Andricus anatolicus Melika, Mutun & Dinç, 2014

Mutun, Serap, Dinç, Serdar, Bozsó, Miklós & Melika, George, 2014, Four new species of Andricus Hartig oak gallwasp from Turkey (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae, Cynipini), Zootaxa 3760 (2), pp. 241-259 : 246-250

Andricus anatolicus Melika, Mutun & Dinç , new species

Figs 16–26 , 27–30

Type material: HOLOTYPE female: TURKEY, Gümüşhane Şiran, N 40° 176.39´, E 39° 138.61´, 1390 m a.s.l., ex Q. macranthera ; leg. S. Mutun & S.Dinç; coll. 11.09.2012. PARATYPES: 3 females with the same labels as the holotype. The holotype and 1 paratype are deposited at the PHMB, 2 paratypes at the AIBU collection.

Material examined. Three galls were colllected from Gümüşhane Şiran, N 40° 176.39´, E 39° 138.61´, 1390 m a.s.l., 28.08.2012; 1 gall—from Muş Karakütük 11.09.2012, N 38° 633.47´, E 41° 704.46´, 1337 m a.s.l.; 2 galls—from Muş Azıklı, N 38° 643.04´, E 41° 753.69´, 1366 m a.s.l., 11.09.2012; 2 galls—from Bitlis Yeniünaldı Village, N 38° 317.59´, E 42° 020.99´, 1297 m a.s.l., 13. 0 9.2012.

Etymology. Named after the westernmost protrusion of Asia, Asian Turkey, where it was collected.

Diagnosis. By the presence of short, faintly oblique setae on the anterior surface of fore tibia, Andricus anatolicus , new species, belongs to the “Adleria kollari ” group of species (Melika 2006). Within this group of species, based on some characters: propodeal lateral carina are curved outwards in the middle, notauli are uniformly deep, complete, always reaching the pronotum, the head and mesosoma are light brown to amber; this species most closely resembles A. kollari (Hartig) . However, in A. anatolicus the mesoscutellum is dull rugose only along sides and delicately coriaceous in the anteromedian part; scutellar foveae delimited by carina all around, deep, black, with shiny, glabrous bottom; propodeal lateral carinae only slightly curved outwards in the middle; the prominent part of the ventral spine of the hypopygium 7.0 times as long as broad, while in A. kollari the mesoscutellum is uniformly dull rugose; scutellar foveae not delimited posteriorly by a carina, shallower, amber brown, with an alutaceous bottom; propodeal lateral carinae strongly curved outwards in the middle; the prominent part of the ventral spine of the hypopygium only 3.5–5.5 times as long as broad

Based on the mitochondrial cytb gene sequence it is most closely resembles A. kollari (see Comments below). The galls induced by the two species are also different.

Description. ASEXUAL female (holotype) ( Figs 16–26 ). Head, antennae, legs, metasoma uniformly and entirely brown. Pronotum, propleuron, mesopleuron, mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and lateral propodeal area brown; scutellar foveae, metascutellum, metanotal trough, central propodeal area, mesosoma ventrally very dark brown to black. Head, mesosoma and metasoma with uniformly very dense long white setae.

Head delicately coriaceous, 2.3 times as broad as long from above, 1.5 times as broad as high in anterior view and narrower than width of mesosoma. Gena alutaceous, 1.3 times broader than cross diameter of eye, strongly broadened behind eye, well visible in anterior view behind eye. Malar space coriaceous, without malar sulcus, with few indistinct short striae extending to 1/3 of malar space length, 0.4 times as long as height of eye. POL 2.0 times as long as OOL; OOL nearly equal LOL and 2.3 times as long as diameter of lateral ocellus, ocelli nearly rounded, equal in size and shape. Transfacial distance 1.3 times as long as height of eye and 2.0 times as long as height of lower face (distance between antennal rim and ventral margin of clypeus); diameter of antennal torulus 2.6 times as long as distance between them, distance between torulus and eye margin 1.2 times as long as diameter of torulus. Lower face delicately coriaceous, with elevated median area, sparse setae and some piliferous points. Clypeus coriaceous, trapezoid, broader ventrally, nearly twice broader than high, impressed, flat, ventrally straight, not incised medially, with large deep anterior tentorial pits, distinct epistomal sulcus and clypeo-pleurostomal line. Area between eye margins and toruli and frons delicately reticuloso-coriaceous, with sparse setae; frons with shiny impressions under each ocellus. Vertex, occiput and interocellar area uniformly delicately coriaceous. Postocciput around occipital foramen impressed, smooth, without surface sculpture. postocciput glabrous, shiny; postgena smooth, shiny, with sparse setae; posterior tentorial pit large, ovate, deep, area below impressed; occipital foramen higher than height of postgenal bridge; which smooth, shiny centrally; hypostomal carina emarginate, postgenal sulcus distinct. Antenna with 12 flagellomeres, as long as head+mesosoma; pedicel nearly 2.9 times shorter than scape, 1.3 times longer than broad; F1 2.5 times as long as pedicel, 1.2 times as long as F2, F3 slightly shorter than F2, from F4 all subsequent flagellomeres slightly shorter; F12 longer than F11; placoid sensillae on F3–F12, in numerous rows, absent on F1–F2.

