Neuroterus aliceae 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 : 94-99

Neuroterus aliceae Melika, Nicholls & Stone , sp. nov.

Figs. 344–367

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:23F3C805-6588-4327-8BDA-6FA255705A33

Alternate asexual and sexual generations are described.

Etymology. Named after Alice I. Nicholls, daughter of Dr. J. A. Nicholls (Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, UK and Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO, Canberra).

Asexual generation

Figs. 344–351 , 367

Type material: HOLOTYPE female “ USA, Arizona, Molino Basin campground, Santa Catalina Mtns. , leg. J. Nicholls, 2007.10.28. Code AZ632, spAZl7; ex Quercus oblongifolia ” . PARATYPES: 26 females with the same labels as the holotype, 3 with the same collecting code, others with the following codes: AZ629— 1 female, AZ637— 1 female, AZ638— 3 females, AZ645— 3 females, AZ651— 1 female, AZ652— 5 females, AZ654— 1 female, AZ656— 1 female, AZ657— 2 females, AZ658— 1 female, AZ660— 1 female, AZ662— 1 female, AZ664— 2 females. The holotype and 3 female paratypes are deposited at the USNM , 23 female paratypes at the PHDNRL .

Diagnosis. Neuroterus alicae belongs to Kinsey’s subgenus Diplobius . The asexual generation of Neuroterus aliceae induces dehiscent leaf galls on Q. oblongifoliae . The only previously known Neuroterus species from the US southwest to induce detachable leaf galls, N. argentatus Weld, 1944 asexual generation, induces small, flat, rounded spangle galls on the underside of the leaves of Q. gambelii , Q. oblongifolia and Q. turbinella , which are obviously different from the aggregated brown fluffy leaf galls induced by N. aliceae .

Description. Asexual female ( Figs. 344–351 ). Head, mesosoma and metasoma dark brown to black; mandibles, maxillary and labial palpi light brown; antennae brown, gradually darker towards apex; legs dark brown.

Head alutaceous, with sparse white setae, denser on lower face and postgena, 1.2× as broad as high and broader than mesosoma in front view, 2.2× as broad as long in dorsal view. Gena alutaceous, slightly broadened behind eye in frontal view, as broad as transverse diameter of eye in lateral view. Malar space alutaceous, with malar sulcus; eye 3.7× as high as length of malar space. Inner margins of eyes parallel. POL 2.7× as long as OOL; OOL 1.4× as long as diameter of lateral ocellus and slightly shorter than LOL; all ocelli ovate, of same size. Transfacial distance length equal to height of eye; diameter of antennal torulus 1.3× as long as distance between them, distance between torulus and eye 1.3× as long as diameter of torulus; lower face and slightly elevated median area uniformly alutaceous, without striae, with some setae. Clypeus trapezoid, alutaceous, broader than high; ventrally rounded, emarginate, without median incision and with a few long setae; anterior tentorial pit large, rounded, epistomal sulcus and clypeo-pleurostomal line distinct, broad. Frons and slightly elevated interocellar area alutaceous, with short white setae. Vertex, occiput, postocciput, postgena alutaceous, with a few setae; occipital foramen slightly shorter than height of postgenal bridge; hypostomal carina emarginate, continuing into postgenal sulci which are not united; postgenal bridge anteriorly as broad as occipital foramen. Antenna slightly longer than head+mesosoma, with 10 flagellomeres, pedicel 1.4× as long as broad, F1 1.5× as long as pedicel and 1.4× as long as F2, F2 slightly longer than F3, F3 shorter than F4, subsequent flagellomeres shorter, nearly equal in length, F12 slightly longer than F11, placodeal sensilla on F2–F12.

Mesosoma slightly longer than high, with a few white setae. Pronotum uniformly alutaceous; propleuron smooth, glabrous, with few setae; anterior margin invaginated, smooth, glabrous, not foveolate. Mesoscutum uniformly alutaceous, with a few setae anteriorly; slightly longer than broad (greatest width measured across mesoscutum at level of base of tegulae). Notaulus, anterior parallel line, parapsidal line and median mesoscutal line absent; circumscutellar carina narrow, extending slightly above tegula. Mesoscutum emarginate posterolaterally, slightly elevated above dorsal axillar area, V-shaped posteriocentrally. Transscutal articulation absent. Mesoscutellum rounded, slightly broader than high, smooth, glabrous, with a few white short setae on disk; anteriorly with short and narrow strongly impressed smooth, glabrous area, not overhanging metanotum. Mesopleuron and speculum alutaceous, glabrous; mesopleural triangle smooth, glabrous, with some delicate rugae; dorsal and lateral axillar areas smooth, glabrous; subaxillular bar smooth, glabrous, triangular, at posterior end higher than height of metanotal trough; metapleural sulcus delimiting smooth, glabrous area, impressed, distinct, reaching mesopleuron in lower half, upper part of sulcus absent, instead some parallel rugae radiating from mesopleuron and reaching subaxillular bar. Metascutellum smooth, glabrous, as high as height of smooth, glabrous ventral impressed area, metanotal trough smooth, glabrous; central propodeal area ovate, broadest at mid height, glabrous, with delicate numerous interrupted rugae, which fill in the entire central propodeal area; no distinct lateral propodeal carinae; lateral propodeal area smooth, glabrous, without setae. Nucha smooth, glabrous, without rugae. Tarsal claws simple, without basal lobe.

