Aulacidea tavakolii Melika, 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 : 19-21

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.1854.1.2
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03EF87C2-FFF6-FF87-FF37-15F80E97899B
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Aulacidea tavakolii Melika
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Aulacidea tavakolii Melika , new species

( Figs 1a–j View FIGURE 1 ; 2a–e View FIGURE 2 )

Etymology. In honour of Majid Tavakoli, a researcher at the Lorestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center, Khorramabad, Lorestan, Iran, who collected the new species.

Type material. HOLOTYPE female: IRAN, Lorestan, Shorab, autumn 2005. leg. M. Tavakoli, ex galls on Tragopogon marginatus Boiss. , em. 01–03.2005 . PARATYPES: 32 females and 36 males with the same labels as the holotype. The holotype female, 5 female and 5 male paratypes are deposited in HNHM , 5 female and 5 male paratypes in RIFR ; 22 female and 26 male paratypes in SPL.

Diagnosis. Aulacidea tavakolii n. sp. most closely resembles A. tragopogonis (Thomson) . In both species the forewing is ciliate, the female antenna has 12 flagellomeres, notauli are complete, metasomal tergite 2 with a patch of dense white setae antero-laterally, metasomal tergite 3 is entirely and uniformly micropunctate, scutellar foveae are elongated, longer than broad. However, in A. tavakolii n. sp. POL 1.7 times as long as OOL and 3.7 times as long as the diameter of the lateral ocellus; the diameter of the antennal torulus 2.0 times as long as the distance between them and 0.7 times as large as the distance between the torulus and eye margin; the clypeus is quadrangular, nearly as high as broad; the pedicel in the female antenna is subglobose, only 1.25 times as long as broad; placodeal sensilla present on all flagellomeres, including F1; the subaxillular bar is equal or usually narrower than the height of the metanotal trough; the metapleuron without piliferous points; lateral propodeal carinae converging outwards in the posterior 1/3; the radial cell of the forewing only 2.1 times as long as broad; the areolet is large, triangular, distinct; the hypopygium with punctures, like all tergites; in the male antenna the pedicel is slightly longer than broad, F1 longer than F2; F2 shorter than F3; placodeal sensilla present on all flagellomeres, including F1; all metasomal tergites of the male are without punctures. In A. tragopogonis POL 1.2 times as long as OOL and 4.5–4.7 times as long as the diameter of the lateral ocellus; the diameter of the antennal torulus 4.6–4.8 times as long as the distance between them and equal to the distance between the torulus and eye margin; the clypeus is rectangular, at least 2.0 times as broad as high; the pedicel in the female antenna is elongated, 1.5 times as long as broad; placodeal sensilla present on F2–F12, absent on F1; the subaxillular bar is broader than the height of the metanotal trough; the metapleuron with piliferous points; lateral propodeal carinae nearly straight, slightly converging inwards in the most posterior part; the radial cell of the forewing at least 3.0 times as long as broad; the areolet is small; the hypopygium without or with very few indistinct punctures; in the male antenna the pedicel is globose, nearly as broad as long; F1 slightly shorter than F2; F2 equal F3; placodeal sensilla present on all flagellomeres, except F1; 3 rd and subsequent metasomal tergites of male are densely punctate.

Description. FEMALE (holotype). Head and mesosoma black, antenna, mandibles and palpi reddish brown; legs light brown, while coxae, trochanters and partially femora are darker. Metasoma reddish brown, dorsally darker, hypopygium lighter than tergites. Wing veins distinct, dark brown.

Head ( Figs 1a–b View FIGURE 1 ) delicately coriaceous, with uniformly sparse white setae, 2.0 times as broad as long from above, rounded, nearly as broad as high in front view, slightly broader than mesosoma. Gena delicately coriaceous, very slightly broadened behind eye, nearly as broad as cross diameter of eye, not visible behind eye in front view. Malar space coriaceous, with striae radiating from clypeus and nearly reaching eye margin, 0.7 times as long as height of eye. POL 1.7 times as long as OOL, 2.5 times as long as LOL and 3.7 times as long as diameter of lateral ocellus. Transfacial distance 1.35 times as long as 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 2.0 times as long as distance between them and 0.7 times as large as distance between torulus and eye margin. Lower face with distinct but weak striae, radiating from clypeus and reaching eyes and nearly antennal sockets; median elevated area delicately coriaceous, without striae. Clypeus quadrangular, nearly as high as broad, alutaceous, with small but distinct anterior tentorial pits, with distinct epistomal sulcus and clypeo-pleurostomal line, ventral margin rounded, medially not incised. Frons, vertex and occiput uniformly del- icately coriaceous to alutaceous. Postocciput around occipital foramen impressed, coriaceous, with some wrinkles; postgena rugose, with longitudinally orientated sculpture; posterior tentorial pits small, rounded; hypostomal bridge narrow in ventral half, broader in upper half; hypostomal sulci distinct; hypostomal carina distinctly emarginated; occipital foramen higher than hypostomal bridge and at least 1.5 times as short as height of oral foramen. Antenna with 12 flagellomeres; pedicel subglobose, only 1.25 times as long as broad; F1 1.5 times as long as pedicel and slightly longer than F2; F2–F5 equal in length, slightly shorter than F3; subsequent flagellomeres slightly shorter and nearly equal in length; F12 1.5 times as long as F11; placodeal sensilla on all flagellomeres, including F1 ( Fig. 1c View FIGURE 1 ).

