was examined by him. Requests for a loan of the type sent to many European museums, where some Kieffer cynipid types known to be deposited, were failed, curators were unable to locate the type. Thus, the authors thing that the type of D. lapiei is lost. However, the original description of D. lapiei does agree with examined D. weldi females and galls and thus we accept Weld’s (1952) synonymization. Type material of Holcaspis weldi : LECTOTYPE female designated herein (JP-V): “mex” (handwrite); “cotype” (red label); “ Holcaspis weldi Beut. ” (handwrite); “ Type 2084” (red label); “ Lectotype design. J. P-V 2009” (red label); “ Kinseyella lapiei (Kieffer) det. J.P-V”. Eight female PARALECTOTYPES: 1 female with the same labels as the lectotype in MCZ; 3 females:” Type ” (red label), ”City of Mex.”, ” Holcaspis weldi Beutm. ”,”Beut. Coll. rec-d. 1935.”,”Acc 36986.” in AMNH, and 4 females: “ Mex.: Ajusco 9985 Sept 1910 T.Barbour”, Weld’s handwriting label “ Disholcaspis weldi Beut. exch. with MCZ July 1921 “ in USNM.

Diagnosis. See diagnosis to K. quercusobtusata .

Gall. The galls are similar to K. quercusobtusata , sometimes larger, reaching 55 mm in diameter.

Biology. Only the asexual generation of this species is known, inducing twig and leaf galls on Q. reticulata (Section Quercus ‘ sensu stricto ’). The gall starts to develop in summer (Kieffer 1911) and mature in autumn; adults start to emerge in October (Beutenmueller 1911).

Distribution. Currently known only from Mexico. Galls were collected from El Parque at 2300m a.s.l., near Cuernavaca (Estado de Morelos) (Kieffer 1911) and Ajusco (Distrito Federal) according to Beutenmueller’s labels.

Comments. Originally Kinseyella lapiei was described by Kieffer (1911) as Disholcaspis lapiei . Kinsey (1937a) suggested that D. lapiei Kieffer probably a synonym of D. weldi (Beutenmueller) (= Holcaspis weldi Beutenmueller , not Cynips weldi Beutenmueller ). However, Kinsey (1937a) suggestion for the synonymization of D. lapiei to D. weldi was erroneous from the point of view of ICZN, and what was correctly mentioned by Weld (1952). Chronologically, D. lapiei was described before H. weldi , which is a junior synonym, and thus Weld (1952) was right when synonymized H. weldi to D. lapiei . Later, Weld (1952) placed it in Adleria Rohwer & Fagan. Burnett (1977) provisionally treated lapiei also as Adleria ; Melika & Abrahamson (2002) re-established the Disholcaspis combination. On the other hand, the genus Holcaspis Mayr , where H. weldi has been described, was preoccupied by Chadour 186- for Coleoptera and, thus Dalla Torre & Kieffer (1910) established Disholcaspis as new genus name for Holcaspis sensu Mayr.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Kinseyella quercusobtusata, new species: a, head, front view; b, head, dorsal view; c, clypeus, dorsal view; d, head, posterior view; e, antenna.

FIGURE 2. Kinseyella quercusobtusata, new species: a, forewing; b, mesosoma, lateral view.

FIGURE 3. Kinseyella quercusobtusata, new species: a, mesoscutum, dorsal view; b, mesoscutellum, dorsal view; c, metascutellum and propodeum, postero-dorsal view; d, tarsal claw, hind leg.

FIGURE 4. Kinseyella quercusobtusata, new species: a, metasoma, lateral view; b – c, ventral spine of hypopygium: b, lateral view, c, ventral view.

FIGURE 5. Kinseyella quercusobtusata, new species, gall: a, mature galls, general view; b, dissected gall, showing the inner structure of the gall; c, dissected gall, showing the lighter inner larval chamber.