Synergus gabrieli Nieves-Aldrey & Medianero

Nieves-Aldrey, Jose Luis & Medianero, Enrique, 2011, Taxonomy of inquilines of oak gall wasps of Panama, with description of eight new species of Synergus Hartig (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae, Synergini), Zootaxa 2774, pp. 1-47 : 12-13

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.276876
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6189368
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A487F3-FFF9-C607-FF2A-6790FD6BEBD4
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Synergus gabrieli Nieves-Aldrey & Medianero
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Synergus gabrieli Nieves-Aldrey & Medianero sp. nov.

( Figs. 2 View FIGURE 2 A, 4D, 5L, 6F, 7F, 9A, 11C, 12B, 14A, 15C, 16F, 17G, 20A–B)

Type material. Holotype ̩ ( Fig. 20 View FIGURE 20 A) (in Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid, Spain ( MNCN), cardmounted. Cat. nº 2099). PANAMA, Chiriquí, Volcán Barú, 8º 46' 36 08” N, 82º 31' 39 03” W, 1,800–2,070 m; ex gall Neuroterus sp. on leaves of Quercus bumelioides (Fagaceae) , gall collected 26.iii.2009, E. Medianero leg. Paratypes: 6 3, 1̩, same data as holotype; 1 3, 2̩, same data but gall collected 30.i.2008. Six paratypes in the MNCN, four paratypes in Maestría en Entomología, Universidad de Panamá ( MEUP).

Non-type material: 43, 2̩, Chiriquí, Renacimiento, 1,270 m, ex gall Andricus guatemalensis ( Cameron) on Quercus lancifolia , 26.x.2008; 13, 1̩, same date, but gall collected at Piedra Candela, 18.vi.2008. 13, 2̩, Volcan Barú, ex gall Andricus guatemalensis on Quercus bumelioides , 30.i.2008. 33, 2̩, Boquete, Alto Quiel, 1,600 m, ex gall Andricus guatemalensis on Quercus insignis , 19.xii.2008.

Etymology. Named after Gabriel, son of the junior author.

Diagnosis and comments. A polyphagous, quite variable species; closely related to Synergus chiricanus , S. baruensis and S. luteus . Diagnostic characters of this species are the frontal carina being narrow and branched, faint before reaching the lateral ocelli; F1 of the female antenna 1.3 as long as F2, mesoscutum weakly coriarious with some minute closely spaced transverse rugae, metasomal T2+3 with punctures very weak, forming a narrow band.

Description. Body length 1.6 mm (range 1.50–1.66; N = 4) for females; 1.5 (range 1.19–1.58; N = 7) for males

Female. Head yellow red, ocellar triangle, vertex medially and occiput black. Antenae yellow. Mesosoma black, excepting dorsolateral margin of pronotum yellow red and tegulae yellow. Metasoma black dorsally to brownish red posteriorly. Legs pale yellow. Forewing hyaline, veins pale yellow. Male similar coloration of female. Metasoma and forewing venation darker.

Female. ( Fig. 20 View FIGURE 20 A). Head in dorsal view ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 D) 2.1 times as wide as long. Genae not expanded behind compound eye. POL 1.6 times longer than OOL, posterior ocellus separated from inner orbit of eye by 1.4 times its diameter. Head in anterior view ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 A) trapezoid, 1.2 times wider than high, genae not expanded behind eyes. Face weakly pubescent, with marked, high, strong irradiating carinae from clypeus, reaching ventral margin of eye and ventral margin of toruli, excepting the medial carina; the carinae are widely spaced, especially medially, the interspaces smooth. Ventral margin of clypeus weakly projected over mandibles. Malar space 0.6 as long as height of compound eye. Toruli size and relative separation as in the precedent species. Frons coriarious, weakly punctuate dorsally, frontal carinae narrow, faint before reaching lateral ocelli ( Fig 4 View FIGURE 4 D). Vertex and occiput coriarious, with weak rugae and moderately punctate ( Figs. 2 View FIGURE 2 A, 4D).

Female antenna with 14 segments ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 L); flagellum slightly broadened towards apex. Relative lengths of antennal segments: 19:12:30:23:23:22:20:17:15:15:14:13:12:21; pedicel 1.5 longer than wide; F1 1.3 as long as F2. Male antenna with 15 segments; F1 slightly excaved medially and very weakly expanded basally and apically ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 F).

Mesosoma. Pronotum without lateral pronotal carina ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 B). Lateral surface of pronotum with weaklyrugose sculpture. Mesoscutum ( Fig. 9 View FIGURE 9 A) with, very weak interrupted transverse rugae, the interspaces with coriarious sculpture. Notauli percurrent, narrow and moderately converging posteriorly, with of a notaulus posteriorly not as wide as transscutal fissure. Median mesoscutal impression not visible. Scutellar foveae ellipsoidal, smooth, anterior margins moderately diverging from the fissure transscutal, posterior margins discernible. Scutellum not margined, with moderate rugose sculpture, weaker medially ( Fig. 9 View FIGURE 9 A). Mesopleuron ( Fig. 11 View FIGURE 11 C) with regular horizontal striae extended on the speculum, the interspaces smooth, coriarious sculpture not apparent.

Lateral propodeal carinae distinct, broad, slightly convergent posteriorly ( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 B). Median propodeal area smooth, with short pubescence. Nucha sulcate.

Legs. Tarsal claw with secondary acute tooth measuring about 1/3 of length of apical tooth ( Fig. 16 View FIGURE 16 F).

Forewing ( Fig. 17 View FIGURE 17 G) longer than body. Radial cell long, 3.4 times longer than wide. R1 not well visible along margin of radial cell, narrowed and less pigmented, radial cell ambiguously closed; areolet indistinct; vein Rs+M invisible. Basal cell with widely spaced sparse setae. Apical margin of wing with a long fringe of setae.

Metasoma ( Fig. 14 View FIGURE 14 A). First metasomal tergum longitudinally sulcate dorsally. Metasomal tergum T2+3 fused, covering 4/5 parts of metasoma, smooth and shining, with minute, obsolete, micropunctures forming a narrow band posterodorsal to tergite. Anterolateral pubescence composed of a group of 4–5 setae. Projecting part of hypopygial spine slightly extended beyond attachment of lateral flap; apical setae not projected beyond apex spine ( Fig. 15 View FIGURE 15 C).

Variation. S. gabrieli is a relatively common species that inhabits a moderately wide array of host cynipid galls. The variability of this species is accordingly high. Its variability is related not only to its coloration but also to the sculpture of the frons, vertex and mesoscutum, the relative average of antennal F1 and F2 and the shape of F1 of the male antennae. It is possibile that that this variability may obscure the existence the some closely related cryptic species. Ongoing molecular DNA studies may answer this question in the future.

Distribution. Chiriqui region, Panama.

Biology. This new species is a polyphagous inquiline that shows a preference for attacking the leaf galls induced by Andricus guatemalensis ( Fig. 21 View FIGURE 21 D) and an undescribed species of Neuroterus ( Fig. 21 View FIGURE 21 E) on Quercus species of both the Quercus and Lobatae sections.