Amphibolips aliciae Medianero & Nieves-Aldrey

Cuesta-Porta, Víctor, Equihua-Martínez, Armando, Estrada-Venegas, Edith G., Cibrián-Tovar, David, Barrera-Ruíz, Uriel M., Silva, Salvador Ordaz, Sánchez, Imelda Virginia López, Melika, George & Pujade-Villar, Juli, 2020, Revision of the Amphibolips species of the ‘ nassa’ complex from Mexico and central America (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), Zootaxa 4877 (1), pp. 1-50 : 4-5

Amphibolips aliciae Medianero & Nieves-Aldrey

Amphibolips aliciae Medianero & Nieves-Aldrey, 2010: 52 .

Type material examined: HOLOTYPE ♀ deposited in MNCN ( Cat nº2023) “ PANAMA, Chiriquí, Carretera de Volcancito, Boquete 8º 46’ 23 7” N, 82º 27’ 19 7” W, 1404 m, Ex Q. salicifolia , (25.i.2009) 25.i.09, E. Medianero leg” . Paratypes: a male with the same data as holotype, but one (12.i.2008) ii.08, E. Medianero leg. One paratype in MNCN .

Additional material: Deposited in UB with the following labels: “MEX-595, MEXICO, Cuapancingo, Puebla, (18.ii.2013) iii.2013: 1♂ ( UB), Ex Q. crassifolia , leg. Alondra ”; “P189, MEXICO, Aconco, Tetela de Ocampo, Pueb-la, (11.ix.2012) only galls ( UB), Ex Quercus sp. ”; “P291, MEXICO, Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa, Puebla, (27.vi.2016) only galls ( UB), Ex Quercus sp.”; “P375, MEXICO, San Pedro Hueytentan, Cuautempan, Puebla, 19º42’50”N, 97º49’21.22”W, 1599m.a.s.l., (14.vi.2018) only galls, ( UB), Ex Q. crassifolia ”; “S345, MEXICO, Aconco, Tetela de Ocampo, Puebla, (12.ix.2012) only galls ( UB), Ex Quercus sp., leg, A. Equihua ” .

Diagnosis. This species is characterized by its clear forewings with only one heavily infuscate patch at the base of the radial cell ( Fig. 13A ); broad and complete notauli delimited by an internal carina on posterior half of mesoscutum ( Fig. 12A ); mesoscutellar posterior emargination shallow, only slightly emarginate. This species most closely resembles A. kinseyi n. sp. but differs by a complete notauli (incomplete in A. kinesyi n. sp.); upper face coarsely reticulate-rugose (alutaceous in A. kinseyi n. sp.); speculum glabrous and finely rugate (sparsely pubescent and transversally carinated in A. kinseyi n. sp.); metasomal tergum II with fine, almost inconspicuous, micropunctures on posterior 1/3 (posterior 1/3 metasomal tergum II conspicuously micropunctate in A. kinseyi n. sp.). The forewing pattern also resembles A. quercuspomiformis comb. nov., but the tarsal claws with an acute basal lobe in A. aliciae (simple in A. quercuspomiformis comb. nov.); and the notauli are complete, shallow, and not delimited by carinae in A. quercuspomiformis comb. nov. Galls of A. aliciae are fusiform, fragile onto smallest pressure, internal hollowlike space with thin filaments radiating from the central larval chamber ( Figs 14B, 14D ); while galls of A. kinseyi n. sp. and A. quercuspomiformis comb. nov. are subglobose, hard, with internal space obliterated by a spongious parenchyma. The internal structure of A. aliciae gall also resembles the gall of A. salicifoliae , which are hollow with radiating filaments. However, they can be differentiating by the shape and gall location: fusiform galls on buds in A. aliciae and spherical galls on leaves in A. salicifoliae .

Gall ( Figs 14 A–D). A fusiform bud gall with a fine tip and base, with a hard, lignified outer shell, 2.5 mm long. Internal space hollow with thin filaments radiating from the central larval chamber, 5–6 mm in diameter.

Hosts. Quercus salicifolia ( Panama) ; Q. crassifolia ( Mexico, new record).

Biology. Only the sexual generation is known. Galls were collected from January to March; adults emerged shortly after gall collecting.

Distribution. Panama (original description), Mexico: Puebla state, new record.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Male dorsal meosoma: (A) A. aliciae notauli (N) and internal carinae (C) signaled (white arrows); (B) A. dampfi sculpture surrounding parallel lines signaled (white arrows); (C) A. jalisciensis (Type); (D) A. michoacaensis (Type); (E) A. nevadensis (Type); (F) A. tarasco (Type); (G–H) A. dampfi mesoscutellum; (I) A. dampfi propodeum.

FIGURE 13. Forewings: (A) A. aliciae male; (B) A. bassae n. sp. female; (C) A. dampfi male; (D) A.turulli n. sp. female; (E) A. michoacaensis female; (F) A. oaxacae female; (G) A. nassa; (H) A. nevadensis male.

FIGURE 14. Galls: (A–D) A. aliciae; (E) A. fusus dry galls; (F–G) A. turulli n. sp. mature gall; (H) A. bromus n. sp.; (I–K) A. cibriani.