Panteliella fedtschenkoi ( Rübsaamen, 1896 ), Kieffer, 1901

Nastasi, Louis F. & Deans, Andrew R., 2024, New herb gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Aulacideini) from Kyrgyzstan, with description of a new genus and a review of the genus Panteliella Kieffer, 1901, Zootaxa 5537 (4), pp. 511-526 : 518-519

Panteliella fedtschenkoi ( Rübsaamen, 1896)

( Figs. 6–7 )

Aulax fedtschenkoi Rübsaamen, 1896

Pantelia fedtschenkoi (Rübsaamen) Kieffer, 1901a

Panteliella fedtschenkoi (Rübsaamen) Kieffer, 1901b

Endocaulonia bicolor Ionescu & Roman, 1960

Panteliella bicolor (Ionescu & Roman) Nieves-Aldrey, 1994

Vetustia investigata Belizin, 1959

Material examined. Two females, USNMENT 01823222 , 01823223, both with same labels given verbatim here: “Bijouk-Onlar, Krim.” / “Cut out of type galls by Weld 1929” / “From Vienna Museum, 1929” / “ Panteliella fedtschenkoi (Rübsaam.) ” / USNM barcode label. The labels report the locality only as “Bijouk-Onlar, Krim.”, which likely refers to Bijuk-Onlar, a former name of the settlement Oktyabrsk in the Crimean Peninsula. Labels that were evidently added later correspond to Weld’s (1930) observations and indicate that the specimens were dissected from galls collected and preserved alongside the type series of this species. Both specimens are in relatively good condition, with one specimen missing only an antenna and the other mostly intact except for undeveloped wings.

Redescription of female ( Fig. 7 ). Body 1.2 mm in length (n = 2). Coloration clearly faded since initial preservation, but coloration of head much lighter brownish than that of mesosoma and metasoma, especially on face. Antennae reddish yellow. Wing veins pale brown. Legs more or less orangish throughout.

Head. In dorsal view 1.9× as wide as long; in anterior view subtrapezoidal and 1.4× as wide as tall. Sculpture excluding weak facial radiating striae entirely coriaceous. POL:LOL:OOL:DLO in holotype measuring 15:7:7:4. Toruli situated about mid-height of eyes. Malar space 0.6× as long as compound eye in anterior view. Facial radiating striae incomplete, very poorly impressed, apparent as indistinct rugae emanating for a short distance from the clypeus. Clypeus large, broadly projecting ventrally over base of mandibles, and with clypeo-pleurostomal lines strongly divergent ventrally. Genae only slightly expanded posterior to eyes.

Antennae ( Fig. 7 ). With 14 antennomeres, about two thirds as long as body length. Conspicuous placodeal sensilla present on F2 and following flagellomeres. Pedicel about as long as F1. F1 2.0× as long as wide. F2 1.8× as long as wide; about 1.0× as long as F1. Apical flagellomere 2.1× as long as wide.

Mesosoma ( Figs. 7–8 ). Strongly convex in lateral view. Pronotum coriaceous, with medial height about 0.3× height of lateral margin. Submedial pronotal pits transverse, deep, and clearly separated. Pronotal plate incomplete, with lateral sutures terminating only shortly before reaching mesoscutum. Mesopleuron almost entirely striate, with a very small ventral area of reticulate sculpture. Mesopleural triangle conspicuously impressed, with only a few scattered setae anteriorly. Mesoscutum mostly weakly coriaceous, with a few conspicuous longitudinal rugae apparent for a short distance anterior to scutellar margin, with only a few sparse, scattered setae. Notauli incomplete, inconspicuously impressed; apparent only as short longitudinal rugae in posterior third of mesoscutum. Median mesoscutal impression not apparent but mesoscutum very slightly impressed posteromedially. Mesoscutellar disc mostly reticulate, with conspicuous longitudinal rugae anteriorly and rugose-reticulate toward outer margins. Mesoscutellar foveae ovate; relatively short, about one quarter as long as mesoscutellar disc; posterior margins poorly defined but strongly divergent; without setae; rugose within margins; separated by a broad subtriangular area. Metapleural sulcus meeting mesopleuron in dorsal third. Metapleuron coriaceous to rugose, more or less moderately setose throughout. Propodeal carinae conspicuous, apparent as paired subparallel lateral carinae, with strong sculpture between them producing a faint indication of a medial carina.

Fore wing ( Fig. 7 ). Hyaline and setose throughout. Marginal cell open, 2.9× as long as wide, with vein R1 indistinctly reaching fore wing margin. Areolet absent. Distal margin with conspicuous marginal setae.

Metasoma. Metasoma slightly shorter than combined length of head and mesosoma. Second metasomal tergite without conspicuous anteromedial setose patch. Third and following metasomal tergites with sparse micropunctation throughout.

Redescription of gall. On the adaxial leaves of Phlomoides tuberosa . Conspicuous, solitary, semideciduous outgrowths of the leaf, 2.0–4.0 mm in diameter. Monothalamous. Shape spherical. Surface slightly rugose, with dense, moderately long pilosity. Color green when fresh to pink or brown when mature or dry. While Panteliella fedtschenkoi has been mentioned to induce galls in the inflorescence or stems, these records almost certainly correspond to distinct species (see remarks below).

Remarks. Several authors have treated Panteliella fedtschenkoi since its description, often disagreeing on diagnostic characters (see remarks for Panteliella above). Weld (1930) redescribed Panteliella fedtschenoki from two specimens dissected from galls of the type series as the original description was insufficient. We examined Weld’s material (see above) and redescribe the species in line with characters included in our description of P. rugosa Nastasi sp. nov. (below). As mentioned above, further study of material of this species is badly needed to better understand its limits; Melika’s (2006) treatment of P. fedtschenkoi probably encapsulates multiple species (see remarks for Panteliella above). Given that the material we examined here was dissected by Weld from galls preserved alongside Rübsaamen’s type material ( Weld 1930), and that the known adult types of the species are incomplete and mounted on slides ( Quinlan 1968, Nieves-Aldrey 1994), we believe that our treatment here best represents the species hypothesis as intended by Rübsaamen.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Soparia oshensis Nastasi gen. and sp. nov. All images show holotype female INHS Insect Collection 288148. (1) Lateral habitus. (2) Head in anterior view; dotted line indicates ventral margin of clypeus. (3) Mesoscutum in dorsal view. (4) Scutellum in dorsal view. (5) Mesopleuron in lateral view. (6) Wings.

FIGURES 7–8. Panteliella fedtschenkoi (Rübsaamen, 1896), female USNMENT 01823223. (7) Lateral habitus. (8) Dorsal mesosoma.