Isocolus beheni Melika & Karimpour, 2008

Karimpour, Y., Tavakoli, M. & Melika, G., 2008, New species of herb gallwasps from the Middle East (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae, Aylacini), Zootaxa 1854 (1), pp. 16-32 : 26-28

Isocolus beheni Melika & Karimpour , new species

( Figs 4a–i , 5)

Etymology. The species is named after its host plant, Centaurea behen L.

Type material. HOLOTYPE female: Iran, West Azarbaijan , Uromiyeh, ex flower heads of Centaurea behen , coll. Y. Karimpour, VIII.2005 . PARATYPES: 5 females with the same labels as the holotype. The holotype female and one male paratype are deposited in HNHM ; one female paratype in RIFR ; 4 female paratypes in SPL.

Diagnosis. Most closely resembles herein described I. freidbergi n. sp. In I. beheni n. sp. the scape is black only; all coxae, trochanters and basal 2/3 of femora are dark brown to black, tibiae and tarsi yellowish brown; POL 1.5 times as long as OOL; LOL 1.3 times as long as the length of the lateral ocellus; the transfacial distance only 1.25 times as long as the height of the eye, the diameter of the antennal socket 3.5 times as large as the distance between antennal sockets; the lower face with striae radiating from the clypeus and extending to the half length of the lower face only; the malar space only 0.6 times as long as the height of the eye; F1 0.7 times as long as F2; transverse striae on the mesoscutum are less strong and the distance between them nearly equal to the width of a striae; the median mesoscutal line extending to 1/3 of the mesoscutum length; the mesoscutellum with more or less regular dull rugose sculpture; Rs reaching the wing margin and partially closed the radial cell; Cu 1b curved outwards the wing margin; metasomal tergite 2 is entirely punctated. In I. freidbergi n. sp. the scape and pedicel are black; all coxae, trochanters and basal 2/3 of femurs are lighter than tibiae and tarsi; POL 1.2 times as long as OOL; LOL 1.9–2.0 times as long as the length of the lateral ocellus; the transfacial distance 1.7 times as long as the height of the eye; the diameter of the antennal socket 1.75 times as large as the distance between antennal sockets; the lower face with striae extending into the area between the antennal torulus and the eye; the malar space 0.9 times as long as the height of eye; F1 equal or only very slightly shorter than F2; transverse striae on the mesoscutum are stronger and the distance between them is larger; the median mesoscutal line absent; the mesoscutellum with irregular strong rugae, which not forming a regular sculpture; Rs never reaching the wing margin, the radial cell always opened; Cu 1b is straight; metasomal tergite 2 with punctures only in the posterior half.

Description. FEMALE (holotype). Head, except light brown clypeus, and mesosoma black; metasoma reddish brown, dorsally always slightly darker; antennae, except dark brown to black scape, brown; all coxae, trochanters and basal 2/3 of femora dark brown to black, tibiae and tarsi yellowish brown; wings with distinct dark brown veins.

Head ( Fig. 4a–b ) 1.2 times as broad as high in front view, slightly broader than mesosoma, 2.1 times as long as broad from above; gena very slightly or not broadened behind eye in dorsal view; POL 1.5 times as long as OOL and 2.25 times as long as LOL; LOL 1.3 times as long as length of lateral ocellus; frontal ocellus with small impression toward frons; vertex, interocellar area, occiput alutaceous; postocciput and postgena finely coriaceous, with more dense white setae as in front; transfacial distance only 1.25 times as long as height of eye, 1.4 times as long as height of lower face (measuring from antennal rims to tip of clypeus) and 3.6 times as large as distance between antennal torulus and inner margin of eye; diameter of antennal socket 3.5 times as large as distance between antennal sockets. Lower face with finely coriaceous elevated central area, laterally with striae radiating from clypeus and extending to half height of lower face; malar space 0.6 times as long as height of eye with strong striae reaching eye margin; clypeus shiny, very delicately coriaceous, slightly broader than high; epistomal sulcus distinct, broad, slightly impressed, smooth, shiny, anterior tentorial pits indistinct, ventrally rounded, without median incision. Mandibles light brown. Antenna with 11 flagellomeres, pedicel slightly longer than broad, F1 0.7 times as long as F2; F11 nearly as long as F9+F10; placodeal sensilla from F2, absent on F1 ( Fig. 4c ).

