Coffeikokkos Pujade-Villar & Melika

Pujade-Villar, Juli, Hanson, Paul & Melika, George, 2012, A new genus of oak gallwasp, Coffeikokkos Pujade-Villar & Melika, gen. n., with a description of a new species from Costa Rica (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae), ZooKeys 168, pp. 19-29 : 20

Coffeikokkos Pujade-Villar & Melika gen. n.

Type species.

Coffeikokkos copeyensis Pujade-Villar & Melika, sp. n., by present designation.

Diagnosis.

Coffeikokkos is the only known genus of Cynipini with 14-15 antennal flagellomeres in females (in some paratypes the suture between F14 and F15 is weakly indicated, but in one female it is absent and the antennae therefore has 14 distinctly visible flagellomeres). Adults of Coffeikokkos most closely resemble the parthenogenetic forms of Cynips Linnaeus species in the morphology and surface sculpture of the head, mesosoma and the shape of the ventral spine of the hypopygium. Among all known Cynips species, the western Palaearctic Cynips korsakovi Belizin most closely resembles Coffeikokkos copeyensis : this is the only Cynips species which has the mesoscutum without dense setae (present only along notauli) and the sides of the ventral spine of the hypopygium parallel, not broadened at the apex. In Coffeikokkoss the antennae have 14-15 flagellomeres; the clypeus is small, rounded, not emarginate ventrally; the tarsal claws are simple, with a rounded basal lobe; the lateral propodeal carinae are incomplete, not reaching the nucha, subparallel in the anterior half and strongly curved outwards in the posterior half of the propodeum; the ventral impressed area is higher than the height of the metascutellum; and the 2nd metasomal tergite has very few white setae anterolaterally. In the asexual females of Cynips species (and particularly in Cynips korsakovi ), the antennae have 12 flagellomeres; the tarsal claws have a narrow, acute basal lobe; the clypeus is widely emarginate ventrally and overhanging the mandibles; the lateral propodeal carinae are complete, reaching the nucha, nearly subparallel, slightly curved outwards in the middle; the ventral impressed area is 2.0 times shorter than the height of the metascutellum; the 2nd metasomal tergite has numerous white setae anterolaterally. Galls of all known Cynips species are located mostly on the underside of leaves, while in Coffeikokkos they are located on stems.

Description.

Asexual female with robust and glabrous body. Head broadened behind eye in anterior view, malar sulcus absent. Antenna with 14-15 flagello-meres. Mesoscutum smooth and shiny, notauli deep, complete, reaching pronotum. Mesoscutellum dull rugose with transverse depression anteriorly, scutellar foveae present but always indistinctly delimited posteriorly (in some paratypes foveae separated by weak median carina). Propodeum with incomplete lateral propodeal carinae, subparallel in anterior half and strongly divergent posteriorly. Tarsal claws simple with broad and rounded basal part. Metasoma without punctures, shiny; 2nd metasomal tergite with sparse white setae laterally. Projecting part of ventral spine of hypopygium broad, longer than wide, rounded apically, with long dense subapical setae forming tuft directed backwards and reaching beyond apex of spine.

Etymology.

The name reflects the shape and the colour of the growing galls which are similar to the shape of a coffee berry and the Greek kokkos (κόκκος) means “berry”.

Gender.

Masculine.