Prokius lisethiae Medianero & Nieves-Aldrey, 2021

Medianero, Enrique, Nicholls, James A., Stone, Graham N. & Nieves-Aldrey, José Luis, 2021, A new genus of Neotropical oak gall wasp, Prokius Nieves-Aldrey, Medianero & Nicholls, gen. nov. (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini), with description of two new species from Panama, Zootaxa 5081 (2), pp. 203-222 : 214-218

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5081.2.2
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CF7094EB-5966-422E-AECF-FE0E4371974D
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5771697
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039F87CC-FFFA-D712-FF1D-FB2A414FF901
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Prokius lisethiae Medianero & Nieves-Aldrey
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Prokius lisethiae Medianero & Nieves-Aldrey n. sp.

( Figs. 3-4 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 , 5 View FIGURE 5 A-B, 5E, 6D-E)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2614F85A-FC08-458D-B02B-361F913B3976

Type material. Holotype female ( Fig.5B View FIGURE 5 ; in Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid, Spain ( MNCN), cardmounted). PANAMA, Chiriquí, Volcán Barú 8°46´36.8” N, 82°31´39.9” W, 3000 m; ex gall on leaf of Quercus bumelioides Liebm. ( Fagaceae) , gall collected 12.i.2019, insect emerged i.2019, E. Medianero leg. GoogleMaps Paratypes: 4 males and 13 females; 7 females with same data as holotype; 3 males and 4 females, Volcan Barú, 2681-2780 m, galls collected 27.i.2009, E. Medianero leg. 1 male and 2 female paratypes in ethanol; 1 female paratype extracted for DNA. 11 paratypes in MNCN, 6 paratypes (in ethanol) in Maestría en Entomología, Universidad de Panamá ( MEUP).

Additionally, 1 male and 1 female paratype of the type series were dissected for SEM observation (in MNCN) and are preserved mounted on their stubs .

Etymology. Named after Liseth, daughter of the first author.

Diagnosis and comments. Closely resembles P. cambrai in most morphological characteristics. The species differs mainly in the sculpturing of the head, the relative width and height of head in anterior view, number of antennal segments, and lengths of the median mesoscutal impression and R1. The front of the head in P. lisethiae is alutaceous whereas in P. cambrai it is smooth to slightly alutaceous. In anterior view the head of P. lisethiae is 1.3× wider than high whereas in P. cambrai it is 1.2× wider than high. Prokius lisethiae has antennae containing 15 segments in both sexes whereas P. cambrai has antennae with 14 segments in females and 15 in males. The median mesoscutal impression in P. lisethiae is complete whereas in P. cambrai it is present but very short. In P. cambrai R1 is always complete, reaching the wing margin, whereas in P. lisethiae the R1 is sometimes faint or absent ( Fig. 5A View FIGURE 5 ). A minor difference is that P. cambrai has a dense patch of setae at the anterior end of the second metasomal tergum whereas in P. lisethiae the second metasomal tergum has scattered setae rather than a dense patch. In P. cambrai the posterior margins of the axillula are indistinct whereas in P. lisethiae they are distinct. Finally, in P. lisethiae the apical margin of the wing has a fringe of long hairs, whereas in P. cambrai the apical margin of wing has a fringe of short hairs.

Description. Body length 2.2 mm (range 1.9 – 2.4; N = 4) for females; 2 mm (range 1.9 – 2.1 mm; N =3) for males. Body predominantly orange to reddish orange; frons and sides of the head orange-brownish; lower head and mouth parts orange; mesosoma orange, parts of mesopleuron, metapleuron and propodeum darker; metasoma orange-reddish; scape and pedicel of antenna yellowish, antennal flagellum darker; legs entirely yellow except for distally darker metatibia. Forewing hyaline with some very light infumation; veins dark brown to black.

Sexual female. Head alutaceous, with sparse white setae, denser on face and malar space; in dorsal view about 2.3× wider than long. POL 2× as long as OOL, posterior ocellus separated from inner orbit of eye by 2× its greatest diameter. Head in anterior view ( Fig. 3A View FIGURE 3 ) 1.3× times wider than high, gena not expanded behind eyes. Vertex, frons and gena slightly alutaceous. Face smooth and moderately pubescent with piliferous punctures. Clypeus more or less trapezoidal, 1.4× as wide as high, mostly smooth and slightly pubescent; ventral margin straight, slightly projecting over mandibles. Anterior tentorial pits visible; epistomal sulcus apparent, clypeo-pleurostomal lines visible. Malar space 0.26× height of compound eye. Malar (subocular) sulcus absent. Facial striae radiating from clypeus very short, barely distinct. Toruli situated above mid-height of compound eye; distance between antennal rim and compound eye 0.8× width of antennal socket including rim. Ocellar plate not raised. Head from posterior view ( Fig. 3B View FIGURE 3 ) without occipital carina. Gula short; distance between occipital and oral foramina as high as the occipital foramen ( Fig. 3B View FIGURE 3 ). Hypostomal sulci clearly separated from oral fossa.

