Andricus coconinoensis Melika, Nicholls & Stone, 2021

Melika, George, Nicholls, James A., Abrahamson, Warren G., Buss, Eileen A. & Stone, Graham N., 2021, New species of Nearctic oak gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae, Cynipini), Zootaxa 5084 (1), pp. 1-131 : 25-28

Andricus coconinoensis Melika, Nicholls & Stone , sp. nov.

Figs. 77–88

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:937DAF1F-8D20-49EA-AD69-840DE6304DE1

Type material: HOLOTYPE female “ USA, Arizona, 5 km N of Payson , leg. J. Nicholls, 2008.04.12. Code AZ1865, spAZb8; ex Q. turbinella ” . PARATYPES: three females and 2 males; 3 females with the same labels as the holotype, 2 males “ USA, Arizona, Molino Basin campground, Santa Catalina Mnts. , leg. J. Nicholls, 2008.04.09. Code AZ1886, spAZb8; ex Q. oblongifolia ”. The holotype female is deposited at the USNM , 3 females and 2 males at the PHDNRL .

Etymology. The species is named after the Coconino County in Arizona where it was first found.

Diagnosis. Andricus coconinoensis induces a small bud gall on Q. turbinella and Q. oblongifolia ( Fig. 88 ). Only two other described Andricus species are known to induce bud galls in the southwest of the USA: Andricus cellularius Gillette, 1892 and A. multicostatus Weld, 1952 . In A. coconinoensis the tarsal claws are simple, without a basal lobe, while in the other two species the tarsal claws have a basal lobe. Also resembles A. chiricahuensis . In A. cococinoensis the mesosoma is uniformly light brown, the mesoscutum smooth, glabrous, notaulus complete, the median mesoscutal line in the form of a short triangle, the mesoscutellum rectangular, lateral propodeal carinae bent slightly outwards in their posterior half, the metasoma is longer than high in lateral view, while in A.chiricahuensis the mesosoma is dark brown, the mesoscutum uniformly alutaceous, notaulus incomplete, extending to 2/3 of mesoscutum length, the median mesoscutal line absent, the mesoscutellum trapezoid, lateral propodeal carinae bent outwards at their mid height; the metasoma is higher than long in lateral view.

Description. Sexual female ( Figs. 77–87 ). Head dark brown, except light brown lower face, mesosoma uniformly light brown; maxillary and labial palpi yellow; scapus and last three flagellomeres dark brown, rest of antennae yellow; legs light brown to yellowish; metasoma dark brown.

Head alutaceous, with contrasting sparse white setae, nearly as broad as long and slightly broader than mesosoma in frontal view, 1.9× as broad as long in dorsal view. Gena alutaceous, not broadened behind eye, 1.5× as short as transverse diameter of eye. Malar space alutaceous, glabrous, with a few distinct parallel striae radiating from clypeus and reaching eye; eye 2.4× as high as length of malar space. Inner margins of eyes converging ventrally. POL 1.7× as broad as OOL, OOL 1.8× as long as diameter of lateral ocellus and 1.2× as long as LOL; all ocelli ovate, of same size. Transfacial distance 1.2× as long as height of eye; diameter of antennal torulus 1.7× as long as distance between them, distance between torulus and eye 1.4× as long as diameter of torulus; lower face alutaceous, glabrous, without striae and setae, slightly elevated median area smooth, glabrous, with few setae. Clypeus smooth, glabrous, rectangular, 1.6× as broad as high; ventrally rounded, not emarginate, without median incision; anterior tentorial pit large, rounded, epistomal sulcus distinct, deep, clypeo-pleurostomal line well impressed. Frons alutaceous, glabrous with few setae and without striae; interocellar area elevated, alutaceous, with some setae. Vertex, postgena alutaceous, with rare white setae; occiput and postocciput smooth, glabrous, without setae; posterior tentorial pit small, rounded, area below impressed; occipital foramen shorter than height of postgenal bridge; hypostomal carina emarginate, continuing into postgenal sulci which diverge strongly; anteriorly postgenal bridge as broad as occipital foramen. Antenna longer than head+mesosoma, with 12 flagellomeres; pedicel slightly longer than broad; flagellomeres slightly broadened till apex; F1 1.7× as long as pedicel and 1.1× as long as F2; F2 1.2× as long as F3; F3=F4, F5–F11 nearly equal in length, F12 1.6× as long as F11, placodeal sensilla on F3–F12.

