Amphibolips salicifoliae 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 : 32

Amphibolips salicifoliae Medianero & Nieves-Aldrey

Amphibolips salicifoliae Medianero & Nieves-Aldrey, 2010: 55–60 .

Type material examined: HOLOTYPE. ♀ (deposited in MNCN), Cat nº 2024. PANAMA, Chiriquí, Volcan Baru 8º 47’ 50 8” N, 82º 29’ 35 9” W, 1800–2070m, Ex Q. salicifolia , (27.i.2009) ii.09, leg. E. Medianero. Paratypes: 2♂ & 2♀ with same data as the holotype (two paratypes deposited in MNCN, and two paratypes MEUP) .

Diagnosis. This species is characterized by the almost hyaline forewings in males and females, tarsal claws simple and notauli incomplete, short, distinct, with base of notaular groove smooth. This species closely resembles A. quercuspomiformis comb. nov. with which it shares the following character states: simple tarsal claws; mesoscutellum posteriorly not emarginated; speculum smooth and glabrous. Differs by the forewing colouration which is almost completely hyaline, slightly infuscate in A. salicifoliae (hyaline with dark patch at the base of radial cell in A. quercuspomiformis comb. nov.); notauli incomplete, broad, smooth, visible in posterior third of mesoscutum in A. salicifoliae (notauli complete, shallow, and partially covered by the sculpture of mesoscutum, furrow rugose in A. quercuspomiformis comb. nov.); median propodeal area shining, smooth in A. salicifoliae (dull rugose in A. quercuspomiformis comb. nov.); metasomal terga smooth without micropunctures in A. salicifoliae (posterior third of metasomal tergum II and subsequent tergum with micropunctures in A. quercuspomiformis comb. nov.). Galls of A. salicifoliae are subglobose, on the underside of leaves, very fragile, outer shell thin, hollow internally with thin filaments radiating from larval chamber while galls of A. quercuspomiformis comb. nov. are on buds, with outer shell hard, internal parenchyma spongious. Thin filaments radiating from the larval chamber to the outer shell in A. aliciae . We can differentiate these galls by the shape of the gall and its location (fusiform bud galls in A. aliciae and spherical leaf galls in A. salicifoliae )

Host. Quercus salicifolia .

Gall. Globose and fragile galls on the underside of leaves, with maximum diameter 30 mm; outer shell thin, internal space hollow with filaments radiating from the larval chamber. Larval chamber central or at the base of the gall ( Medianero & Nieves-Aldrey 2010: Figs 8 G–H).

Biology. The sexual generation is only known. Galls were collected in January; adults emerged in February.

Distribution. Panama.

Figures

FIGURE 8. (A–D) Amphibolips quercuspomiformis comb. nov.: (A) Forewing; (B) Antennae; (C) Metatarsi and tarsal claws; (D) Tarsal claws. (E) Amphibolips turulli n. sp.: (E) Tarsal claws.