Andricus menkei Melika & Abrahamson, 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 : 49-52

Andricus menkei Melika & Abrahamson , sp. nov.

Figs. 172–182

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:20F0716C-4C44-4BD6-8BD2-12F28B0F2739

Type material: HOLOTYPE female “ Florida, Dade-Metropolitan Co., Coral Gables Deering Estate Pinelands, leg. G. Melika , 23 February 1995 adult emerge 1995.03.17., ex Quercus pumila ” . PARATYPE: one female with the same labels as the holotype. The holotype, paratype are deposited at the PHDNRL .

Diagnosis. The galls resemble those of Callirhytis quercusgemmaria ( Ashmead, 1885) . However, the small ribbed galls of C. quercusgemmaria are in clusters surrounding twigs, green and nectar-secreting when young, later turning grey-green and dehiscing. In contrast, galls of Andricus menkei are solitary and are not known to secrete nectar. In C. quercusgemmaria the POL is at least 3.0× as long as OOL, the head in front view higher than broad, the gena only slightly broadened behind the eye, the mesoscutum very densely and distinctly punctate, the notaulus reaches to half the length of the mesoscutum, the head and mesosoma are black or dark brown, while in A. menkei the POL is only slightly longer than OOL, the head in front view broader than high, the gena distinctly broadened behind the eye, clearly visible from front view, the mesoscutum is finely coriaceous, the notaulus complete, reaches pronotum; the head and mesosoma reddish brown.

Description. Asexual female ( Figs. 172–182 ). Head and mesosoma uniformly rusty brown, basal half of metasoma rusty brown, the remainder dark brown; antennae and legs uniformly light brown.

Head alutaceous, with sparse white setae, denser on lower face, 1.2× as broad as high and slightly broader than mesosoma in frontal view, 1.9× as broad as long in dorsal view. Gena alutaceous, broadened behind eye in frontal view, broader than transverse diameter of eye in lateral view. Malar space alutaceous, glabrous, with delicate striae radiating from clypeus and nearly reaching eye; 2.5× as high as height of malar space. Inner margins of eyes parallel. POL 1.95× as long as OOL; OOL 1.7× as long as diameter of lateral ocellus and nearly equal to LOL; all ocelli ovate, of same size. Transfacial distance 1.2× as long as height of eye; diameter of antennal torulus 1.4× as long as distance between them, distance between torulus and eye 1.4× as long as diameter of torulus; lower face alutaceous, glabrous, with white setae, without striae; slightly elevated median area alutaceous, glabrous, without setae. Clypeus quadrangular, nearly as broad as high, smooth, glabrous, with a few long setae; ventrally rounded, emarginate, without median incision; anterior tentorial pit large, rounded, epistomal sulcus and clypeopleurostomal line broad, well impressed. Frons and interocellar area alutaceous, without striae, with a few short setae. Vertex, occiput, postocciput, postgena uniformly alutaceous, with sparse white setae; posterior tentorial pit large, ovate, area below impressed; occipital foramen slightly higher than height of postgenal bridge; hypostomal carina emarginate, continuing into postgenal sulci which run parallel towards occipital foramen, postgenal bridge anteriorly and posteriorly of same width. Antenna longer than head+mesosoma, with 12 flagellomeres, pedicel 1.8× as long as broad, flagellomeres slightly broadened till apex, F1 1.9× as long as pedicel and 1.2× as long as F2; F2 1.3× as long as F3; F3 slightly longer than F4, subsequent flagellomeres shorter, nearly equal in length, F12 1.7× as long as F11; placodeal sensilla on F2–F12.

Mesosoma 1.3× as long as high, with sparse short white setae. Pronotum glabrous, rugose, with net of irregular rugae laterally; propleuron smooth, glabrous. Mesoscutum uniformly alutaceous, with sparse white setae; slightly longer than broad (greatest width measured across mesoscutum at level of base of tegulae). Notaulus complete, deep, broad, with smooth, glabrous bottom, posteriorly broader and slightly converging; anterior parallel and parapsidal lines indistinct, hardly traceable, indicated by smoother surface; median mesoscutal line absent; circumscutellar carina narrow, smooth, reaching notaulus. Mesoscutellum trapezoid, broader in posterior 1/3, posteriorly rounded, uniformly dull rugose; overhanging metanotum; mesoscutellar foveae separated by broad elevated coriaceous central carina, transverse, broader than high, with smooth, glabrous bottom. Mesopleuron and speculum uniformly alutaceous, glabrous, with a few setae ventrally; mesopleural triangle smooth, glabrous, with some irregular striae and some setae; dorsal and lateral axillar areas smooth, glabrous, with a few white short setae; subaxillular bar smooth, glabrous, most posterior part slightly higher than height of metanotal trough; metapleural sulcus reaching mesopleuron at half height, upper part of sulcus distinct. Metascutellum coriaceous, as high as height of smooth, glabrous ventral impressed area; metanotal trough smooth, glabrous, without setae; central propodeal area smooth, glabrous, with some delicate subparallel longitudinal rugae; lateral propodeal carinae subparallel; lateral propodeal area smooth, glabrous, with long dense white setae, especially in posterior half. Nucha with numerous sulci dorsally and laterally. Tarsal claws simple, without basal lobe.

Forewing longer than body, hyaline, margin with long dense cilia, veins pale yellow, radial cell open, 3.3× as long as broad; R1 and Rs reaching wing margin; areolet triangular, indistinct, Rs+M inconspicuous, traceable along 1/3 of length, its projection reaching basalis in lower half of its height.

Metasoma as long as head+mesosoma, slightly longer than high in lateral view; second metasomal tergite extending over half the length of metasoma in dorsal view, with dense white setae anterolaterally, with band of micropunctures posteriorly; subsequent tergites with dense micropunctures. Hypopygium with micropunctures, prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium as long as broad in ventral view, with a few short setae ventrally which do not extend beyond apex of spine. Body length 2.0– 2.1 mm (n = 2).

Galls. Unilocular stem galls, usually solitary or rarely in pairs (very rarely threes) that burst through the bark as they develop. The gall surface is marked with parallel longitudinal ribs. When attacked by parasitoids and inquilines the galls do not dehisce but enlarge, become woody and remain on tree over the winter.

Biology. Only the asexual generation is known, which induces dehiscent bud galls on Q. pumila . The larva overwinters in the gall; adults emerge in March.

Distribution. Florida, Dade-Metropolitan Co., Deering Estate Pinelands, Coral Gables.

Figures

FIGURES 172–177. Andricus menkei Melika & Abrahamson, sp. nov., asexual generation, female. 172–175, head: 172, frontal view, 173, posterior view, 174, lateral view 175, dorsal view. 176, antenna. 177, mesosoma, lateral view.

FIGURES 178–182. Andricus menkei Melika &Abrahamson, sp. nov., asexual generation, female. 178–179, mesosoma, dorsal view. 180, metascutellum and propodeum, posterodorsal view. 181, forewing, part. 182, metasoma, lateral view.