Sycophilodes altissimae Yang, Peng and Rasplus 2024, sp. nov.

Sycophilodes altissimae Yang, Peng and Rasplus sp. nov.

(Figs 2, 3)

Type material. Holotype ♀: CHINA, Xishuangbanna, Palm Garden Lawn, 101°15′15″ E, 21°55′40″ N, 6th February 2022, Yang and Feng leg., ex. Ficus altissima, XTBGE 000113 (deposited in Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, XTBG).

Paratypes: CHINA, Xishuangbanna, Pigeon Island, 101°15′16″ E, 21°55′38″ N, 14th January 2022, Yang and Feng leg., ex. Ficus altissima XTBGE 0000647– XTBGE0000665 (18♀, 1♂: XTBG); Xishuangbanna, Palm Garden Lawn, 101°15′15″ E, 21°55′40″ N, 8th March 2022, Yang and Feng leg., ex. Ficus altissima, XTBGE 0000666– XTBGE0000681 (1♀, 15♂: XTBG); Xishuangbanna, on the way to Greenstone Forest, 101°26′74″ E, 21°91′15″ N, 12th March 2022, Yang and Feng leg., ex. Ficus altissima, XTBGE 0000682– XTBGE0000736 (30♀, 25♂: XTBG); Xishuangbanna, Ten Ming House, 101°25′26″ E, 21°93′83″ N, 29th March 2022, Yang and Feng leg., ex. Ficus altissima, XTBGE 0000737– XTBGE0000781 (25♀, 20♂: XTBG); Xishuangbanna, Man An Village, 101°26′32″ E, 21°91′29″ N, 28th April 2022, Yang and Feng leg., ex. Ficus altissima, XTBGE 0000782– XTBGE0000826 (25♀, 20♂: XTBG); Xishuangbanna, Cheng Zhi Village, 21.926 101.240, 13th September 2001, Gu H.Y. leg., ex Ficus altissima (JRAS00870 _02, incl. vouchers UCE); same data, but 23th November 2001 (JRAS0871 _01); 31th August 2001 (JRAS00873 _01) and 9th April 2002 (JRAS00822 _03 and JRAS0875 _11) (10♀, 4♂); Yunnan, JingHong 21.997 100.790, 7th April 2002, Gu H.Y. leg., ex Ficus altissima (JRAS00828 _02) (9♀, 4♂). MYANMAR, Luxi county, Mang Hai town, 24.0641 98.1838, 28th April 2006, Rasplus J.Y., Peng Y.Q. and Yang D. R. leg., ex. Ficus altissima (JRAS01616 _03) (6♀, 6♂: CBGP).

Etymology. The species name altissimae is a substantive in apposition, referring to the host plant of the species, Ficus altissima.

Diagnosis. FEMALE (Fig. 2). Head, mesosoma and propodeum blackish dorsally; laterally yellowish. Head transverse, 1.2× as broad as high. Clypeus about 2× as wide as long and supraclypeal area subquadrate. In lateral view, mesosoma appearing elongate and flattened dorsoventrally, 2.2–2.4× as long as high. Propodeum smooth, 3.3× as broad as long and 0.4× as long as mesoscutellum, anteriorly with a V-shaped, crenulate area having a faint median groove extending 2/3 length of propodeum; with dense and long white pubescence on callus. Hind femur without tooth-like expansion.

MALE (Fig. 3). Similar to female, but with more extensive yellowish coloration. Vertex and frons with long setae. Hind femur without expansion ventrally.

Description. FEMALE (Fig. 2). Body length 2.0– 2.8 mm.

Color. Frons dark, face yellowish; antenna yellowish-brown; compound eye brownish-red and ocelli pale brown but inner edge black; apical tooth of mandible dark brown (Fig. 2C); pronotum, mesosoma, and propodeum dark (Figs 2E, 2F); wing hyaline, venation dark brown (Fig. 2H); legs yellowish-brown except hind leg with tibia and basal tarsomere blackish-brown (Fig. 2A).

