Andricus megatruncicolus Melika, 2008

Tavakoli, M., Melika, G., Sadeghi, S. E., Pénzes, Z., Assareh, M. A., Atkinson, R., Bechtold, M., Mikó, I., Zargaran, M. R., Aligolizade, D., Barimani, H., Bihari, P., Pirozi, F., Fülöp, D., Somogyi, K., Challis, R., Preuss, S., Nicholls, J. & Stone, G. N., 2008, New species of oak gallwaps from Iran (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini), Zootaxa 1699 (1), pp. 1-64 : 14-16

Andricus megatruncicolus Melika , new species

Figs 87–104

Type material. HOLOTYPE female: IRAN, Lorestan, Ghelaei, Q. infectoria, em. XI-XII.2005 . leg. M. Tavakoli. Lor. 157 . PARATYPES: 24 females: 14 females with the same labels as the holotype; 4 females labelled as ” IRAN, Kordestan, Marivan , Q. infectoria . 2003. leg. M. Tavakoli, Lor 123”, and 6 females labelled as ” IRAN, Lorestan, Ghelaei , Q. infectoria . mid-summer, 2003. leg. M. Tavakoli, Lor 77”. The holotype and 5 female paratypes in HNHM ; 5 female paratypes in RIFR ; 10 female paratypes in SPL; 4 female paratypes in NHML .

Other material examined. 36 females labelled as ” IRAN, Kordestan, Marivan, Q. infectoria . 2003. leg. M. Tavakoli, Lor123” and 12 females labelled as ” IRAN, Kermanshah, Gahvareh, Q. infectoria . mid-summer, leg. M. Tavakoli, Lor95” .

Etymology. The species name megatruncicolus reflects the close similarity of the adult and asexual generation gall of this species to Andricus truncicolus (Giraud) , and the larger size of the gall.

Diagnosis. Most closely resembles Andricus truncicolus in which the body is predominantly blackish brown; the head is more or less rounded in front view; OOL 2.5 times as long as length of lateral ocellus and 2.1 times as long as LOL; the diameter of the antennal torulus about 3.7 times as large as the distance between them; the clypeus only slightly broader or as broad as high; F1 1.25 times as long as F2, F2 only slightly longer than F3; the mesoscutum coriaceous anteriorly, reticulate posteriorly, especially in the internotauli area; the median mesoscutal line distinct, in a form of short triangle; the mesoscutellum rounded, very slightly longer than broad, with more delicate sculpture towards the centre of scutellar disk; scutellar foveae nearly rounded, as high as broad, separated by a very narrow, delicately longitudinally striate central carina; anteriorly scutellar foveae nearly reaching one another; the mesopleuron and metapleuron with some distinct punctures; lateral propodeal carinae slightly curved outwards posteriorly; the radial cell of the forewing 4.8–5.0 times as long as broad, while in A. megatruncicolus , new species, the body predominantly is reddish brown; the head is trapezoid in front view; OOL 2.8 times as long as length of lateral ocellus and 2.8 times as long as LOL; diameter of antennal torulus only 2.5 times as large as the distance between them; the clypeus at least 2.0 times as broad as high; F1=F2, F2 1.3 times as long as F3; the mesoscutum uniformly delicately coriaceous, with some distinct punctures in the anterior half; the median mesoscutal line absent; the mesoscutellum broader than long, with more dull rugose sculpture along sides of the mesoscutellum and more delicate ont he disk center; scutellar foveae transverse, much broader than high; separated by a broad delicately reticulate central carina; the mesopleuron and metapleuron without punctures; lateral propodeal carinae curved outwards in the mid-height; the radial cell of the forewing only 4.0 times as long as broad.

Description. ASEXUAL FEMALE (holotype). Body predominantly reddish brown. Head entirely reddish brown; pronotum black, mesoscutum with extensive black marks; scutellar foveae, mesopleural triangle, metanotum black. Legs reddish brown, except black tibiae and tarsi. Wings with distinct brown veins. Body with dense white setae.

