Atrusca catena ( Kinsey, 1936 )

Atrusca catena ( Kinsey, 1936)

Figs 155–168 View FIGURES 155–160 View FIGURES 161–164 View FIGURES 165–168

Cynips View in CoL ( dugesi ) catena Kinsey 1936: 102 , female, gall.

Atrusca catena (Kinsey) : Weld 1951: 637.

Types examined. HOLOTYPE female Cynips catena ( dugesi ) “Alpine, Tex. 10E. Gall 10.13.35, 15 fms. 12.14.35”, “ Q. grisea, Kinsey View in CoL coll.”, red “ Cynips catena , Holo- Paratype ”, deposited in AMNH, examined by GM. Three PARATYPE females “Alpine, Tex. 10E, gall 10.13.35, 6 females 12.6.35”, “ Q. grisea Kinsey View in CoL coll.”, red label “ Cynips catena Paratype ”, deposited in the general collection in AMNH, NYC, examined by GM.

Diagnosis. Atrusca catena belongs to the couplet characterized by a reddish to reddish-brown body color, without dark areas on the mesoscutum, sometimes with reddish areas a few shades darker than the rest of mesoscutum but never black, the big and prominent ocelli in frontal view, the OOL 2.0× longer than the diameter of the lateral ocelli, the parallel or slightly ventrally divergent inner margin of eyes, the last flagellomeres being subquadrate or slightly longer than broad, exhibiting fore wings with a complete and conspicuous venation, the Rs vein of radial cell being strongly but gradually curved distally, neither arcuate nor almost straight, the entirely rugose mesoscutellum, the mesopleuron and speculum completely smooth and lacking piliferous points, and the ventral spine of the hypopygium relatively short, 2.8–4.0× longer than broad, as in A. lucaris . Atrusca catena can be distinguished from A. lucaris by the rusty brown head, the mesoscutum with light brown stripes, the mesoscutellum exhibiting a rounded posterior margin, the central propodeal area being smooth without any rugae or striae; the finely arched lateral propodeal carinae; and the hyaline fore wings with few slightly darker spots and stripes, while in A. lucaris the head is dark brown with the lower face black in the center, the mesoscutum exhibiting dark brown stripes, the mesoscutellum is distinctly invaginated posterocentrally, the central propodeal area displays strong irregular short rugae; and the fore wings are infuscated, with numerous darker spots and infuscations.

Re-description. Asexual female ( Figs 155–167 View FIGURES 155–160 View FIGURES 161–164 View FIGURES 165–168 ). Body, antenna, legs uniformly rusty brown, with light brown stripes; some specimens with darker mesosoma.

Head ovate in frontal view, dark brown, alutaceous, with sparse white setae, 1.3× as broad as high and narrower than mesosoma in frontal view, 2.1× as broad as long in dorsal view. Gena alutaceous, not broadened behind eye in frontal view, narrower than transverse diameter of eye in lateral view. Malar space alutaceous, without striae; malar sulcus absent; eye 2.0× as high as height of malar space. Inner margins of eyes parallel. POL 1.8× as long as OOL; OOL 2.0× as long as diameter of lateral ocellus and 1.4× as long as LOL; all ocelli ovate, of same size. Transfacial distance 1.2× as long as height of eye and 1.4× as long as height of lower face; diameter of antennal torulus 1.3× as long as distance between them, distance between torulus and eye equal to diameter of torulus; lower face alutaceous, without setae, without striae; slightly elevated median area delicately coriaceous, without setae. Dense setae along inner margins of eyes. Interocellar area elevated above head in frontal view, lateral ocelli prominent. Clypeus strongly impressed, uniformly coriaceous, trapezoid, higher than broad, 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 coriaceous, without striae, with a few short setae; frons with small rounded smooth, shining area under central ocellus. Vertex, occiput alutaceous-reticulate; postocciput, postgena smooth, shining, with sparse white setae; posterior tentorial pit large, ovate, area below impressed; occipital foramen higher than height of postgenal bridge; hypostomal carina emarginate, continuing into postgenal sulci which run parallel towards occipital foramen, postgenal bridge anteriorly and posteriorly of same width. Antenna longer than head+mesosoma, with 12 flagellomeres, pedicel as long as broad, F1 1.1× as long as scape+pedicel and 1.4× as long as F2; F2 1.2× as long as F3; F3 slightly longer than F4, F4 slightly longer than F5, F5=F6, subsequent flagellomeres shorter, nearly equal in length; placodeal sensilla on F3–F12.

Mesosoma 1.1× as long as high, with sparse short white setae. Pronotum delicately uniformly coriaceous; propleuron alutaceous, shining, with dense setae. Mesoscutum uniformly delicately coriaceous, with piliferous points and sparse white setae; 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 distinct, indicated by smoother surface; median mesoscutal line absent; parascutal carina narrow, smooth, reaching notaulus. Mesoscutellum trapezoid, broader in posterior 1/3, posteriorly rounded, uniformly rugose, with stronger rugae laterally; overhanging metanotum; mesoscutellar foveae, transverse, broader than high, with smooth, shining bottom, separated by narrow elevated coriaceous central carina. Circumscutellar carina complete. Mesopleuron and speculum smooth, shining, with setae without piliferous points; mesopleural triangle coriaceous, shining, with setae; dorsal and lateral axillar areas smooth, shining, with dense white setae; subaxillular bar smooth, shining, most posterior part slightly higher than height of metanotal trough; metapleural sulcus reaching mesopleuron in upper 1/3 of its height, upper part of sulcus distinct. Metascutellum delicately coriaceous, as high as height of smooth, shining ventral impressed area; metanotal trough smooth, shining, without setae; central propodeal area smooth, shining, without rugae and striae; lateral propodeal carinae finely arched; lateral propodeal area smooth, shining, with long dense white setae. Nucha with irregular rugae laterally, smooth, shining dorsocentrally. Tarsal claws toothed, with basal lobe.

Brachypterous, fore wing only slightly longer than body, margin with long dense cilia, hyaline 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, hardly traceable along entire length, reaching basalis slightly below its mid height.

Metasoma slightly longer than head+mesosoma, slightly higher than long in lateral view; second metasomal tergum extending to 2/3 of metasoma length of in dorsal view, with white setae anterolaterally, without micropunctures posteriorly; subsequent terga without micropunctures, without setae. Hypopygium without micropunctures, prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium 3.0× as long as broad in ventral view, with setae ventrally which extend beyond apex of spine.

Body length 2.1–3.5 mm ( Kinsey 1936).

Gall (Fig, 168). Similar to all galls of the “ Cynips dugesi ” and “ Cynips bella ” complexes. Mature galls are spherical, yellow-tan to rosy-tan, flushed rose when younger touched with darker purple rose in age, with fine purplish marks, more or less dull, up to 17 mm in diameter, aveerage 14 mm in diameter.

Biology. The asexual generation is only known. Leaf galls on Q. grisea . Galls mature in October; adults emerge in December – January next year.

Distribution. USA: Texas.