Amphibolips malinche Nieves-Aldrey & Pascual, 2012

Pascual, E., Maldonado-Lopez, Y., Medianero, E. & Oyama, K., 2012, Revision of the Amphibolips species of Mexico excluding the “ niger complex ” Kinsey (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), with description of seven new species, Zootaxa 3545, pp. 1-40 : 16-19

Amphibolips malinche Nieves-Aldrey & Pascual sp. nov.

( Figs 5A–F, 11E, 15C)

Type material. Holotype. Female ( Fig.15C). In the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales , Madrid , Spain ( MNCN), mounted on a card. Cat. nº 2248. MEXICO, Tlaxcala, La Malinche , 19º 12' 29 49” N, 98º 0' 44 47” W, 2800 m; ex gall Quercus mexicana , gall collected 16/05/2006, insect emerged 30/05/2006, E. Pascual leg. Paratype, 1 female, with the same data as for the holotype, except that the gall was collected 15/05/2005 , and the insect emerged 7/11/2005, E. Pascual leg. In MNCN .

Etymology. Named after the collection site, referring to Dña Marina, called Malinche, compaigh of Hernán Cortés, two key figures in the birth of modern Mexico.

Diagnosis and comments. Closely resembles A. jaliscensis Nieves-Aldrey & Pascual , in its forewing pattern based on the colourless, less infuscate spot situated apically on radial cell. However, this clear spot in A. malinche is smaller, only extending to the apex of the radial cell, and the first cubital cell is as colourless as the costal cell ( Fig. 11E). Additionally A. malinche differs from A. jaliscensis in its antennal F1 being 1.6 as long as F2 ( Fig. 5C) [F1 is 1.4 as long as F 2 in A. jaliscensis ], and the general coloration is darker in A. malinche , with the antenna and metasoma being black.

Description. Body length 7 mm (N = 2) for females. Head, mesosoma, antennae and legs black. Metasoma in great part black, ventral sides and hypopigium dark chestnut. Forewing infuscate, with a darker band extended dorsally along basal cell, radial cell, and beyond to posterior margin of wing. The entire costal cell as well as first cubital and the apex of radial cell is colorless, not as heavily infuscate.

Female. Head, in dorsal view ( Fig. 5A) coarsely rugose, about 2.4 times wider than long, narrower than mesosoma. POL 1.7 OOL, posterior ocellus separated from inner orbit of eye by 1.8 times its longest diameter. Gena strongly broadened behind eye. Head in anterior view 1.2 as wide as high. Vertex, frons, lower face, gena, and occiput with strong reticulate-rugose sculpture; some incomplete and irregular irradiating carinae from clypeus visible. Head moderately pubescent, except vertex and frons with sparse and shorter setae. Genae quite broadened, visible behind eye. Clypeus trapezoid, ventral margin strongly projecting over mandibles and slightly sinuate. Anterior tentorial pits well visible; epistomal sulcus and clypeo-pleurostomal lines slightly visible. Malar space about half height of compound eye. Toruli situated mid-height of compound eye; distance between antennal rim and compound eye slightly shorter as width of antennal socket including rim. Ocellar plate slightly raised.

Mouthparts: mandibles strong, exposed; with dense setae in base, right mandible with three teeth; left with two teeth.

Antenna ( Fig. 5C), 0.4 as long as body length; with 13 antennomeres; flagellum not broadening towards apex. Relative lengths of antennal segments: 20:10:40:25:22:20:17:15:13:12:12:13:27. Pedicel ( Fig. 2C), short, small, as long as wide; 0.6 as long as scape; F1 1.6 times as long as F2. F7–F10 about slightly longer than wide, F11 2.7 times longer than wide, 2 times as long as F10. Placodeal sensillae on F5–F11, disposed in rows of 6–8 sensillae, only in half dorsal area of each flagellomere.

Mesosoma. Coarsely reticulate rugose, in lateral view 1.1 as long as high. Pronotum, moderately pubescent; lateral surface of pronotum with strong irregular reticulate rugose sculpture. Pronotum medially short; ratio of length of pronotum medially/laterally = 0.20. Pronotal plate indistinct dorsally.

Mesonotum. Mesoscutum barely pubescent and with coarse rugose-reticulate sculpture ( Fig. 5B). Notauli only posteriorly visible but indisctinct, obscured by the irregular sculpture; a longitudinal median impression obscurely indicated. Anteroadmedian signa and parascutal carinae distinct. Transscutal fissure narrow. Mesoscutellum squared, about 0.4 as long as mesoscutum. Scutellar foveae ( Fig. 5B) squared, with distinct lateral margins; smooth, excepting by some transversal carinae, and shining. Mesoscutellum roughly reticulate-rugose, with a shallow median longitudinal impression, and deeply emarginated at posterior margin, the incision reaching deeply about one half of distance to posterior margin of scutellar foveae ( Fig. 5B). Axillula moderately pubescent, their anterior and posterior margins marked. Mesopleuron irregularly reticulate rugose, the rugae not as strong as mesoscutum.

Metanotum. Metapectal-propodeal complex. Metapleural sulcus reaching posterior margin of mesopectus at about mid-height of metapectal-propodeal complex. Metascutellum rugose; metanotal trough smooth and pubescent. Median propodeal area reticulate rugose and densely pubescent; lateral propodeal carinae obscured by coarse sculpture but visible. Nucha smooth medially.

Legs. Densely pubescent; femora and tibiae robust. Tarsal claws with strong triangular basal lobe or teeth, apically obtuse ( Fig. 5D).

Forewing ( Fig. 11E): 1.1 as long as body, radial cell about 4 times longer than wide; open along anterior margin; areolet very small but distinct. Color as described before. R1 and Rs not reaching wing margin; Rs+M reaching basalis at its mid-height. First abscissa of radius (2r) and Rs curved. Apical margin with very short hair fringe.

Metasoma ( Fig. 5E), About as long as head and mesosoma combined; in lateral view 1.2 as long as high. Second metasomal tergite covering about two third of metasoma, with a band of micropuntures clearly visible in posterior one fourth of the large metasomal terguite; anteriorly to the area of micropunctures there is a broad area reaching anterior one half of MT2 with coriaceous sculpture, after the anterior smooth area of the metasomal terguite ( Fig. 5F); micropunctures extended on subsequent tergites; ventral area of second metasomal tergite moderately pubescent. Projecting part of hypopygial spine long; about 6 times as long as wide in ventral view; laterally with long setae, longer than spine width but not forming an apical patch.

Male. Unknown.

Gall ( Figs 19C, 19D). A globular, irregular oak apple gall. Monothalamic; outer shell thin and internally exhibiting a spongy consistency, filling the entire gall. Found on twigs of Quercus mexicana .

Distribution. A. malinche was found at 2800 m a.s.l. at La Malinche volcano, Tlaxcala state, Mexico.

Biology. Presumably a sexual generation, but males were not reared. The galls were collected in late June, and the insects emerged in July.