Mesosoma black, slightly longer than high in lateral view. Pronotum dorsomedially 1.6 times as short as greatest length measuring on outer margin; submedian pronotal pits distinct, narrow, transverse and deep, sep- arated by carina which nearly twice narrower than width of submedian pit; carinae of pronotal plate visible in very anterior part, just behind pit ( Fig. 4d ). Pronotum with dense setae along anterior edge, less setae laterally and few dorsomedially; dorsomedially alutaceous, laterally uniformly coriaceous, along anteroventral edge with few short wrinkles. Propleuron, dark brown, coriaceous, with wrinkles orientated mainly transversely. Mesoscutum ( Fig. 4f ) black (in some paratypes pronotum and mesoscutum very dark brown), with very few sparse short scattered setae; slightly broader than long in dorsal view; notauli distinctly impressed, complete, reaching pronotum, broader posteriorly, bottom with some transverse carinae; anterior parallel lines thin, indistinct, smooth, shiny, in anterior 1/3; parapsidal lines distinct, smooth, shiny, extending to 2/3 of mesoscutum; median mesoscutal line distinct, extending to 1/3–1/4 of mesoscutum length; internotauli area and area between notaulus and parapsidal line with strong interrupted irregular transverse rugae, especially in posterior 2/3 of mesoscutum, becoming more delicately transverse in anterior 1/3, distance between rugae slightly more than width of ruga; area between transverse rugae alutaceous, mat. Mesoscutellum ( Fig. 4f ) slightly broader than long in dorsal view; uniformly dull rugose. Scutellar foveae triangular, separated by narrow carina in anterior 1/4, nearly as long as broad, bottom of foveae smooth, mat; foveae extending backwards slightly less than to half of mesoscutellum length. Dorso-axillar area dull rugose. Mesopleuron, including speculum, with uniform parallel, uninterrupted transverse striae; with very few short white setae, especially along ventral edge; acetabular carina delimiting a relatively broad and smooth area laterally ( Fig. 4e ). Metapleural sulcus reaching mesopleuron in upper 1/4 of its height; metapleuron dull rugose; axillar carina coriaceous, without longitudinal striae; axillula coriaceous, with sparse short white setae; subaxillular bar smooth, shiny, nearly as high as height of metanotal trough ( Fig. 4e ) Propodeum black, laterally coriaceous, with relatively dense white long setae; lateral propodeal carinae distinct, slightly broader in posterior half and curved slightly outwards in anterior 2/3; central propodeal area mat, with numerous wrinkles, with some stronger irregular rugae; ventral impressed area of metascutellum coriaceous, triangular, nearly reaching metascutellum dorsomedially, metascutellum coriaceous; metanotal trough smooth, mat, with sparse setae; propodeal spiracle transverse, with strong raised carina along anterior border; nucha with strong longitudinal parallel ridges ( Fig. 4g ). Forewing with very short cilia on margin; R1 and Rs not reaching wing margin; radial cell opened, only 2.6 as long as broad; areolet triangular, distinct; Rs+M distinctly pigmented, extending to 2/3 of distance between areolet and basalis, projecting in lower half; Cu 1b straight ( Fig. 4h ). Tarsal claw simple, without basal lobe.

Metasoma reddish brown, much lighter than head and mesosoma, metasomal tergite 2 with a few anterolateral setae, all tergites and hypopygium uniformly densely punctate; prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium very short, as long as broad, with very few short sparse white setae ( Fig. 4i ). Body length 3.6–4.0 mm.

MALE. Unknown.

Galls ( Fig. 5) are scattered between scales at the base of the flower head, greyish, monolocular, lignified, 2.2–3.0 mm long and 1.5–2.0 mm in diameter; elliptical, with slightly rough surface, thin-walled. The flower head is not malformed externally. Usually more than one larval cell is developing within one flower head.

Biology. Galls were collected in early August, adult wasps emerged in laboratory conditions by the end of August. It is possible that in the nature, the adult wasps overwintering in the gall and emerge only next year, in spring. Host plant: Centaurea behen L. ( Asteraceae ).

Distribution. Iran, West Azarbaijan, Urmia (Ghasemloo valley, 35 km away from Urmia).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Isocolus beheni n. sp.: a, head (front view); b, head (dorsal view); c, antenna, female; d, pronotum (dorsal view); e, mesosoma (lateral view); f, mesoscutum and mesoscutellum (dorsal view); g, propodeum (postero-dorsal view); h, forewing; i, metasoma (lateral view).