Andricus csokai Melika & Tavakoli, 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 : 10-12

Andricus csokai Melika & Tavakoli , new species

Figs 51–67

Type material. HOLOTYPE female: IRAN, Kermanshah, Gahvareh and Javanrod, X-XII.2005. Q. infectoria . leg. M. Tavakoli. Lor 149 . PARATYPES: 39 females with the same labels as the holotype. The holotype and 5 female paratypes in HNHM ; 5 female paratypes in RIFR ; 24 female paratypes in SPL; 5 female paratypes in NHML .

Etymology. In recognition of the continuing contribution of Dr. György Csóka (Forest Research Institute, Hungary) to research on oak gallwasps.

Diagnosis. Most closely resembles Andricus quercusradicis (Fabricius) in which POL 1.5 times as long as OOL; OOL 1.4 times as long as the length of the lateral ocellus and 1.4 times as long as LOL; placodeal sensilla on F3–F12; the median mesoscutal line in a form of a small but distinct triangle; the mesoscutellum delicately coriaceous, posteriorly rounded and medially incised; scutellar foveae are well-delimited around; the mesopleuron including speculum, uniformly delicately coriaceous to alutaceous; the upper half of the mesopleural triangle nearly smooth, ventrally delicately coriaceous with some weak wrinkles and dense setae; lateral propodeal carinae subparallel, broader anteriorly, slightly curved outwards in the most posterior part; the central propodeal area with few delicate irregular wrinkles; metasomal tergite 2 without micropunctures; the prominent part of the ventral spine of the hypopygium 4.5–5.0 times as long as broad while in A. csokai , new species, POL 2.3 times as long as OOL; OOL only slightly longer than the length of the lateral ocellus and equal to LOL; placodeal sensilla on F4–F12; the median mesoscutal line extending to 1/4 of the mesoscutum length; the mesoscutellum rugose, posteriorly is rounded and not incised centrally; scutellar foveae posteriorly delimited by the rugulose sculpture only; the mesopleuron with some delicate longitudinal interrupted striae, while the speculum is reticulate, with distinct punctures; the mesopleural triangle uniformly shining, alutaceous; lateral propodeal carinae subparallel, uniformly broad, slightly curved inwards in the middle; the central propodeal area delicately uniformly coriaceous; metasomal tergite 2 with micropunctures in the posterior 1/3 of the tergite; the prominent part of the ventral spine of the hypopygium at least 6.0 times as long as broad.

Description. ASEXUAL FEMALE (holotype). Body predominantly dark reddish brown, with some extensive dark patches. Head posteriorly, between antennal toruli, central triangular area below median ocellus, central elevated area of lower face, clypeus and narrow stripes of malar space along attachment of mandibles always black; mandibles and antennae reddish brown; compound eyes and ocelli silvery or light brown. Scutum between anterior parallel lines and along parapsidal lines black; scutellar fovea, axillar complex, mesopleuron (entirely or only speculum), mesosoma ventrally, metascutellum and central propodeal area black. Legs uniformly reddish brown, slightly lighter than body. Metasoma reddish brown, except metasomal tergite 2, which dorsally always black. Wings with distinct brown veins. Body with relatively dense white setae.