Mesosoma longer than high in lateral view; with uniform, dense white setae. Pronotum uniformly delicately coriaceous, with uniform sparse white setae, more dense in lateroventral 1/3 and uniformly distributed sparse punctures laterally. Anterior rim of pronotum narrow, emarginate; propleuron delicately coriaceous, with white dense setae, strongly concave in mediocentral part. Mesoscutum longer than broad (width measured across base of tegulae); with distinct numerous dense puctures, area between punctures shiny, smooth. Notauli distinct, complete, reaching pronotum, well-impressed; median mesoscutal line superficially impressed, extending to 1/5 of mesoscutum length; anterior parallel lines distinct, extending to 1/3 length of mesoscutum; parapsidal line indicates by smooth glabrous stripes. Mesoscutellum dull rugose around, delicately coriaceous in anteromedian part, trapezoid, broader in posterior half, very slightly overhanging metanotum. Scutellar fovea transversely ovate, 1.6 times as broad as high, with shiny, smooth bottom and separated by distinct elevated median carina. Mesopleuron with sparse setae, with distinct punctures in anterior half, smooth and shiny in posterior half; mesopleural triangle uniformly delicately coriaceous, with dense white setae, hidden the surface sculpture. Metapleural sulcus distinct, delimiting area with very dense white setae, reach mesopleuron in upper 1/3rd; preaxilla coriaceous; dorsoaxillar and lateral axillar areas delicately coriaceous, with dense white setae; axillar carina broad, smooth, shiny with longitudinal striae; axillula slightly ovate, with very dense white setae hidden sculpture; subaxillular bar smooth, shiny. Metascutellum black, delicately coriaceous, nearly 2.5 times as high as height of smooth, shiny ventral impressed area. Lateral propodeal carinae slightly curved outwards in middle height, delimiting smooth black central area with few delicate irregular wrinkles, with sparse white setae; lateral propodeal area uniformly coriaceous, with sparse white setae; nucha very short, without striae dorsally, with wrinkles laterally.

Forewing longer than body, with dark brown veins, margin with dense, short cilia; radial cell 4.3 times as long as broad, R1 and Rs nearly reach wing margin; Rs+M distinct in distal 3/4, its projection reach basalis at half height, areolet large, triangular, well-delimited. Anterior surface of fore tibia with short sparse setae. Tarsal claws with strong acute, deep basal lobe.

Metasoma slightly longer than head+mesosoma, higher than long in lateral view, smooth, shiny. All metasomal tergites with very dense white setae laterally, which absent dorsally on all tergites; prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium slender, needle-like, around 7.0 times longer than broad, with two ventral rows of dense setae directed downwards.

Body length 4.5–5.2 mm (n=4).

Gall ( Figs 27–30 ). A monolocular gall, found mainly on terminal buds and less frequently on lateral buds. The gall is greenish when growing and becomes brown when mature, 6–11 mm, often found in aggregated groups. The base of gall is broad, through the apex becomes gradually narrow and gives dome-like shape.

Biology. Only the asexual females are known to induce galls on Q. macranthera and Q. infectoria . The gall develops through the summer and matures in October. Our wasps emerged from the galls in September.

Comments. The mitochondrial Cytb gene sequence most closely resembles that of A. kollari (query cover 95%, max. identity 99%, accession # AJ228466.1).

Distribution. Currently known from the vicinitites of Muş, Bitlis and Gümüşhane cities of Turkey.

Figures

FIGURES 16 – 20. Andricus anatolicus, new species, asexual female: 16 – 19, head: 16, anterior view, 17, dorsal view, 18, posterior view, 19, lateral view. 20, antenna.

FIGURES 21 – 26. Andricus anatolicus, new species, asexual female: 21, mesoscutum, dorsal view, 22, mesoscutellum, dorsal view, 23, mesosoma, lateral view, 24, metascutellum and propodeum, posterodorsal view, 25, forewing, part, 26, metasoma, part, lateral view.

FIGURES 27 – 30. Andricus anatolicus, new species, gall: 27 – 28, young, greenish, growing galls, 29, mature gall, 30, dissected gall with larval chamber.