Andricus mammadovi Azmaz & Katilmis 2021, sp. n.

Andricus mammadovi Azmaz & Katılmış sp. n.

Type material. HOLOTYPE female: TURKEY, Rize, Fındıklı, Sultandağı Plateau, 41°12’N, 41°16’E, 1150 m a.s.l.; ex Quercus pontica; M. Azmaz & Y. Katılmış leg.; collected date: 17.V.2018; emerging date: 30.V. 2018 in lab. PARATYPES: 37♀♀, the same data as the holotype; 3♀♀, the same data as the holotype, except for the collection date: 22.VI.2018 and emerging date: 10.VII. 2018 in lab. The holotype and paratypes are deposited in the ERL-PAU.

Etymology. The specific epithet was given in honour of Prof. Dr. Ramazan Mammadov, of the Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, a senior biochemist.

Diagnosis. Sexual females belong to a group of species with head in dorsal vertex view, measuring across genae 2.5 times or less as broad as long; gena not or slightly broadened behind compound eye; the head and mesosoma entirely yellow, yellowish-brown, or pale red; the scutum entirely or partially smooth, alutaceous or very delicately coriaceous, but never rugose; the mesopleuron is smooth or coriaceous or at most with a very small area weakly striate as occurs in A. quercusramuli (Linnaeus, 1761) and A. callidoma (Hartig, 1841) (Melika 2006). In both these species the antenna is 12–13 segmented, whereas in the new species it is 14 segmented. Moreover, the new species most closely resembles A. quercusramuli, however, in A. mammadovi sp. n. POL 1.5 times as long as OOL; OOL 2.3 times as long as diameter of lateral ocellus and 1.4 times as long as LOL; diameter of antennal torulus 1.3 times as wide as distance between them; pronotum dorso-medially and antero-laterally smooth, dorso-laterally distinctly rugose, with some delicate wrinkles on the level of mesopleural triangle; anterior parallel lines extending to half of scutum length; mesopleuron is smooth, polished except for small area with weakly transverse wrinkles especially in the medial section; mesopleural triangle transversely rugose; dorsellum uniformly rugulose with wrinkles, 1.25 times as long as height of ventral impressed area; radial cell 4.3–4.4 times as long as broad; prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium 1.5–1.6 times as long as broad; whereas in A. quercusramuli POL slightly longer than OOL; OOL 1.75 times as long as diameter of lateral ocellus and slightly longer than LOL; diameter of antennal torulus 2.1 times as long as distance between them; pronotum alutaceous, with some delicate wrinkles on the level of mesopleural triangle; anterior parallel lines extending to 1/3 of scutum length; mesopleuron almost smooth, polished; mesopleural triangle uniformly coriaceous, with longitudinal wrinkles; dorsellum uniformly coriaceous, with some longitudinal rugae; nearly 2.0 times as long as height of ventral impressed area; radial cell 3.8–4.0 times as long as broad; prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium about 6.0 times as long as broad in specimens from central Europe (Melika 2006), but shorter in Iberian populations (Nieves-Aldrey 2001). The new species is clearly different from A. quercusramuli (see SEM images by J. Pujade-Villar in the Morphbank database; Liljeblad et al. 2008) based on important diagnostic characters such as the shape and form of the pronotum, the shape of the mesopleuron, the number of antennal segments, measurements of the radial cell and prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium. The new species differs from A. callidoma in the relative F1/F2 length ratio (1.6x in A. mammadovi sp. n., 1.25 in A. callidoma), shape of scutellum (rounded, 2.1 times shorter than scutum in A. mammadovi sp. n., quadrangular, 1.2 times shorter than scutum in A. callidoma), and by presence of the anterior parallel lines (extending to half of scutum length in A. mammadovi sp. n., invisible in A. callidoma).

Description.

SEXUAL FEMALE (holotype) (Figs. 1, 2).

Body length. 1.8–2.0 mm (n=9).

Colour. Body entirely and uniformly light brown or yellowish-brown, including antennae and legs. Compound eyes, ocelli and metasoma sometimes much darker. Metasoma brown dorsally and brown or light brown laterally. Wing veins distinct, brown. Body with very sparse white setae.

