Amphibolips jaliscensis Nieves-Aldrey & Pascual, 2012

Pascual, E., Maldonado-Lopez, Y., Medianero, E. & Oyama, K., 2012, Revision of the Amphibolips species of Mexico excluding the “ niger complex ” Kinsey (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), with description of seven new species, Zootaxa 3545, pp. 1-40 : 11-14

Amphibolips jaliscensis Nieves-Aldrey & Pascual sp. nov.

Figs 3A–H, 11D, 13B, 17A–B.

Type material. Holotype female ( Fig. 17A). In the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid , Spain ( MNCN), mounted on a card Cat. nº 2247. MEXICO, Jalisco, Nevado de Colima, 19º 37' 408” N, 103º 33' 216” W, 2048 m; ex gall Quercus aff. candicans , gall collected 31/03/2009; insect emerged 04/2009, E. Pascual leg. Paratypes: One male, presenting the same data as the holotype ( Fig. 17B). In the MNCN .

Etymology. Named after the Mexican state, Jalisco, where the materials were collected.

Diagnosis and comments. The main diagnostic character of this species is the clear, less infuscate spot on the apical one-third of the radial cell. In most remaining morphological characters, this species is very similar to A. hidalgoensis Melika & Pujade-Villar , and the new species is described here as A. malinche sp. nov. It further differs from A. hidalgoensis in its basal cell, which is more infuscate, and in that due to being a bisexual generation, females and males are both known, while only females are known in A. hidalgoensis , and it is presumably an asexual form ( Melika et al. 2011). From A. malinche , the new species differs in the clear spot on the radial cell, which is relatively larger and more extended, and in F1 being 1.4 as long as F2 (1.6 as long as F 2 in A. malinche ).

Description. Body length 7 mm (N = 1) for females; 5.5 mm (N=1) for males. Head, and mesosoma black, excepting base of mandibles and clypeus anteriorly chestnut. Antennae black dorsally, chestnut brown ventrally. Legs black, excepting apical tarsomeres brown. Metasoma red brown in half basal, black in posterior half; hypopigium red brown. Forewing infuscate, with a darker band extended on anterior margin along basal cell, first cubital cell (lightly here), radial cell (heavily in anterior one half), and beyond to posterior margin of wing. The entire costal cell as well as posterior one third of radial cell is colorless.

Female. Head, in dorsal view coarsely rugose, about 2.3 times wider than long, narrower than mesosoma. POL 1.8 OOL, posterior ocellus separated from inner orbit of eye by 1.5 times its longest diameter. Genae strongly broadened behind eye. Head in anterior view 1.2 as wide as high. Vertex, frons, lower face, gena, and occiput with strong reticulate-rugose sculpture; some incomplete and irregular irradiating carinae from clypeus visible. Head moderately pubescent, except vertex and frons with sparse and shorter setae. Genae quite broadened, visible behind eye. Clypeus trapezoid, ventral margin strongly projecting over mandibles and slightly sinuate. Anterior tentorial pits well visible; epistomal sulcus and clypeo-pleurostomal lines slightly visible. Malar space about half height of compound eye. Toruli situated mid-height of compound eye; distance between antennal rim and compound eye as width of antennal socket including rim. Ocellar plate slightly raised.

Mouthparts: mandibles strong, exposed; with dense setae in base, right mandible with three teeth; left with two teeth.

Antenna ( Fig. 3A), of moderate length, as long as 1/2 body length; with 13 antennomeres; last flagellar segment partially divided into two segments; flagellum not broadening towards apex; with relatively long, erect setae, and elongate placodeal sensilla. Relative lengths of antennal segments: 18:12:42:30:22:20:17:15:12:12:10:10:22. Pedicel short, small, as long as wide; 0.6 as long as scape; F1 1.4 times as long as F2. F7–F10 about as long as wide, F11 2 times longer than wide, 2 times as long as F10. Placodeal sensillae on F5–F11, disposed in rows of 6–8 sensillae, only in half dorsal area of each flagellomere.

Mesosoma. Coarsely reticulate rugose, in lateral view as high as long. Pronotum, moderately pubescent; lateral surface of pronotum with strong irregular reticulate rugose sculpture. Pronotum medially short; ratio of length of pronotum medially/laterally = 0.20. Pronotal plate indistinct dorsally.

Mesonotum. Mesoscutum ( Fig. 3B) barely pubescent and with coarse rugose-reticulate sculpture. Notauli indistinct anteriorly, posteriorly visible by indisctinct, obscured by the irregular sculpture; longitudinal median impression indistinct. Anteroadmedian signa and parascutal carinae distinct. Transscutal fissure narrow. Mesoscutellum squared ( Fig. 3B), about 0.6 as long as mesoscutum. Scutellar foveae large, rounded with distinct margins; smooth, excepting by some transversal carinae, and shining. Mesoscutellum roughly reticulate-rugose, with a shallow median longitudinal impression, and deeply emarginated at posterior margin, the incision reaching deeply only one third of distance to posterior margin of scutellar foveae. Axillula moderately pubescent, their anterior and posterior margins marked. Mesopleuron irregularly reticulate rugose, the rugae not as strong as mesoscutum. ( Fig. 3C).

Metanotum ( Fig. 3F). Metapectal-propodeal complex. Metapleural sulcus reaching posterior margin of mesopectus at about mid-height of metapectal-propodeal complex. Metascutellum rugose; metanotal trough smooth and pubescent. Median propodeal area reticulate rugose and densely pubescent; lateral propodeal carinae indistinct, obscured by coarse sculpture. Nucha smooth medially.

Legs. Densely pubescent; femora and tibiae robust. Tarsal claws with strong triangular basal lobe or teeth.

Forewing ( Fig. 13B). Slightly longer than body, radial cell 4 times longer than wide; open along anterior margin; areolet distinct. All the veins heavily infuscated; Color as described before. R1, Rs and M nearly straight, not reaching wing margin. Rs+M reaching basalis at its mid-height. First abscissa of radius (2r) and 2r-m curved. Apical margin with very short hair fringe.

Metasoma. About as long as head and mesosoma combined; in lateral view 1.2 as long as high. Second metasomal tergite covering about two third of metasoma, with a band of micropuntures clearly visible in posterior one fourth of the large metasomal terguite; anteriorly to the area of micropunctures there is a broad area with weak coriaceous- alutaceaus sculpture, after the anteriormost smooth area of MT2 ( Figs 3G–H); micropunctures extended on subsequent tergites; ventral area of second metasomal tergite moderately pubescent. Projecting part of hypopygial spine long; about 4.5 times as long as wide in ventral view; laterally with long setae, longer than spine width but not forming an apical patch.

Male ( Fig. 17B). Differs from female as follows. Coloration darker, antenna and metasoma entirely black. Forewing much more strongly infuscate; infuscation extended also on costal cell, and much strongly than in female below the dorsal darker band extended on veins and closed cells ( Fig. 13B). Antennae ( Fig. 3E) of 14 antennomeres; F1 long, slightly modified, flattened ventrally and slightly broadened toward apex; lateral propodeal carinae distinct.

Gall ( Figs 19A, 19B). A globular oak apple gall. Monothalamic; outer shell thin and internally showing a spongy consistency, filling the entire gall. Grows on twigs of Quercus sp. aff candicans .

Distribution. A. jaliscensis was found at 2370 m a.s.l. at Jalisco state, Mexico.

Biology. Exhibits a sexual generation; both males and females are known. The galls were collected in late March, and the insects emerged in April.