Mouthparts ( Figs 3 View FIGURE 3 A-B): mandibles exposed, with setae at base, right mandible with three teeth, left with two teeth. Cardo of maxilla visible, maxillary stipes about 2.0× longer than wide. Maxillary palp five-segmented. Labial palp three-segmented.

Antenna ( Fig. 3E View FIGURE 3 ) of moderate length, as long as 1/2 body length, with 13 flagellomeres; flagellum not broadening towards apex; with relatively long, erect setae, and elongate placodeal sensilla visible only on flagellar segments 3–12. Relative lengths of antennal segments: 17:16:32:25:22:21:18:18:17:16:16:15:14:14:13. Pedicel sub-globose, 0.9× as long as scape; F1–F11 gradually decreasing in length. F1 1.3 times as long as F2. F13 1.4× longer than wide, 0.9× as long as F12.

Mesosoma. Smooth, slightly pubescent, in lateral view as high as long, strongly convex dorsally. Pronotum smooth, slightly pubescent; with long setae ( Fig. 3C View FIGURE 3 ). Pronotum short medially, ratio of length of pronotum medially/ laterally = 0.2. Pronotal plate indistinct dorsally ( Fig. 3D View FIGURE 3 ).

Mesonotum ( Fig. 3C, D View FIGURE 3 ). Mesoscutum smooth, sparsely pubescent with scattered setae anteriorly and laterally, with setae scattered along the notauli. Notauli complete, smooth, broad, deep and convergent posteriorly, median mesoscutal impression visible without anteroadmedian signa and parapsidal signa. Transscutal fissure clearly visible, deeply impressed and nearly straight. Scutellar foveae well differentiated, deep, internally the foveae not separated by a septum, their posterior margins indistinct. Mesoscutellum ( Fig. 3D View FIGURE 3 ), rectangular to slightly trapezoidal, marginated, delimited completely by distinct carina, about 0.5× length of mesoscutum, 0.8× as long as wide, smooth and slightly pubescent; in lateral view extended posteriorly over dorsellum. Axillula moderately pubescent, their anterior and posterior margins marked. Mesopleuron smooth, speculum glabrous; mesopleural triangle slightly pubescent ( Fig. 3C View FIGURE 3 ).

Metanotum ( Fig. 3C View FIGURE 3 , 4A View FIGURE 4 ). Metapectal-propodeal complex. Metapleural sulcus reaching posterior margin of mesopectus at about two thirds its height ( Fig. 3C View FIGURE 3 ). Lateral propodeal carinae distinct, bent strongly outwards at mid height, central propodeal area smooth, glabrous, lateral propodeal area smooth, with dense white setae ( Fig. 4A View FIGURE 4 ). Nucha rugose.

Legs. Slightly pubescent; metatarsal claws without a basal lobe ( Fig. 4B View FIGURE 4 ).

Forewing ( Fig. 5E View FIGURE 5 ) slightly infused and longer than body; basal cell with some rows of setae; radial cell 4.0× longer than wide; open along anterior margin; areolet triangular, closed and distinct. Rs nearly straight, reaching wing margin. R1 absent. Rs+M reaching basalis at its mid-height. 2r well pigmented, angulate and projecting slightly medially. Apical margin of wing with fringe of long hairs.

Metasoma ( Fig. 4C View FIGURE 4 ) large, as long as head and mesosoma combined, in lateral view as wide as high. Second metasomal tergum covering about 2/3 of metasoma, with scattered setae. Projecting part of hypopygial spine short ( Fig. 4D View FIGURE 4 ), as long as wide in lateral view; in ventral view the same width along its entire length and with a blunt cleft apex; the hypopygial spine bearing long and thick setae, arranged in pairs perpendicular to spine margins and extending slightly beyond apex of spine ( Fig. 4D View FIGURE 4 ).

Male ( Fig. 5A View FIGURE 5 ). Similar to female except as follows: Placodeal sensilla present on flagellomeres 1–13 ( Fig. 3F View FIGURE 3 ). Relative length of antennomeres: 20:15:42:31:26:25:23:22:20:20:19:19:17:17:17. Metasoma smaller than in female; second tergum 0.6× total metasoma length.

Host plant. Quercus bumelioides Liebm ( Fagaceae , Quercus section Quercus ).

Gall ( Figs. 6 View FIGURE 6 D-E). Galls have a spherical to lenticular shape with a smooth surface. They grow on the edge of the leaf blade, deforming the new leaf, measuring 5 × 2 mm. Galls typically grow in close clusters of 2–20 galls per leaf. The galls are reddish green when fresh and brown when mature. Galls are relatively abundant around Volcán Barú in Panama.

Distribution. Prokius lisethiae was found to 3,000 m a.s.l. at Volcán Barú, Chiriqui, Panama.

Biology. Only the sexual generation is known. Young galls are present in January during the dry season, growing on new leaves. The adult insects emerge from mature galls in late January and February.