Andricus istvani 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 : 5-6

Andricus istvani Melika , new species

Figs 2–17

Type material. HOLOTYPE female: IRAN, Lorestan, Ghelaei , V.2005. Q. brantii . Leg. M. Tavakoli. Lor 177 . PARATYPES: 1 female and 14 males with the same labels as the holotype. The holotype and 2 male paratypes are deposited in HNHM ; 5 male paratypes in RIFR ; 1 female and 7 male paratypes in the collection of SPL.

Other material examined. 28 males and 12 galls labelled as ” Iran, Kermanshah, Pave , V.2005. Q. brantii . Leg. M. Tavakoli ” .

Etymology. In honour of Dr. István Mikó, our friend and researcher of the Systematic Parasitoid Laboratory, Plant Protection and Soil Conservation Service of County Vas, Tanakajd, Hungary.

Diagnosis. The only known Western Palaearctic sexual Andricus which in the forewing in both, females and males, lacks cilia on margins is A. crispator Tschek , which is the most closely related species. However, in A. crispator OOL 3.4–3.6 times as long as the length of the lateral ocellus; the transfacial distance 1.8–2.0 times as long as the height of eye; the pedicel 1.5 times as long as broad; F10 1.5 times as long as F9; R 1 in the forewing on a short distance running along the wing margin, the areolet triangular, distinct; the median mesoscutal line absent; the mesoscutellum posteriorly elongated into a blunt spine-like tip; the mesopleuron, except coriaceous speculum, transversely striate, while in A. istvani , new species, OOL only 2.3 times as long as the length of the lateral ocellus; the transfacial distance only 1.2 times as long as the height of eye; the pedicel 2.0 times as long as broad; F10 2.5 times as long as F9; R 1 in the forewing do not reaching wing margin, the areolet absent; the median mesoscutal line in a form of a short triangle; the mesoscutellum posteriorly rounded; the mesopleuron, including speculum, uniformly transversely delicately striate.

Description. FEMALE (holotype). Body and antennae entirely and uniformly light brown; eyes dark grey; legs slightly lighter; wings with distinct brown veins.

Head delicately coriaceous, with very few short white setae, 2.1 times as broad as long from above, slightly broader than high in front view and slightly broader than mesosoma. Gena delicately coriaceous, slightly broadened behind eye, visible in front view behind eye. Malar space coriaceous, with striae radiating from clypeus and extending to 2/3 of malar space length, 0.4 times as long as height of eye. POL 1.2 times as long as OOL; OOL 2.3 times as long as length of lateral ocellus and 1.5 times as long as LOL. Transfacial distance 1.2 times as long as height of eye and 1.6 times as long as height of lower face (distance between antennal rim and ventral margin of clypeus); diameter of antennal torulus 1.9 times as long as distance between them, distance between torulus and eye margin slightly longer than diameter of torulus. Inner margins of eyes very slightly converning ventrally. Lower face coriaceous, with strongly elevated median area. Clypeus trapezoid, coriaceous, nearly as broad as high, with distinct deep anterior tentorial pits, deeply impressed along distinct epistomal sulcus and clypeo-pleurostomal line, ventrally broadly emarginated, medially not incised. Frons, vertex and occiput uniformly coriaceous. Antenna with 10 flagellomeres (in female paratype with 11 flagellomeres, an indistinct suture present between F11 and F10); nearly as long as body length; pedicel 2.0 times as long as broad; F1 1.6 times as long as pedicel and 1.5 times as long as F2; F2 very slightly longer than F3, F3–F9 nearly equal in length; F10 2.5 times as long as F9; placodeal sensilla distinct on F5–F10, absent on F1–F4. Mesosoma convex, 1.2 times as long as high in lateral view, with very few short white setae. Pronotum coriaceous, with some delicate subparallel interrupted wrinkles along mesopleuron. Mesoscutum delicately coriaceous, broader than long (width measured across the basis of tegulae); notauli complete, wellimpressed in all length; median mesoscutal line in a form of short triangle; parapsidal lines narrow but distinct; anterior parallel lines distinct, very short, extending to 1/4 of mesoscutum length. Mesoscutellum 1.5 times shorter than mesoscutum, slightly elongated, uniformly dull rugose, posteriorly rounded, strongly overhanging metanotum. Scutellar foveae subquadrate, slightly broader than high, well-delimited around, with shining, smooth bottom, separated by a narrow but distinct central median carina. Mesopleuron, including speculum, uniformly transversely delicately striate; mesopleural triangle shining, with some delicate wrinkles; acetabular carina delimiting a broad dull rugose area laterally. Metapleural sulcus reaching mesopleuron slightly above the half of its height; preaxilla and lateral axillar area coriaceous, with delicate wrinkles; axillar carina narrow, with some longitudinal delicate striae; axillula ovate, smooth, shining, with sparse white setae; subaxillular bar smooth, shining, in the most posterior end 1.5 times as high as height of metanotal trough. Metascutellum very delicately coriaceous, nearly as high as height of smooth, shining ventral impressed area; metanotal trough smooth, shining, with sparse white setae. Lateral propodeal carinae subparallel, very slightly curved outwards in the posterior 1/3, central propodeal area shining, smooth; lateral propodeal area uniformly coriaceous, with white setae; nucha very short, with delicate longitudinal sulci. Forewing with distinct brown veins, margin without cilia; radial cell 4.2 times as long as broad, Rs and R1 not reaching wing margin, areolet absent, Rs+M nearly reaching basalis in its lower half. Tarsal claws with strong basal lobe. Metasoma longer than head+mesosoma, nearly as long as high in lateral view, all tergites and hypopygium without micropunctures; prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium slender, 5.6 times as long as broad in ventral view, with few short setae, which not extending beyond apex of spine. Body length 1.5–1.7 mm (holotype 1.6 mm).

MALE. 1.4–1.7 mm. Similar to female but mesoscutum, mesoscutellum, central propodeal area, nucha and metasoma dorsally very dark brown to black (in all 42 examined males); frons and vertex with more delicate sculpture; compound eyes slightly larger, antenna with 12 flagellomeres, slightly longer than body length, F1 slightly curved, apically swollen, 1.3 times as long as F2, placodeal sensilla on all flagellomeres.

Gall ( Figs 14–17 ). An integral leaf gall, develops on both sides of the leaf (usually on terminal leaves of the twig), 10–20 mm long, irregularly shaped; multilocular, containing many cells. Young galls are fleshy and pale green to yellowish, and become brown and remain soft as they mature. Galls usually occur gregariously, resulting in a noticeable deformation of the leaf.

Biology. Only the sexual generation is known from galls on Quercus brantii Lindl. Young galls become apparent from the beginning of May; adult wasps emerge from mid-May. Rare species.

Distribution. Iran, Lorestan (Ghelaei) and Kermanshah provinces (Pave).

Figures

FIGURES 2–13. Andricus istvani, new species: 2, head, female (front view); 3, head, female (dorsal view); 4, head, female (lateral view); 5, head, male (front view); 6, head, male (dorsal view); 7, antenna, female; 8, antenna, male; 9, mesoscutum and mesoscutellum (dorsal view); 10, mesosoma (lateral view); 11, metanotum and propodeum (posterodorsal view); 12, forewing; 13, metasoma (lateral view).

FIGURES 14–17. Andricus istvani, new species, gall: 14–15, growing gall; 16–17, mature, dry gall (photos M. Tavakoli).