Sycophila smilax Gates & Zhang, 2020

Gates, Michael W., Zhang, Y. Miles & Buffington, Matthew L., 2020, The great greenbriers gall mystery resolved? New species of Aprostocetus Westwood (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) gall inducer and two new parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Eurytomidae) associated with Smilax L. in southern Florida, USA, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 80, pp. 71-98 : 71

Sycophila smilax Gates & Zhang sp. nov.

Figs 35-36 , 37-44 , 45-53

Diagnosis.

This species is recognized by its small size, pale yellow coloration and small/faint stigmal band. It keys to couplet 9 of Balduf (1932) 's key of North American Sycophila , but differs from the other mostly yellow species Sycophila mimosae Balduf by the lack of a constricted marginal vein. The Central and South American Sycophila fauna is poorly known, and no current key exists.

Material examined.

Holotype, female: FL: Dade Co.: SE Miami, Rockdale Pineland , Ex Smilax havanensis stem gall; 19.Dec.2001, C. Rodriguez & T. Smith leg.; USNMENT01735197 (deposited at USNM) . Paratypes (36♀, 8♂): Same information as holotype; USNMENT01735198-01735206 (6♀, 2♂, USNM). FL: Dade Co.: SE Miami, Rockdale Pineland, Ex Smilax havanensis stem gall; 18.Apr. 2010; M. Gates & M. Buffington leg.; USNMENT01735207-01735238 (27♀, 5♂, USNM). FL: Dade Co. : South Miami, Quail Roost Pineland, Em 1.VI.2000 from galls of Smilax sp.; 8.V.2000; USNMENT01735239-01735242 (3♀, 1♂, USNM) . Additional material: FL: Dade Co.: Coral Gables, Deering Estate Pineland, Ex Smilax havanensis stem gall; 23.Feb.1995, G. Melika leg. (3♀, 2♂, ABS). FL: Dade Co.: Coral Gables, Ex. Diastrophus smilacis on Smilax havanensis ; 8.Nov.1977, R. Schimmel leg. (1♀, 1♂, FSCA).

Description.

Female. Body length 1.8 mm (Fig. 35 ).

Color. Mostly pale yellow; antennal segments dark yellow; edges of ocelli, scutellum, hindtibia laterally, tarsal claw, tip of ovipositor black, pterostigma dark brown, wing band light brown, eyes pinkish red (Fig. 35 ).

Head. Rounded in dorsal view, 1.22 × as wide as long in dorsal view, umbilicate with appressed setae (Fig. 37 ). Lower face strigose, clypeus bilobate, mandible tridentate with supraclypeal area smooth, glabrous, slightly raised and extending to toruli (Fig. 38 ). Malar sulcus present, malar space 0.59 × eye height. Genal carina absent. Toruli positioned on lower ocular line, diameter of torulus 1.2 × that of the intertorular space. Interantennal projection narrow, 1.5 × that of the diameter of torulus. Scrobal depression carinate laterally, slightly diverging basally. Vertex imbricate, ratios of POL:OOL:LOL equal to 2.7:1:1 (Fig. 39 ). Ratio of scape (minus radicle):pedicel:anellus: F1:F2: F3:F4:F5:club as 17:6.7:1:5:5:4.7:4.7:4.7:13; pedicel chalice-shaped; funicle fusiform; funicular segments with single row of longitudinal sensilla and two whorls of setae, as long as its bearing segment; clava bisegmented (Fig. 41 ). Head posteriorly lacking postgenal lamina, postgenal groove faint, straight and not converging in their lower part, extending ventrally to ⅘ the lower margin of eyes (Fig. 40 ). Postgenal sulci small.

Forewing. Dark brown band on the wing about the same width as pterostigma and does not reach uncus, faint, reaching about ½ down the wing width, 8 submarginal setae, 3 on parastigma, 1 in basal cell, surrounded by basal and costal setal lines. Pterostigma covering marginal, postmarginal, and stigmal vein.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma umbilicate, 1.52 × as long as broad; notauli complete, shallow (Fig. 43 ); lateral surface of prepectus triangular, smooth, ventral surface of prepectus without median tooth (Fig. 42 ). Mesopleuron reticulate ventrally, dorsally delimited from femoral depression by fine carina. Epicnemium flat and ventral shelf not projected forward. Propodeum with median furrow bordered mediolaterally by numerous carinae forming irregular asetose cells, these bordered laterally by setose cells (Fig. 44 ). Metaplural-precoxal carina interrupted by rugose carinae (Fig. 45 ).

Metasoma. Metasoma smooth, ovipositor sheath microreticulate (Figs 46 , 49 ); petiole 2.3 × as long as broad in dorsal view, with ventral anterior groove, carina, and mediodorsal prong (Figs 47 , 48 ); gaster teardrop-shaped in lateral view, ovipositor angled at about 30° dorsad horizontal axis (Fig. 49 ).

Male. 1.88 mm. Mediodorsal of Gt3-5 black, wing band very faint. Otherwise color and sculpture as described for female (Fig. 36 ). Antenna with four funicular segments (Fig. 50 ). Gaster cylindrical, petiole 3 × as long as wide (Figs 51 , 52 ). Gt4 emarginate posteriorly in dorsal view (Fig. 53 ).

Variation.

Body ranges 1.7-1.8 mm for females, 1.65-1.88 mm for males. The wing band can range from very faint, mesosoma and metasoma dorsally can be yellow or with a tinge of black.

Biology.

Associated with galls of Aprostocetus smilax , likely a parasitoid of the gall inducer.

Distribution.

Southern Florida, USA.

Figures

Figure 35 - 36. Sycophila smilax 35 female habitus 36 male habitus.

Figure 37 - 44. Sycophila smilax 37 frontal view of head 38 frontal view of lower face 39 dorsal view of head 40 posterior view of head 41 female antenna 42 lateral view of mesosoma 43 dorsal view of mesosoma 44 dorsal view of propodeum.

Figure 45 - 53. Sycophila smilax 45 ventral view of mesosoma 46 lateral view of female metasoma 47 ventral view of female petiole 48 lateral view of female petiole 49 closeup of female ovipositor 50 male antenna 51 dorsal view of male petiole 52 ventral view of male petiole 53 lateral view of male metasoma.