Mesosoma convex, slightly longer than high in lateral view, with uniform sparse white setae. Pronotum very delicately coriaceous to alutaceous dorsally; uniformly alutaceous or delicately coriaceous laterally, with very dense white setae along ventro-lateral edge. Submedian pronotal pits distinct, deep, nearly 2.0 times as broad as high, separated by distance 2.0 times larger than width of pit; pronotal plate delimited in most anterior part only, alutaceous ( Fig. 1e View FIGURE 1 ); pronotum aside of pit with dense white setae. Mesoscutum ( Fig. 1f View FIGURE 1 ) delicately coriaceous, with more delicate sculpture in anterior half, with some sparse distinct piliferous points, longer than mesoscutellum. Notauli complete, broadened at main base, sometimes indistinct and very narrow in anterior 1/3; median mesoscutal line usually extending to 1/3 or more of mesoscutum length, sometimes in form of very short triangle; parapsidal lines distinct but narrow, extending slightly above tegulae level; anterior parallel lines distinct and extending to 1/4 of mesoscutum length. Mesoscutellum ( Fig. 1f View FIGURE 1 ) slightly elongated, broadened below scutellar foveae, rounded posteriorly, only very slightly overhanging metanotum; dull rugose along sides, with more delicate sculpture towards the center of disk and with some longitudinal wrinkles between scutellar foveae. Scutellar foveae large, longer than broad, with shiny smooth bottom; separated by narrow central carina, distinctly delimited posteriorly. Dorso-axillar area delicately coriaceous. Mesopleuron, including speculum, with uniform delicate transverse striae which usually complete, not interrupted; mesopleural triangle with delicate longitudinal wrinkles; acetabular carina delimiting narrow area laterally ( Fig. 1g View FIGURE 1 ). Metapleural sulcus reaching mesopleuron in upper 1/4 of its height, area delimited by metapleural sulcus with dense white setae; preaxilla and lateral axillar area with delicate wrinkles, axillar carina very narrow, axillula transversely ovate, smooth, shiny; subaxillular bar smooth, shiny, equal or usually narrower than height of metanotal trough; metapleuron without piliferous points; ventral bar of metanotal trough smooth, shiny, slightly narrower than height of metanotal trough ( Fig. 1g View FIGURE 1 ). Metascutellum coriaceous to rugose, very narrow medially; ventral impressed area rugose, nearly reaching metascutellum; metanotal trough smooth, with few white setae. Propodeum coriaceous, lateral propodeal carinae converging outwards in the posterior 1/3, uniformly thick, with setae; central propodeal area shining, with delicate wrinkles and sparse setae; lateral propodeal area delicately coriaceous, with relatively dense white setae and large ovate spiracle; nucha long, with few strong irregular rugae ( Fig. 1h View FIGURE 1 ). Forewing with distinct brown veins, margin with short cilia; radial cell closed, vein along wing margin distinct, only 2.1 times as long as broad; areolet large, triangular, distinct; Rs+M extending to 2/3 of distance between areolet and basalis ( Fig. 1i View FIGURE 1 ). Tarsal claws very narrow, without basal lobe.

Metasoma nearly as long as head+mesosoma, nearly as long as high in lateral view; metasomal tergite 2 with small patch of dense long white setae antero-laterally, without punctures; subsequent tergites with punctures; hypopygium with punctures, like all tergites; prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium very short, with few sparse white setae, apical setae not extending behind apex of spine ( Fig. 1j View FIGURE 1 ). Body length 1.4–2.0 mm.

MALE. Similar to female, antenna with 12 flagellomeres, pedicel slightly longer than broad; F1 incised medially, broadened apically, nearly 2.0 times as long as pedicel and longer than F2; F2 shorter than F3; placodeal sensilla on all flagellomeres, including F1 ( Fig. 1d View FIGURE 1 ); all metasomal tergites without punctures. Body length 1.4–1.8 mm.

Gall ( Figs 2a–e View FIGURE 2 ). The gall is forming always at the base of flowers, bluntly conical; 10–15 mm in height and 9–13 mm in diameter. The gall is multilocular, containing 15–22 larval chambers (cells). The young growing gall is green, later yellow and turns to greyish-black when mature. The walls of the gall are semihard, even after the gall is totally dry out. In A. tavakolii n. sp. the galls are forming always at the base of flowers, never in the stem, while in A. tragopogonis the galls are in stems, small, egg-shaped with smooth surface; the stem is not malformed externally, however, very often galls merge into a large conspicuous lignified, hard swelling up to 40 mm in length, with rough surface.

Biology. Galls are visible on the plant by the end of spring and beginning of summer. The usual habitat is a dry grassland under oak trees, mainly Quercus brantii Lindl. Adult wasps emerging from the end of January and till March of the next year. The only known host plant is Tragopogon marginatus Boiss. (Asteraceae) .

Distribution. Currently known from Iran (Lorestan, Shorab), although further sampling in similar habitats is required to establish its true distribution.