Amphibolips nebris Kinsey 1937

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 : 3-5

Amphibolips nebris Kinsey 1937

Figs 1A–B &H, 13C, 14F

Amphibolips nebris Kinsey. Rev. Entom. , 7(4): 442 Material examined: Holotype female ( AMNH).

The holotype, glued to a card point, is in poor condition. The metasoma is missing.

Labels: red Holotype, Parral /2W; Chi 6800; 28–31; 1 ♀, 4.22.32

Quercus eduardi, Kinsey coll.

Here, we present and illustrate some diagnostic characters in addition to those provided in the original description.

Head, dorsal view, 2.7 as wide as long. POL 4 times OOL: OOL shorter than diameter of a lateral ocellus. Antennae with 16 antennomeres ( Fig.1B). Pedicel 1.4 as long as wide. F1 1.3 as long as F2. Mesoscutum with longitudinal carinate sculpture, more radiate anteriorly ( Fig. 1A). Scutellar foweae ellipsoidal, separated medially by a ridge. Mesoscutellum moderately rugose, rounded posteriorly, not emarginated at its posterior margin ( Fig. 1A). Median area of propodeum only slightly rugose laterally; lateral propodeal carinea distinct, slightly divergent ( Fig. 1H). Forewing only clouded near anterior margin; first abscisa of radius distinctly projected into radial cell; areolet conspicuously large ( Fig. 13C).

Distribution: Chihuahua, Parral

Host: Quercus eduardi

Gall: Of the type of galls of the “ niger complex”: a large densely wooly mass containing a hard woody core in which the larval cell is located ( Kinsey 1937; Melika et al. 2011). In A. nebris the gall is large, up to 70 mm; color yellow tan and rosy russet ( Kinsey 1937).

Comments

The characters of this species are representative of those shared by the species of the “ niger complex” ( Kinsey 1937), being the most important the 16 segmented antennae, mesoscutellum not emarginated posteriorly, sculpture on mesoscutum not coarsely rugose and forewing less heavily infuscate, which together with its morphologically different galls readily differentiates this species from the remaining Mexican species studied herein.