Andricus pseudoaries Melika, Stone & Sadeghi, 2008

Tavakoli, M., Melika, G., Sadeghi, S. E., Pénzes, Z., Assareh, M. A., Atkinson, R., Bechtold, M., Mikó, I., Zargaran, M. R., Aligolizade, D., Barimani, H., Bihari, P., Pirozi, F., Fülöp, D., Somogyi, K., Challis, R., Preuss, S., Nicholls, J. & Stone, G. N., 2008, New species of oak gallwaps from Iran (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini), Zootaxa 1699 (1), pp. 1-64 : 22-24

Andricus pseudoaries Melika, Stone & Sadeghi , new species

Figs 170–182

Type material. HOLOTYPE female: Iran, East Azarbaijan, Arasbaran , Alborz Mountains, 2002.X.30., leg. G. N. Stone . PARATYPES: 4 females: 1 female paratype with the same label as the holotype; 3 females labelled as “ Iran, East Azarbaijan , Arasbaran Mnt., nr. Ahar, 1600 m a.s.l., Q. macranthera, 2004 .X.10, leg. G. Melika ”. The holotype in HNHM ; 1 female paratype in RIFR ; 3 female paratypes in SPL.

Etymology. The species name pseudoaries reflects the similarity of the asexual generation gall of this species to the gall of Andricus aries (Giraud) .

Diagnosis. Andricus pseudoaries , new species, closely resembles three species: Andricus askewi Melika & Stone , A. stefanii (Kieffer) , and A. conglomeratus (Hartig) . In A. askewi , known from Turkey and Iran ( Melika & Stone 2001 ), the head is narrower than the mesosoma, the malar space 0.3 times as short as height of the compound eye; F1 distinctly longer than F2; scutellar foveae separated by a narrow median carina; metasomal tergites with very indistinct minute punctures or they are absent, with sparse setae; the prominent part of the ventral spine of the hypopygium only 2.2–2.5 times as long as broad while in A. pseudoaries , new species, the head as broad as the mesosoma, the malar space is 0.5 times as long as the height of the compound eye; F1 slightly longer or equal F2; scutellar foveae separated by a strong and broad median carina; metasomal tergites distinctly densely micropunctate, with very dense white setae; the prominent part of the ventral spine of the hypopygium 3.5 times as long as broad. Andricus pseudoaries , new species, differs from A. conglomeratus by mainly reddish body, with some black marks; the mesoscutum finely uniformly punctate, while in A. conglomeratus the body is brown and the mesoscutum is less punctate, mainly in the internotauli area. In A. pseudoaries , new species, scutellar foveae are shiny, without setae while in A. stefanii scutellar foveae with dense white setae.

Description. ASEXUAL FEMALE (holotype). Body mainly reddish brown; head reddish frontally and laterally, black posteriorly, hypostomal bridge black; antennal rims, gena along mouthparts, clypeus along epistomal sulcus black. Antennae black to dark brown, flagellomeres paler ventrally; propleuron black with reddish spot medially; pronotum reddish brown, mesoscutum reddish with two elongated black spots anteriorly in internotauli area and with black stripes prolong parapsidal lines; scutellar fovea black; scutellum uniformly reddish; mesopleuron reddish with black spot anterodorsally, propodeum black with reddish spot in lateral propodeal area; metasoma reddish, except black dorsal spot on metasomal tergite 2; all coxae, trochanters and femurs dark brown to partially black, all tibiae black; tarsi black dorsally and light brown ventrally; ventral spine of hypopygium light brown.

Head uniformly finely coriaceous with some sparse punctures with moderately dense white short setae; as broad as mesosoma or very slightly broader, 1.8 times as broad as high in front view; POL 1.7 times as long as OOL; LOL 0.5 times as long as POL and 0.8 times as long as OOL. Transfacial distance 2.3 times as long as height of lower face (distance between antennal rim and tip of clypeus); distance between toruli 0.5 times as long as distance between torulus and inner margin of eye and 0.7 times as long as diameter of torulus. Gena strongly broadened behind eye, slightly broader than cross diameter of eye, measuring along transfacial line. Malar space 0.5 times as long as height of eye. Anterior tentorial pits deep, epistomal sulcus distinct and strongly impressed. Lower face uniformly finely coriaceous with sparse white short setae and elevated central area. Occiput rounded, with fine rugae; postgena punctate; postocciput impressed, finely coriaceous. Antenna with 12 flagellomeres, placodeal sensilla on F4–F12, absent on F1–F3.