Body sculpture and pilosity. Body moderately sclerotized, vertex smooth with sparse setae; head mostly smooth, parascrobal area smooth with a few setae, lower face with engraved reticulation and dense pilosity; pronotum dorsally with alutaceous sculpture and sparse setae, other dorsal parts of mesosoma smooth; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with two pairs of long and strong setae, axilla with one strong seta; gaster with first two tergites smooth and glabrous, others finely reticulate, with one or two rows of setae.

Head. In dorsal view (Fig. 2E), 2.0× as broad as long; in frontal view (Fig. 2C), transverse, 1.2× as broad as high. POL 1.1× OOL. Eye height 1.5× eye length and 2.2× as long as malar sulcus, 1.6× as long as wide; temple convex, 0.5× eye width. Clypeus with dorsal width slightly less than width of clypeal margin, transverse, 2.1× as broad as high; clypeal margin bilobed (Fig. 2D). Supraclypeal area transverse (Fig. 2D), 1.2× as broad as high; epistomal and subantennal sulci conspicuous and deep (Fig. 2D). Parascrobal area flat (Fig. 2C). Distance from dorsal margin of torulus to median ocellus 1.8× distance from ventral margin of torulus to clypeal margin; distance between toruli 0.8× diameter of a torulus; distance between inner eye margin and outer margin of torulus 2.0× intertorular distance. Interantennal area with a longitudinal prominence extending dorsally about 0.8× diameter of a torulus. Scape 3.0× as long as wide; funicular segments transverse, each with one row of multiporous sensilla; first funicular segment 0.6× as long as wide and 0.5× as long as pedicel; clava 4-segmented, 1.5× as long as wide.

Mesosoma. In lateral view, flattened, 2.2–2.4× as long as high. In dorsal view (Figs 2E, 2F), pronotum 2.0× as long as wide and about as long as mesoscutum. Mesonotum as wide as head. Notauli thin and shallow, composed of a line of small punctures, not reaching transscutal articulation (Fig. 2E). Scapula 1.1× as wide as long. Axilla transverse, 0.9× as long as wide, 0.7× as long as scapula; scutoscutellar suture conspicuous. Mesoscutellum 1.2× as long as its maximum width and 1.6× as long as mesoscutum. Propodeum smooth (Fig. 2F), 2.5× as broad as long and 0.5× as long as mesoscutellum, anteriorly with a V-shaped crenulate area having a faint median groove extending 2/3 length of propodeum. In lateral view, mesopleuron long and narrow (Fig. 2B), with mesopleural suture conspicuous (Fig. 2B); upper mesepimeron reticulate, transepimeral sulcus distinct (Fig. 2B). Metapleuron subtrapezoidal (Fig. 2B).

Wings. Wings hyaline. Fore wing (Figs 2G, 2H) 2.8× as long as wide; submarginal, marginal, postmarginal, and stigmal veins in a ratio of 20:6:2:3; stigmal vein with five round sensilla (Fig. 2H). Hind wing 2.8× as long as wide.

Legs. Hind leg with coxa less than 2× as long as wide; femur rugose, a little more than 2× as long as its maximum width, without ventral tooth (Fig. 2B); tibia with dense bristles (Fig. 2B), 4.0× as long as maximum width and 1.3× as long as femur.

Metasoma. Metasoma 1.7× as long as wide. Hypopygium 0.9× as long as metatibia.

