Atrusca cucurbita ( Kinsey, 1936 )

Atrusca cucurbita ( Kinsey, 1936)

Figs 221–234 View FIGURES 221–226 View FIGURES 227–230 View FIGURES 231–234

Cynips View in CoL ( aggregata ) cucurbita Kinsey, 1936: 164 , female, gall.

Atrusca cucurbita (Kinsey) : Weld 1952: 314.

Types examined. HOLOTYPE female Cynips View in CoL ( aggregata ) cucurbita “Atequiza 5E Jal. 6500’, Mex. Gall 12.23.31, fm. Spr’32”, “Q. haematophleb, Kinsey coll.”, red “ Cynips cucurbita , Holo- Paratype ”, deposited in AMNH, NYC, examined by GM. Two PARATYPE females “Atequiza 5E, Jal. 6500’, Mex., galls 12.23.31, 2 females early 1932”, “ Q. haematophlebia Kinsey View in CoL coll.”, red label “ Cynips cucurbita Paratype ”, deposited in the general collection in AMNH, NYC, examined by GM.

Diagnosis. Atrusca cucurbita belongs to the couplet characterized by exhibiting brachypterous or normal length fore wings, with a complete and conspicuous venation, the Rs vein of radial cell being strongly curved distally, never almost straight, the entirely rugose mesoscutellum, the mesoscutellum with a posterocentral invagination, and a very long ventral spine of the hypopygium (10.0–10.5× as long as broad) with few short setae ventrally which do not extend beyond apex of the spine, as in A. aequalis . Atrusca cucurbita can be distinguished from A. aequalis by the ovate head in frontal view; the interocellar area is elevated above the head; the notauli are wider posteriorly, and the mesoscutum is uniformly rugose, while in A. aequalis the head is quadrangular in frontal view; the interocellar area is not elevated in frontal view but the lateral ocelli are prominent; the notauli maintain the same width along their entire length; and the mesoscutum is alutaceous-reticulate.

Re-description. Asexual female ( Figs 221–233 View FIGURES 221–226 View FIGURES 227–230 View FIGURES 231–234 ). Body, antenna, legs dark brown, frons and lower face, head posteriorly to blackish; second metasomal tergum with black band posteriorly.

Head ovate in frontal view, mainly rugose, with sparse white setae, 1.3× as broad as high and narrower than mesosoma in frontal view, 2.0× as broad as long in dorsal view. Gena alutaceous, very slightly broadened behind eye in frontal view, narrower than transverse diameter of eye in lateral view. Malar space alutaceous, with delicate inconspicous striae radiating from clypeus; malar sulcus absent; eye 2.5× as high as height of malar space. Inner margins of eyes parallel. POL 1.7× as long as OOL; OOL 1.5× as long as diameter of lateral ocellus and 1.8× as long as LOL; all ocelli ovate, of same size. Transfacial distance 1.2× as long as height of eye and 1.8× as long as height of lower face; diameter of antennal torulus 1.5× as long as distance between them, distance between torulus and eye equal to diameter of torulus; lower face rugose, without setae, without striae; slightly elevated median area coriaceous, without setae. Interocellar area slightly elevated above head in frontal view, lateral ocelli prominent. Clypeus strongly impressed, coriaceous rectangular, broader than high, with a few long setae; ventrally rounded, emarginate, without median incision; anterior tentorial pit large, rounded, epistomal sulcus and clypeo-pleurostomal line broad, well impressed. Frons and interocellar area dull rugose, without striae, with strong rugae. Interocellar area strongly elevated above head in frontal view. Vertex, occiput alutaceous, postocciput, postgena smooth, shining, with sparse white setae; posterior tentorial pit large, ovate, area below impressed; occipital foramen slightly higher than height of postgenal bridge; hypostomal carina emarginate, continuing into postgenal sulci which run parallel towards occipital foramen, postgenal bridge anteriorly broader than posteriorly. Antenna slightly longer than head+mesosoma, with 12 flagellomeres, pedicel slightly longer than broad, F1 1.2× as long as scape+pedicel and 1.1× as long as F2; F2 1.3× as long as F3; F3 1.2× as long as F4, F4 slightly longer than F5, subsequent flagellomeres progressively shorter, F12 slightly longer than F11; placodeal sensilla on F5–F12.

Mesosoma 1.1× as long as high, with sparse short white setae. Pronotum rugose laterally, propleuron alutaceous, with dense white setae. Mesoscutum uniformly rugose, with piliferous points and sparse white setae, with darker stripes along anterior parallel and parapsidal lines; slightly longer than broad (greatest width measured across mesoscutum at level of base of tegulae). Notaulus complete, deep, broad, with smooth, shining bottom, posteriorly broader and slightly converging; anterior parallel and parapsidal lines indicated by smoother, alutaceous surface; median mesoscutal line absent; parascutal carina narrow, smooth, reaching notaulus. Mesoscutellum elongated, longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, uniformly dull rugose, posteriorly rounded, with strong invagination centrally; overhanging metanotum; mesoscutellar foveae transverse, broader than high, with smooth, shining bottom, with some rugae, separated by narrow elevated rugose central carina. Circumscutellar carina complete but obscured by sculpture. Mesopleuron anteriorly alutaceous, with piliferous points and few setae lateroventrally, rest of mesopleuron and speculum smooth, shining; mesopleural triangle smooth, shining, with dense setae; dorsal and lateral axillar areas delicately coriaceous, shining, with white setae; subaxillular bar smooth, shining, most posterior part as high as height of metanotal trough; metapleural sulcus reaching mesopleuron slightly above mid height, split into few delicate sulci, upper part of sulcus distinct. Metascutellum coriaceous, as high as height of smooth, glabrous ventral impressed area; metanotal trough smooth, shining, with few setae; central propodeal area smooth, shining, without rugae; lateral propodeal carinae faintly bent outwards in posterior 1/3; lateral propodeal area smooth, shining, with long dense white setae and piliferous points. Nucha with irregular rugae laterally, smooth, shining dorsocentrally. Tarsal claws toothed, with basal lobe.

Brachypterous, fore wing only slightly longer than body, infuscated, margin with long dense cilia, with few slightly darker spots and stripes, veins dark brown, radial cell open, 2.0× as long as broad; second abscissa of Rs strongly curved distally; R1 and Rs nearly reaching wing margin; areolet triangular, indistinct, Rs+M inconspicuous, traceable along entire length, reaching basalis in lower half of its height.

Metasoma slightly longer than head+mesosoma, 1.4× as high as long in lateral view; second metasomal tergum extending 4/5 metasoma length of in dorsal view, with white setae anterolaterally, without micropunctures posteriorly; subsequent tergites without micropunctures, without setae. Hypopygium without micropunctures, prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium 10.0× as long as broad in ventral view, without setae ventrally extending beyond apex of spine.

Body length 3.3–4.8 mm ( Kinsey 1936).

Gall ( Fig. 234 View FIGURES 231–234 ). Large, up to 30 mm, in average 22 mm in diameter, globular tapering gradually into a long, sharply-pointed pedicel at the base, light rose or yellow, older galls ligh rosy tan or brown, usually in dense clusters, galls inserted in cracks in the bark of young twigs.

Biology. The asexual generation is only known to induce leaf galls on Q. magnoliifolia (= Q. haematophlebia ), Q. rugosa (= Q. rhodophlebia ). Galls mature in late autumn; aduls emerge in early spring next year.

Distribution. Mexico: Jalisco.