Saphonecrus flavitibilis Wang and Chen, 2010

Lobato-Vila, Irene, Wang, Yiping, Melika, George, Guo, Rui, Ju, Xiaoxue & Pujade-Villar, Juli, 2021, A Taxonomic Review of the Gall Wasp Genus Saphonecrus Dalla-Torre and Kieffer and other Oak Cynipid Inquilines (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) from Mainland China, with Updated Keys to Eastern Palaearctic and Oriental Species, Zoological studies (Zool. Stud.) 60 (10), pp. 1-25 : 12

Saphonecrus flavitibilis Wang and Chen, 2010

Saphonecrus flavitibilis Wang and Chen in Wang et al. (2010). Biologia 65(6): 1035. Type material: ZAFU (holotype), paratypes in ZAFU and UB, according to Wang et al. (2010) and this work (see remarks).

Material examined (38): Deposited in ZAFU with the following data: Qianqingtang, Qingliangfeng (Zhejiang), Ex undetermined hedgehog-like small galls on leaf veins, unknown tree, viii.2012, Shijun Wang leg. (18); Longtang Mountain (Zhejiang), Ex undetermined hedgehog-like small galls on leaf veins, Q. ciliaris , (22. iii.2013) 15.iv.2013 (28).

Diagnosis: Saphonecrus flavitibilis belongs to a group of species ( S. chaodongzhui , S. leleyi , S. segmentatus , sp. nov. and S. symbioticus ) characterized by the absence of lateral pronotal carina and by having tarsal claws with a basal lobe. It is grouped with S. chaodongzhui and S. segmentatus , sp. nov. by F1 being 1.6–2.0x as long as F2 (F1 at most 1.2x as long as F 2 in in S. leleyi and S. symbioticus ), POL 2.0 or less times as long as OOL (about 2.5 in S. leleyi and S. symbioticus ), malar space 0.6–0.65x as long as height of eye (0.5 in S. leleyi and S. symbioticus ) and syntergite with a small posterodorsal patch of micropunctures (without punctures in S. leleyi and S. symbioticus ), but differs from these species by having female antennae with 13 segments (14 in S. chaodongzhui and S. segmentatus , sp. nov.), pedicel almost 2.0x as long as wide (1.3–1.5 in S. chaodongzhui and S. segmentatus , sp. nov.) and the gena slightly broadened behind eyes (not broadened in S. chaodongzhui and S. segmentatus , sp. nov.). See also the key to species below.

Distribution: Mainland China. Zhejiang Province ( Wang et al. 2010; this study).

Biology: Reared from Cecidomyiidae galls on an unknown host plant ( Wang et al. 2010), but this association must be confirmed. The new material examined was reared from undetermined hedgehog-like small galls on leaf veins (like those addressed by Schwéger et al. 2015b: 77, Fig. 366) of Q. ciliaris .

Remarks: According to Wang et al. (2010: 1035, 1036), the whole type series (holotype plus paratypes) is deposited in ZAFU. However, a paratype female was later sent to J. Pujade-Villar and deposited in UB.