Measurements (mm). Head L: 0.3 (0.27‒0.33), W: 0.64 (0.60‒0.67), H: 0.54 (0.50‒0.57); eye H: 0.29 (0.27‒ 0.33), L: 0.20 (0.20‒0.20); malar space: 0.13 (0.11‒0.16); mouth W: 0.31 (0.30‒0.33); scape L: 0.21 (0.18-‒0.22), W: 0.07, (0.07‒0.07); pedicel L: 0.07 (0.07‒0.07), W: 0.07 (0.07‒0.07); pedicel plus flagellum L: 0.39 (0.36‒0.44). Mesosoma L: 0.97 (0.87‒1.07), W: 0.62 (0.56‒0.67), H: 0.40 (0.37‒0.50); pronotum L: 0.30 (0.24‒0.33), W: 0.49 (0.44‒0.51); mesoscutum L: 0.27 (0.22‒0.33), W: 0.62 (0.56‒0.67); mesoscutellum L: 0.44 (0.40‒0.49); W: 0.39 (0.38‒0.42); propodeum L: 0.21 (0.20‒0.24), W: 0.52 (0.49‒0.56); fore wing L: 1.96 (1.83‒2.03), W: 0.74 (0.63‒ 0.80); SMV: 0.86 (0.75‒0.90); MV: 0.23 (0.20‒0.25); SV: 0.11 (0.10‒0.13); PMV: 0.09 (0.08‒0.13). Metasoma L: 1.11 (1.10‒1.23), W: 0.66 (0.57‒0.77); Gt1 L: 0.52 (0.50‒0.57), W: 0.61 (0.57‒0.67); Gt6 L: 0.16 (0.13‒0.22), W: 0.20 (0.16‒0.24).

MALE (Fig. 3). Body length 1.8–2.3 mm; otherwise similar to females except for the following characteristics.

Color. Yellowish, with darkened area in center of pronotum, mesonotum, and axilla.

Body sculpture and pilosity. Setae almost as long as those of females; wings with dense setae except for proximal third.

Head. Head in dorsal view (Fig. 3E) 3.3× as broad as long; in frontal view (Figs 3C, 3D) 1.3× as broad as high. Clypeus 2.3× as broad as high. Distance from dorsal margin of torulus to median ocellus 1.4× distance from ventral margin of torulus to clypeal margin. Eye 1.3× as long as wide. Temple convex, 0.4× eye width. POL 1.4× OOL. POL 2.5× median ocellus diameter. Intertorular distance 0.7× diameter of a torulus. Interantennal area with a longitudinal prominence (Fig. 3D) extending dorsally about 1.6× diameter of a torulus. Scape 4.7× as long as wide, 2.0× as long as pedicel. Funicular segments transverse, each with one row of 14–16 of multiporous sensilla protruding slightly beyond apical margin and with sensory setae; fl 3 0.4× as long as wide and 0.4× as long as pedicel. Clava 2.0× as long as its maximum width and 3.2× as long as preceding funicular segment.

Mesosoma. Axilla transverse, 0.9× as long as wide, 0.9× as long as scapula. Mesoscutellum 1.4× as long as mesoscutum. Propodeum 0.3× as long as mesoscutellum.

Wings. Fore wing 2.5× as long as wide; submarginal, marginal, postmarginal, and stigmal veins approximately in a ratio of 17:8:4:2. Hind wing 4.5× as long as wide.

Legs. Hind femur inflated, 2× as long as wide, without ventral lobe.

Metasoma. Metasoma 1.4× as long as broad; Gt1 0.3× as long as metasoma.

Host. Ficus altissima.

Biology. Early gall maker, phytophagous. The biology of S. altissimae was described in detail by Peng et al. (2010); females oviposit in a young syconium, inside which immature female flowers begin to develop (pre-female, phase A). Up to 11.5% of the figs of a single tree can contain S. altissimae, which has strong detrimental effects on the number of seeds and of pollinators produced (Peng et al. 2010).

In F. altissima, syconium develop as a green ellipsoid bud, protected by involucral bracts. S. altissimae oviposits early in the development of the fig (3 months before the pollinators enter the ostiole), at a time syconia are still covered by bracts and do not exceed 1.5 mm in diameter.Apparently, only one female oviposits in a fig and produces between 1 and 170 offspring, with an average of 35 ±4 offspring. In D-phase, the diameter of pollinated figs in which S. altissimae developed are slightly smaller (11.19 ± 0.23 mm; n = 50) than pollinated figs that did not host S. altissimae (12.34± 0.92 mm; n = 30). The development of S. altissimae is long, spanning about 6 months (Peng et al. 2010). Figs containing S. altissimae also contained several species of pollinating and non-pollinating fig wasps (NPFW), including several species of Sycophila Walker and Ormyrus Westwood that may parasitize S. altissimae (Compton 1993; Kerdelhué et al. 2000).

Distribution. Xishuangbanna (Yunnan, China); Myanmar.