Mesosoma 1.2× as long as high. Pronotum smooth, glabrous, with row of dense setae along anterolateral margin; propleuron uniformly smooth, glabrous. Mesoscutum smooth, glabrous, slightly longer than broad (greatest width measured across mesoscutum at level of base of tegulae), with some scattered, white setae; setae denser anteriorly alongside notaulus. Notaulus complete, broader posteriorly and converging; bottom of notaulus smooth, glabrous; anterior parallel line invisible; parapsidal line indistinct; median mesoscutal line in the form of a short triangle; circumscutellar carina reaching notaulus. Mesoscutellum rectangular, slightly longer than broad, with subparallel sides, smooth, glabrous, with some irregular rugae posteriorly and posterolaterally, posteriorly rounded, overhanging metanotum. Mesoscutellar foveae separated by elevated central carina, rounded, with smooth, glabrous bottom. Mesopleuron and speculum uniformly smooth, glabrous, with a few setae anteroventrally; mesopleural triangle smooth, glabrous, with some delicate rugae, with sparse white setae; dorsal and lateral axillar areas smooth, with a few white setae; subaxillular bar smooth, glabrous, posterior part as high as height of metanotal trough; metapleural sulcus reaching mesopleuron in upper 1/3, upper part of sulcus indistinct, narrow. Metascutellum smooth, glabrous, as high as height of smooth, glabrous ventral impressed area; metanotal trough smooth, glabrous, without setae; central propodeal area narrow, smooth, glabrous, without rugae; lateral propodeal carinae bent slightly outwards in posterior half; lateral propodeal area smooth, glabrous, with long white setae. Nucha with delicate sulci dorsally and laterally. Tarsal claws simple, without basal lobe.

Forewing longer than body, hyaline, margin with long, dense cilia, veins dark brown, radial cell open, 4.5× as long as broad; R1and Rs reaching wing margin; areolet triangular, closed, distinct. Rs+M distinct at 3/4 of distance to basalis and its projection reaching basalis at mid height.

Metasoma as long as head+mesosoma, longer than high in lateral view; second metasomal tergite extending to half the length of metasoma in dorsal view, with white setae anterolaterally; all tergites smooth, glabrous, without micropunctures. Hypopygium without micropunctures, prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium 5.4× as long as broad in ventral view, with some setae ventrally which not extend beyond apex of spine. Body length 1.3–1.5 mm (n = 4).

Male. Similar to female, but eyes bigger, ratio of malar space length to height of eye greater than in female; ocelli slightly bigger; antenna longer than body, with 13 flagellomeres, F1 slightly curved, apically slightly swollen. Body length 1.2–1.3 mm (n = 2).

Gall ( Fig. 88 ). A small unilocular bud gall, roughly spherical, about 3 mm in diameter, with a smooth hard surface. Pale brown colour, sometimes with a slight darker brown mottled pattern. Similar to or possibly the same as the undescribed gall in Figure 20 of Weld (1960).

Biology. Only a sexual generation is known,which induces galls on Q.arizonica , Q.turbinella and Q.oblongifolia . Adults emerged in April. Despite coming from different locations, the pairing of male and female collections was confirmed using DNA data, with cytb sequences differing by 1.15% (GenBank OK346262 – OK346263 ) and ITS2 sequences differing only by an insertion of a single dinucleotide repeat unit ( OK350628 – OK350629 ).

Distribution. USA, Arizona: Santa Catalina Mountains, Chiricahua Mountains, Mogollon Rim.

Figures

FIGURE 88. Andricus coconinoensis Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., galls.

FIGURES 77–81. Andricus coconinoensis Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., sexual generation, female. 77–79, head: 77, frontal view, 78, posterior view, 79, dorsal view. 80, antenna. 81, forewing.

FIGURES 82–87. Andricus coconinoensis Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., sexual generation, female. 82, mesosoma and propleura, frontal view, 83, mesosoma, lateral view, 84–85, mesosoma, dorsal view, 86, metascutellum and propodeum, posterodorsal view, 87, metasoma, lateral view.

FIGURES 18–23. Andricus archboldi Melika & Abrahamson, sp. nov., asexual generation, female. 18–21, head: 18, frontal view, 19, dorsal view, 20, posterior view, 21, lateral view. 22, antenna. 23, forewing, part.