Head. Alutaceous, slightly transverse in anterior view, with a few white setae, denser on lower face; 1.8 times as broad as long from above; 1.2–1.3 times as broad as high in anterior view and slightly broader than mesosoma. Gena delicately coriaceous, slightly broadened behind eye, visible in anterior view behind eye, much narrower (measured behind eye) than width diameter of eye. Malar space delicately coriaceous, 0.5 times as long as height of eye, with delicate striae radiating from clypeus and nearly reaching eye. POL 1.5 times as long as OOL, OOL 2.3 times as long as diameter of lateral ocellus and 1.4 times as wide as LOL. Transfacial distance between compound eyes 1.4 times as wide as height of eye and 1.4 times as long as height of lower face (distance between antennal rim and ventral margin of clypeus); diameter of antennal torulus 1.3 times as wide as distance between them, and 0.7 times as wide as distance between torulus and eye margin. Inner margins of eyes parallel. Lower face alutaceous, with elevated median area, without striae. Clypeus quadrangular, coriaceous, impressed, broader than high, with white setae and distinct anterior tentorial pits, deeply impressed along distinct epistomal sulcus, clypeo-pleurostomal line distinct, ventrally widely emarginated and incised medially. Frons, vertex and occiput uniformly weakly coriaceous.

Antenna. 14-segmented, longer than head+mesosoma; pedicel subglobose, 1.3 times as long as broad; F1 1.6 times as long as F2; F2 slightly longer than F3; subsequent flagellomeres nearly equal in length and slightly shorter than F2; placodeal sensilla on F3–F12, absent on F1–F2.

Mesosoma. Convex, 1.2–1.3 times as long as high in lateral view, with uniform sparse white setae. Pronotum dorso-medially and antero-laterally smooth, dorso-laterally distinctly rugose, with some delicate wrinkles on the level of mesopleural triangle, with some distinct wrinkles and dense white setae. Scutum entirely alutaceous, as broad as long (width measured across the basis of tegulae). Notauli complete, uniformly thick, well-impressed for entire length, strongly converging posteriorly, smooth, polished; median mesoscutal line absent; parapsidal lines reaching well above the level of the base of tegulae; anterior parallel lines extending to 1/2 of scutum length. Scutellum 2.1 times shorter than scutum, rounded; rugose, with more delicate sculpture towards center of scutellar disk; distinctly overhanging metanotum. Scutellar foveae transversely ovate, deep, broader than high, with well-delimited circumference, smooth, polished, without setae; separated by distinct, coriaceous central carina. Mesopleuron is smooth, polished except for small area with weakly transverse wrinkles especially in the medial section; speculum delicately smooth; mesopleural triangle transversely rugose, with dense white setae. Acetabular carina present, narrow, smooth, visible laterally. Metapleural sulcus polished, smooth and reaching mesopleuron in the upper 1/3 of its height; axillula slightly transversely ovate, smooth, polished with setae; subaxillular bar smooth, polished, nearly as high as height of metanotal trough. Dorsellum uniformly rugulose with wrinkles; 1.25 times as long as height of ventral impressed area; metanotal trough smooth with white setae; ventral impressed area smooth, polished. Lateral propodeal carinae slightly curved outwards in the posterior one-third, without setae; central propodeal area polished, smooth, without setae; lateral propodeal area delicately smooth, with white setae; nucha short, with irregular wrinkles.

Forewing. Distinct brown veins, margin with long cilia; radial cell 4.3–4.4 times as long as broad, Rs+M of forewing nearly reaching basalis. Areolet delimited with indistinct narrow veins.

Legs. Tarsal claws with basal lobe.

Metasoma. Metasoma nearly as long as head+mesosoma; metasomal tergite 2 without antero-lateral patch of setae, all tergites and hypopygium without micropunctures; prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium 1.5–1.6 times as long as broad; with few white setae.

MALES: Unknown.

Gall. (Fig. 3) Sexual generation: Catkins and leaf galls formed on the underside of the leaf in veins. Catkin gall; mulberry-sized (3x 2 cm) cluster of woolly tissue (colour from white to brown). Inside the mass are 1–15 oval cells, 2 mm in diameter, developing on the catkin petioles. Affected catkins do not fall, and remains can be found in autumn. Leaf gall is wrinkled and sparse or dense woolly on the underside. Inner cells hard and brown, monocular. This gall cannot be distinguished morphologically from the sexual gall of A. quercusramuli, which can also form on the underside veins of leaves. The galls of these two species can only be separated based on emergent adult wasp morphology.

Biology. The adult wasps emerged in May and July under laboratory conditions.

Host plant. Quercus pontica.

Distribution. Only known from Turkey (Artvin, Rize, Trabzon).