Feron discularis ( Weld, 1926 ) Cuesta-Porta & Melika & Nicholls & Stone & Pujade-Villar, 2023

Cuesta-Porta, Victor, Melika, George, Nicholls, James A., Stone, Graham N. & Pujade-Villar, Juli, 2023, Re-establishment of the Nearctic oak cynipid gall wasp genus Feron Kinsey, 1937 (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini), including the description of six new species, Zootaxa 5366 (1), pp. 1-174 : 68-70

Feron discularis ( Weld, 1926) , comb. nov.

Figs 184–188

Diplolepis discularis Weld, 1926: 25 , female, gall.

Andricus discularis (Weld) : Weld, 1951: 633.

Type examined. HOLOTYPE: Asexual female “ Sequoia Nat. Park , Cal.”, “Cut out Nov. 10”, “ Q. garryana ”, red label “Type No. 27191 USNM ”, “ Diplolepis discularis Weld ” deposited in USNM, examined by GM. The type is present, however absent from the Type list. Specimen data and images available at http://n 2t.net/ark:/65665/ 3c82fa469-eef2-491e-bb0d-b1778bff7d05

Diagnosis. Asexual females belong to the group of Feron species in which the pronotum laterally with longitudinal carinae and the mesoscutum alutaceous to coriaceous, rugose-reticulate, reticulate, with piliferous points; as in F. kingi (asex) and F. tubifaciens (asex). Differs from those two species in the entirely black body; the frons bulging in frontal view, ocelli not elevated above the head; toruli located at the midheight of the head; the median mesoscutal line in the form of a short triangle.

Re-description. After Weld (1926) with modifications ( Figs 184–186 ). Predominantly black, base of antenna and legs beyond coxae brownish; face and mesonotum with scattered setae. Head coriaceous, rounded bulging upward in frontal view and as broad as mesosoma in frontal view; gena not broadened behind eye, occiput not concave; Transfacial distance equal to or slightly longer than height of eye; malar space about 1/3 of eye height, without malar sulcus. Toruli located at mid height of head. Antenna longer than head+mesosoma with 12 flagellomeres, distal flagellomeres slightly broader; the antennomere lengths are 10: 6: 13: 10: 9: 8: 8: 7.5: 7: 7: 6.5: 6: 6: 8. Pronotum with delicate parallel striae laterally near tegula. Mesoscutum high-arched, longer than broad, finely coriaceous, with piliferous points, notaulus complete, deep, with smooth bottom; median mesoscutal line in the form of a short triangle. Mesopleuron smooth, glabrous, with small aciculate area in front. Tarsal claws with strong basal lobe. Fore wing hyaline, pubescent, ciliate on margins, veins brown; radial cell around 3.8× as long as broad; areolet present, Rs-M vein reaching 1/8 of the distance to basal. Disk of mesoscutellum delicately coriaceous anterocentrally, with strong rugae posteriorly and laterally; sides bounded by two straight diverging lines; mesoscutellar foveae rounded, separated medially, with smooth, glabrous bottom, not delimited by carinae posteriorly. Metascutellum rugose. Lateral propodeal carina bent strongly outwards, central propodeal area narrower anteriorly, broadened posteriorly, neck rugose. Metasoma longer than head+mesosoma, 2nd metasomal tergum with sparsely pubescent areas at base; prominent part of the ventral spine of hypopygium 8.0× as long as broad in ventral view. Body length 1.6–1.95 mm.

Gall ( Figs 187–188 ). Disk-shaped, about 6 mm in diameter by 1 mm thick, single or scattered in small numbers on underside of leaf in autumn. The upper surface is slightly concave, the edge sinuate, the margin reflexed nearly to the leaf surface. The transversely placed larval cell occupies the full height of the gall. Exit hole on top surface ( Weld 1926).

Biology. The asexual generation only is known, inducing galls on Q. garryana (section Quercus , subsection Dumosae). Galls mature in September, adults were cut out in November.

Distribution. USA: CA ( Weld 1926).

Figures

FIGURES 184–188. Feron discularis, comb. nov., asexual generation. 184–186, asexual female: 184–185 habitus: 184, dorsal view, 185, lateral view. 186, head and antennae, frontal view (pictures taken from the holotype deposited at the USNM by M. Buffington). 187–188, gall (courtesy of J. Gross).