Head coriaceous, with relatively sparse short white setae, more dense on lower face; 2.2 times as broad as long from above; 1.3 times as broad as high in front view and as broad as mesosoma. Gena delicately coriaceous, broadened behind eye, well-visible in front view behind eye, slightly narrower than cross diameter of eye, measuring behind eye. Malar space delicately coriaceous, 0.45 times as long as height of eye, with delicate striae radiating from clypeus and extending to half of its length. POL 2.3 times as long as OOL; OOL slightly longer than length of lateral ocellus and equal to LOL. Transfacial distance slightly longer than height of eye and 1.3 times as long as height of lower face (distance between antennal rim and ventral margin of clypeus); diameter of antennal torulus 2.4 times as large as distance between them; distance between torulus and eye margin equal to diameter of torulus. Inner margins of eyes slightly divirging ventrally. Lower face coriaceous, with very slightly elevated delicately coriaceous median area, without striae radiating from clypeus, with dense white setae. Clypeus coriaceous, impressed along sides and elevated centrally, slightly broader than high, with distinct anterior tentorial pits, deeply impressed along distinct epistomal sulcus, clypeo-pleurostomal line distinct, ventrally widely emarginated and only very slightly incised medially. Frons, especially the black triangular area below median ocellus reticulate, with distinct large punctures; vertex with some distinct punctures, interocellar area with some strong rugae; occiput uniformly delicately coriaceous. Antenna with 12 flagellomeres, slightly longer than head+mesosoma; pedicel 1.6 times as long as broad; F1 2.0 times as long as pedicel and only very slightly longer than F2, F2 1.3 times as long as F3; F4–F6 nearly equal in length, slightly shorter than F3; F7 and subsequent flagellomeres much shorter, nearly equal in length, F12 1.8 times as long as F11, placodeal sensilla on F4–F12. Mesosoma convex, slightly longer than high in lateral view, with relatively dense white setae. Pronotum delicately coriaceous, with some delicate wrinkles along antero-lateral edge only, with dense white setae, especially along anterior edge. Mesoscutum reticulate, punctures are dense, distance between punctures less than the diameter of a puncture. Notauli complete, well-impressed in all length, converging and not broadened posteriorly; median mesoscutal line extending to 1/4 of mesoscutum length; anterior parallel and parapsidal lines extending to 1/2 of mesoscutum length. Mesoscutellum coriaceous, posteriorly rounded and centrally not incised, 1.7 times shorter than mesoscutum, rounded, nearly as long as broad or slightly longer, slightly overhanging metanotum. Scutellar foveae transversely ovate, posteriorly delimited by rugulose sculpture, smooth, shining, without setae; separated by a distinct, delicately coriaceous central carina. Mesopleuron with some delicate longitudinal interrupted striae; speculum reticulate, with distinct punctures; mesopleural triangle uniformly shiny, alutaceous. Metapleural sulcus reaching mesopleuron slightly above the half of its height, lower part of metapleuron, delimited by metapleural sulcus shiny, smooth; preaxilla delicately coriaceous; axillula ovate, shining, coriaceous, with very dense white setae; subaxillular bar coriaceous, shining, in the most posterior end 2.0 times higher than height of metanotal trough; ventral bar of metanotal trough shiny, at least 2.0 times narrower than height of metanotal trough measuring above propodeal spiracle. Metascutellum uniformly delicately coriaceous, nearly as high as height of smooth, shiny delicately longitudinally wrinkled ventral impressed area; metanotal trough coriaceous, shiny, with relatively sparse white setae. Lateral propodeal carinae subparallel, uniformly broad, slightly curved inwards in the middle; central propodeal area delicately coriaceous, without setae; lateral propodeal area delicately uniformly coriaceous, with dense white setae; nucha short, with irregular wrinkles. Tarsal claws with distinct basal lobe. Forewing much longer than body, with distinct brown veins, margin with cilia; radial cell 3.7 times as long as broad, areolet distinct, Rs+M extending to 2/3 of distance between areolet and basalis. Metasoma nearly as long as head+mesosoma, higher than long in lateral view; metasomal tergite 2 with large patch of dense white setae antero-laterally, with micropunctures in the posterior 1/3, subsequent tergites and hypopygium without setae, with dense micropunctures; prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium short, 6.0 times as long as broad, with few short white setae, apical setae short, not extending beyond apex of spine. Body length 4.1–4.8 mm.

Gall ( Figs 62–67 ). Galls are on roots which are close to the surface or on branches at ground level and up to 15–35 cm below the ground surface. Often found on the roots of fallen trees with many regrowth shoots. Commonly in groups. Varying in size from a walnut to an onion; thick walled; usually globular, multilocular, 2.5–5.0 cm in diameter. Initially fleshy, soon becomes woody. When young the gall is light brown or reddish, darkening (brownish) with age, after wasps emerged, the old gall turns black.

Biology. Only the asexual generation is known from galls on Quercus infectoria Olivier. Rare species. The gall becomes apparent at the beginning of summer; adult wasps emerge at the beginning of November. Lack of information on the phylogenetic placement of this species precludes prediction of a likely host for the sexual generation.

Distribution. Iran, known from Kermanshah province only (Gahvareh and Javanrod).

Figures

FIGURES 51–61. Andricus csokai, new species, asexual female: 51, head (front view); 52, head (dorsal view); 53, head (lateral view); 54, antenna; 55, mesoscutum and mesoscutellum (dorsal view); 56, mesosoma (lateral view); 57, metanotum and propodeum (postero-dorsal view); 58, hind tarsal claw; 59, forewing (part); 60, metasoma (lateral view); 61, prominent part of the ventral spine of hypopygium (ventral view).

FIGURES 62–67. Andricus csokai, new species, gall (photos by M. Tavakoli): 62, young, growing gall; 63–64, mature galls; 65–66, partially dissected mature galls, larval cells are visible; 67, mature galls with a few galls of Andricus stonei.