Amphibolips oaxacae Nieves-Aldrey & Pascual

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 : 23

Amphibolips oaxacae Nieves-Aldrey & Pascual

Amphibolips oaxacae Nieves-Aldrey & Pascual, 2012 . In Nieves-Aldrey et al.2012: 14–16.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE. ♀ deposited in MNCN (Cat. nº 2249; Code: 89204). MEXICO, Oaxaca, S. Pe-dro Tapanatepec, 16º 22’ 34.40” N, 94º 04’ 43 11” W, 1300 masl; Ex gall Quercus sp. aff. sapotifolia , (29.iii.2006) iii.2006, leg. E. Pascual.

Diagnosis. This species is characterized by completely infuscate forewing, with anterior infuscate band, including costal and proximal half of anal cells, radial cell uniformly infuscate ( Fig. 13F ); scutellar posterior depression deep, almost as broad as scutellar foveae ( Fig. 11I ). Besides the distinctive forewing pattern, adults closely resemble A. tarasco by less densely rugate mesoscutum in posteromedian margin. These species can be differentiated by their mesoscutellum: scutellar foveae ovate, median carina complete in A. oaxacae (foveae triangular with median carina reduced to anterior half of foveae and the rest is rugate in A. tarasco ), posteromedian depression almost as broad as total width of foveae (around half of total width of foveae in A. tarasco ) ( Figs 11 I–J). The globular gall resembles others but galls of A. oaxacae and A. tarasco are hard, around 40 mm in diameter, not deformable at finger pressure, with mottled surface. Both species cannot be differentiated by galls shape, only by the host plant: A. oaxacae galls on Quercus sp. aff. s apotifolia, A. tarasco galls on Q. castanea .

Gall. A subglobose large bud gall, maximum 40 mm in diameter, outer shell thin, resistant, slightly lignified. Pale green with darker green spots when fresh and turning brown when dry. The gall is monolocular, with a spongy internal tissue, filling in the entire gall; the larval cell is rounded ( Nieves-Aldrey et al. 2012: Fig. 18F).

Host. Quercus sp. aff. sapotifolia (according to original description).

Biology. Only females are known. The galls were collected in March; adults emerged in the same month.

Distribution. Mexico: Oaxaca State.

Remarks. Most closely resembles A. tarasco . Only one specimen of A. oaxacae is known and until more material is found it is impossible to sort out the intraspecific variability in this species. However, the actual differences that determine A. oaxacae are robust enough to consider it as a valid species.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Female dorsal meosoma: (A) A. cibriani (Type); (B) A. durangensis (Type); (C) A. fusus, scutellar postermedian depression signaled (white arrow); (D) A. hidalgoensis (Type); (E) A. jalisciensis (Type); (F) A. michoacaensis (Type), posterior carina of scutellum signaled (white bracket); (G) A. nassa (Type); (H) A. nevadensis (Type); (I) A. oaxacae (Type); (J) A. tarasco (Type), less dense sculpture signaled (white arrow); (K) A. zacatecaensis (Type); (L) A. fusus, mesoscutellum.

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.