Forewing longer than body, hyaline, margin with long dense cilia, veins dark brown, radial cell open, 4.1× as long as broad, R1 and Rs nearly reaching wing margin, areolet triangular, well-delimited, Rs+M distinct along full length, reaching basalis at lower 1/3.

Metasoma as long as head+mesosoma, taller than long in lateral view; second metasomal tergite occupying 1/2 the length of metasoma in dorsal view, without setae anterolaterally, without micropunctures, subsequent tergites smooth, glabrous, without micropunctures. Hypopygium without micropunctures, prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium short, as long as broad in ventral view, with a few setae ventrally which do not extend beyond apex of spine. Body length 1.8–2.1 mm (n = 15).

Gall. ( Fig. 367 ). Brown fluffy leaf galls, consisting of an aggregated group of larval chambers ≥ 5 mm across, on midrib on the underside of leaf. Covered in a dense, somewhat woolly, coat of reddish-brown hairs. Similar in structure to Andricus pattoni ( Bassett, 1881) from Florida.

Sexual generation

Figs. 352–366

Material examined. Seven females and 7 males “ USA, Arizona, Molino Basin campground, Santa Catalina Mtns. , leg. J. Nicholls, 2008.04.09. Code AZ1946, spAZc3; ex Quercus oblongifolia ”; 3 males “ USA, Arizona, Molino Basin campground, Santa Catalina Mtns. , leg. J. Nicholls, 2008.04.09. Code AZ1872, ex Quercus oblongifolia ”, and 3 males “ USA, Arizona, Molino Basin campground, Santa Catalina Mtns. , leg. J. Nicholls, 2008.04.09. Code AZ1887, ex Quercus oblongifolia ” .

Diagnosis. The sexual generation of N. aliceae induces catkin galls on Q. oblongifolia . The only known Neuroterus species from the US southwest which induces flower galls (also on white oaks) is N. floricomus Weld, 1957 , sexual generation. The galls of N. floricomus are dense wooly enlargements of the catkin axis ( Weld 1957b) and are clearly different from those of N. aliceae ( Fig. 366 ). In N. floricomus the head of females is coriaceous, genae broadened behind eyes, the body of females is black, while in N. aliceae , head is alutaceous, genae are not broadened behind eyes, and entire body is brown.

Description. Sexual female ( Figs. 352–354, 357, 359–364 ). Head black, mesosoma and metasoma brown; mandibles, maxillary and labial palpi yellow; antennae brown; legs light brown to yellow.

Head alutaceous, with sparse white setae, denser on lower face; 1.2× as broad as high and slightly broader than mesosoma in frontal view, 2.0× as broad as long in dorsal view, Gena alutaceous, not broadened behind eye in frontal view, narrower than transverse diameter of eye in lateral view. Malar space alutaceous, with delicate parallel striae radiating from clypeus and reaching eye, malar sulcus absent or inconspicuous between striae; eye 4.6× as high as length of malar space. Inner margins of eyes parallel. POL 1.9× as long as OOL, OOL 1.5× as long as diameter of lateral ocellus and equal to LOL; all ocelli ovate, of same size. Transfacial distance equal to height of eye; diameter of antennal torulus 1.3× as long as distance between them, distance between torulus and eye nearly equal to diameter of torulus; lower face and slightly elevated median area uniformly alutaceous, without striae. Clypeus trapezoid, alutaceous, broader than high; ventrally rounded, emarginate, without median incision and with a few long setae ventrally; anterior tentorial pit large, rounded, epistomal sulcus and clypeo-pleurostomal line distinct, broad. Frons and slightly elevated interocellar area alutaceous, with a few short white setae. Vertex, occiput alutaceous, with rare setae; postocciput, postgena smooth, glabrous; occipital foramen as high as height of postgenal bridge; hypostomal carina emarginate, continuing into indistinct united postgenal sulci, postgenal bridge narrow. Antenna longer than head+mesosoma, with 12 flagellomeres (in some paratypes suture between F12 and F11 indistinct), pedicel subglobular; F1 1.7× as long as pedicel and 1.25× as long as F2, F2 slightly longer than F3, F3=F4, F5–F10 equal in length, F12 slightly longer than F11; placodeal sensilla on F2–F12.