Head coriaceous, trapezoid in front view, with dense white setae; 2.0 times as broad as long from above; 1.5 times as broad as high in front view. Gena coriaceous, strongly broadened behind eye, the most broadened part is on the mid-height of eye, well-visible in front view behind eye, gena nearly as broad as cross diameter of eye. Malar space coriaceous, 0.4 times as long as height of eye, with distinct striae radiating from clypeus and extending to half distance to eye. POL equal OOL; OOL 2.8 times as long as length of lateral ocellus and 2.8 times as long as LOL. Transfacial distance 1.2 times as long as height of eye; diameter of antennal torulus 2.5 times as large as distance between them, distance between torulus and eye margin slightly longer than diameter of torulus. Inner margins of eyes parallel. Lower face delicately coriaceous, with relatively strongly elevated delicately coriaceous median area, without striae radiating from clypeus. Clypeus rectangular, tip with white setae, with coriaceous elevated central area, 2.0 times as broad as high, with distinct anterior tentorial pits, impressed along distinct epistomal sulcus, clypeo-pleurostomal line distinct, ventrally widely emarginated and incised medially. Frons, vertex and occiput uniformly delicately coriaceous. Antenna with 12 flagellomeres, slightly longer than head+mesosoma; pedicel 1.6 times as long as broad; F1=F2, F2 1.3 times as long as F3; subsequent flagellomeres shorter; F12 slightly longer than F11; placodeal sensilla on F4–F12. Mesosoma convex, slightly longer than high in lateral view, with dense white setae. Pronotum uniformly coriaceous, with dense white setae along anterior edge. Mesoscutum uniformly delicately coriaceous, with some distinct punctures in the anterior half. Notauli complete, well-impressed in all length, slightly broader and converging posteriorly, smooth, shiny; median mesoscutal line absent; parapsidal lines and anterior parallel lines distinct, broad, extending to half of mesoscutum length. Mesoscutellum 1.8 times shorter than mesoscutum, broader than long, with dull rugose sculpture along sides and more delicate towards the disk center; slightly overhanging metanotum. Scutellar foveae transverse, much broader than high, with smooth, shiny deep bottom, posteriorly delimited by sculpture, without setae; separated by a broad delicately reticulate central carina. Mesopleuron including speculum smooth, without punctures; mesopleural triangle uniformly delicately coriaceous, with dense setae. Metapleural sulcus reaching mesopleuron slightly below half of its height; axillula ovate, delicately coriaceous, with dense white setae; subaxillular bar smooth, shining, in the most posterior end higher than height of metanotal trough. Metascutellum uniformly coriaceous, 3.0 times as high as height of ventral impressed area; metanotal trough delicately coriaceous, shiny, with dense white setae; ventral impressed area shiny, with some longitudinal weak wrinkles. Lateral propodeal carinae curved outwards in the mid-height, uniformly broad, with sparse setae prolong it length; central propodeal area with numerous weak wrinkles, without setae; lateral propodeal area coriaceous, with some wrinkles and dense white setae. Forewing much longer than body, margin with short cilia; radial cell 4.0 times as long as broad, areolet distinct; Rs+M extending to 2/3 of distance between areolet and basalis, projecting into its lower half. Metasoma nearly as long as head+mesosoma, longer than high in lateral view; all tergites without micropunctures, with dense white setae laterally, which absent dorsally; prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium 6.6 times as long as broad, with sparse white setae, apical setae short, not extending beyond apex of spine. Body length 4.2–5.3 mm.

Gall ( Figs 99–104 ). Develops from accessory buds on branches. Solitary, sometimes in groups, 2–5 galls forming a cluster. The gall is spherical, 5–15 mm in diameter, broadly attached, surface patterned, resembling tortoiseshell. Apex covered in regular, radiating plates, giving a shield-like appearance. Initially whitish, greenish, later becoming brown and bark-coloured, but usually the greyish dusty layer staying on the surface of the gall even after the emerging of wasps. Inner chamber elliptical, monolocular, located at the base of the gall.

Biology. Only asexual females are known from galls on Quercus infectoria Olivier.

Comments. The extreme rarity of purely asexual lifecycles in oak gallwasps ( Stone et al. 2002) suggests that A. megatruncicolus p robably has a sexual generation. The clade of Andricus species that includes A. megatruncicolus all have lifecycles involving alternation between oaks in the sections Quercus (for the asexual generation) and Cerris (for the sexual generation). The sexual generation galls in this clade are commonly small and inconspicuous bud or catkin galls ( Melika et al. 2000; Cook et al. 2002; Rokas et al. 2003b), and it is probable that the same is true for this new species. Possible hosts from the Cerris oak section in the region include Quercus libani Olivier and Q. brantii Lindl. (= Q. persica Jaub. et Spach ).

Distribution. Iran, Kordestan (Marivan), Lorestan (Ghelaei) and Kermanshah (Gahvareh) provinces; Turkey, southern Anatolia (Beybesli) and north-eastern Anatolia (Erzurum).

Figures

FIGURES 87–98. Andricus megatruncicolus, new species, asexual female: 87, head (front view); 88, head (dorsal view); 89, head (lateral view); 90, antenna; 91, pronotum and propleura (front view); 92, mesoscutum and mesoscutellum (dorsal view); 93, mesosoma (lateral view); 94, metanotum and propodeum (postero-dorsal view); 95, hind tarsal claw; 96, forewing; 97, metasoma (lateral view); 98, prominent part of the ventral spine of hypopygium (ventral view).

FIGURES 99–104. Andricus megatruncicolus, new species, gall (photos by M. Tavakoli).