Mesosoma slightly longer than high, with uniform sparse white short setae; pronotum and mesopleuron very delicately coriaceous. Mesoscutum uniformly punctate, especially posteriorly; anteriorly some coriaceous sculpture added to punctures, 1.2 times as broad as long in dorsal view. Notauli complete, wellimpressed, with smooth and shiny bottom, broadened posteriorly; anterior parallel lines distinct and extending to 1/3 of mesoscutum length; parapsidal lines distinct and broad, start from posterior margin and extending to 2/3 of mesoscutum length; median mesoscutal line only weakly impressed, indistinct, in a form of very short triangle. Mesoscutellum rounded, as broad as long in dorsal view, overhanging metanotum, disk of mesoscutellum medially with sparse punctures, distance between punctures 1.5–2.0 times as long as diameter of puncture, laterally dull rugose; scutellar foveae black, large, transverse, with shiny smooth bottom, separated by broad central carina. Propodeum black, except two large reddish rounded spots laterally, with dense setae laterally; central propodeal area shiny, with irregular wrinkles; lateral propodeal carinae very slightly curved outwards in the middle, broader at the base and narrower anteriorly; ventral impressed area of metascutellum shiny, with delicate wrinkles. Metascutellum with strong irregular rugae, metanotal trough smooth, shiny, with dense long white setae. Legs with dense white setae, foretibia with uniformly dense white setae; tarsal claws with acute basal lobe. Forewing hyaline, setae short, margin with short cilia; veins distinct, dark brown, areolet distinct, triangular; radial cell opened, 2.8 times as long as broad.

Metasoma black dorsally, reddish laterally, all tergites with uniform dense white setae and minute punctures; ventral spine of hypopygium slender, prominent part 3.5 times as long as broad, with uniform white setae along spine. Body length 4.0– 4.3 mm.

Gall ( Figs 180–182 ). A bud gall which, when mature, is pale green with a pubescent surface. A single larva occupies a basal chamber, while the distal parts of the gall taper to one or two sub-divided points. The gall is 4–8 mm in diameter, 6-12 mm long. The gall induced by A. pseudoaries is superficially similar to that of A. aries (Giraud) . However, the latter species belongs to the Adleria kollari species-group ( Bellido et al. 2003), and the similarity in gall structure between the two gall morphologies must then be the result of convergence. The sampled galls of A. pseudoaries showed far less development of the apical point on the top of the gall than A. aries , and never showed the long twin spines sometimes found on galls of the latter species.

Biology. Only asexual females of A. pseudoaries are known, inducing galls on Quercus macranthera Fisch et Meyer and Q. petraea Matt in northwestern Iran. Adult wasps emerged from mid-November to early December from galls collected in late October.

Comments. The extreme rarity of purely asexual lifecycles in oak gallwasps ( Stone et al. 2002) suggests that A. pseudoaries p robably has a sexual generation. The clade of Andricus species that includes A. pseudoaries all have lifecycles involving alternation between oaks in the sections Quercus (for the asexual generation) and Cerris (for the sexual generation). The sexual generation galls in this clade are commonly small and inconspicuous bud or catkin galls ( Melika et al. 2000; Cook et al. 2002; Rokas et al. 2003b), and it is probable that the same is true for this new species. Possible hosts from the Cerris oak section in the region include Quercus libani Olivier and Q. brantii Lindl. (= Q. persica Jaub. et Spach ).

Distribution. Currently known from East Azarbaijan (Alborz Mountains along the Aras River border between Iran and Azarbaijan; near Ahar town, on Quercus petraea Matt. , at 1600 m a.s.l.; in Andabil Forest, near Khalkhal town, at 1700 m a.s.l., on Q. macranthera ; Phandoghloo forest, near Ardabil, on Q. macranthera , at 1300 m a.s.l.) and also from Kordestan (Bane and Marivan, on Q. infectoria ) provinces. Further sampling in similar habitats is required to establish its true distribution.

Figures

FIGURES 170–179. Andricus pseudoaries, new species, asexual female: 170, head (front view); 171, head (dorsal view); 172, antenna; 173, mesoscutum (dorsal view); 174, mesoscutellum (dorsal view); 175, metanotum and propodeum (postero-dorsal view); 176, foretibia; 177, forewing; 178, metasoma (lateral view); 179, prominent part of the ventral spine of hypopygium (ventral view).

FIGURES 180–182. Andricus pseudoaries, new species, gall (photos by M. Tavakoli).