Mesosoma slightly longer than high, with a few white setae. Propleuron smooth, glabrous. Pronotum alutaceous, with a few setae and some delicate striae laterally; anterior margin invaginated, smooth, glabrous, foveolate. Mesoscutum alutaceous, with a few setae; longer than broad (greatest width measured across mesoscutum at level of base of tegulae). Notaulus impressed in posterior 2/3 of mesoscutum length, only a trace in anterior 1/3, anterior parallel line invisible, parapsidal line marked with impressed smooth, glabrous area; median mesoscutal line in the form of a short triangle; circumscutellar carina broad, extending above tegula. Mesoscutum emarginate posterolaterally, slightly elevated above dorsal axillar area. Transscutal articulation absent. Mesoscutellum slightly longer than broad, ovate, uniformly alutaceous, with some white short setae, posteriorly rounded, clearly projecting over metanotum. Mesoscutellar foveae in the form of a transverse, narrow impressed anterior area, with smooth, glabrous bottom. Mesopleuron and speculum alutaceous, glabrous, invaginated in lower half; mesopleural triangle smooth, glabrous, with a few white setae; dorsal and lateral axillar areas smooth, glabrous; subaxillular bar smooth, glabrous, with parallel margins, shorter than height of metanotal trough; metapleural sulcus distinct, reaching mesopleuron at half its height. Metascutellum smooth, glabrous, as tall as height of smooth, glabrous ventral impressed area; metanotal trough smooth, glabrous; propodeum posterodorsally smooth, glabrous, without carinae, lateral propodeal carina present only at the most posterior end of propodeum. Nucha short, smooth, glabrous. Tarsal claws simple, without basal lobe.

Forewing longer than body, hyaline, margin with long dense cilia, with dark brown veins, radial cell open, 4.3× as long as broad, R1 and Rs reaching wing margin; areolet triangular, well-delimited, Rs+M distinct along full length, reaching basalis in lower 1/3 of its height.

Metasoma as long as head+mesosoma, shorter than high in lateral view; second metasomal tergite extending to 1/3 of metasoma length in dorsal view, with a few white setae anterolaterally, without micropunctures, subsequent tergites smooth, glabrous, without micropunctures. Hypopygium without micropunctures, prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium 4.4× as long as broad in ventral view, without setae. Body length 1.7–2.1 mm (n = 6).

Male ( Figs. 355–356, 358 , 365 ). Similar to female but eye 1.2× as high as length of transfacial distance, eye 5.3× as high as length of malar space, POL 3.4× as long as OOL, LOL 1.75× as long as OOL; antenna with 12 flagellomeres, F1 slightly curved, placodeal sensilla on F1–F13. Body length 1.7–1.9 mm (n = 6).

Gall. ( Fig. 366 ). A whitish swelling surrounding individual flowers, with sparse very short pubescence. A swollen flower is 1–2 mm in diameter; multiple flowers per catkin are galled.

Biology. Alternate asexual and sexual generations are known, both of which induce galls on Q. oblongifolia . Sexual catkin galls mature in April, adults emerge soon afterwards. The asexual fluffy leaf galls mature in October-November; adults overwinter in the galls and emerge the following spring.

Alternate generations (and males/females within the sexual generation) were matched using DNA data. Five individuals were sequenced for cytb, with between 0 and 0.23% divergence apparent (GenBank OK346301 – OK346305 ), while four individuals showed at most 0.20% divergence for ITS2 ( OK350661 – OK350664 ).

Distribution. USA, Arizona, Santa Catalina Mountains.

Figures

FIGURES 344–347. Neuroterus aliceae Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., asexual generation, female. 344–346, head: 344, frontal view, 345, dorsal view, 346, posterior view. 347, antenna.

FIGURES 348–351. Neuroterus aliceae Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., asexual generation, female. 348–349, mesosoma: 348, lateral view, 349, dorsal view. 350, metascutellum and propodeum, posterodorsal view. 351, forewing.

FIGURES 352–359. Neuroterus aliceae Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., sexual generation. 352–354, head, female: 352, frontal view, 353, dorsal view, 354, posterior view. 355–356, head, male: 355, frontal view, 356, dorsal view. 357–358, antenna: 357, female, 358, male. 359, forewing, part, female.

FIGURES 360–363. Neuroterus aliceae Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., sexual generation, female. 360, mesosoma and propleura, frontal view, 361–362, mesosoma: 361, lateral view, 362, dorsal view. 363, metascutellum and propodeum, posterodorsal view.

FIGURES 364–367. Neuroterus aliceae Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., sexual generation. 364–365, metasoma, lateral view: 364, female, 365, male. 366–367, galls: 366, sexual generation, 367, asexual generation.