Atrusca spinifera ( Kinsey, 1936 )

Atrusca spinifera ( Kinsey, 1936)

Figs 544–557 View FIGURES 544–549 View FIGURES 550–553 View FIGURES 554–557

Cynips View in CoL ( dugesi ) spinifera Kinsey, 1936: 138 , female, gall.

Atrusca spinifera (Kinsey) : Weld 1952: 315

Types examined. HOLOTYPE female Cynips View in CoL ( dugesi ) spinifera “Morelia 14E Mich 7000’, Mex. Gall 12.27.31, 234 fms. 3.22.32”, “ Q. conglomerata, Kinsey View in CoL coll.”, red “ Cynips spinifera , Holo- Paratype ”, deposited in AMNH, NYC, examined by GM. Seven PARATYPE females “Morelia, 14E, Mich 7000’, Mex., galls 12.27.31, 234 females 3.22.32.”, “ Q. conglomerata Kinsey View in CoL coll.”, red label “ Cynips spinifera Paratype ”, deposited in the general collection in AMNH, NYC, examined by GM.

Diagnosis. Atrusca spinifera is characterized by a reddish-brown body, the head rounded or quadrangular in frontal view, the interocellar area not elevated above head in frontal view, fore wings with complete venation and Rs gradually curved in the radial cell, almost straight, and the ventral spine of hypopygium long, 9.2–11.3× as long as broad, as in A. spinalis and A. spinescens . Atrusca spinifera differs from A. spinalis and A. spinescens by the lateral ocelli that are not prominent in frontal view, the pronotum with weak carinae only in upper half of posterior part, the mesoscutum is predominantly weakly alutaceous, smooth between the notauli in the posterior two-thirds, and the mesoscutellum exhibits a semilunar invagination posteromedially, while in A. spinalis and A. spinifera the lateral ocelli are slightly prominent in frontal view, the pronotum displays conspicuous rugae in posterior part, the mesoscutum is uniformly coriaceous, and the mesoscutellum is rounded posteriorly, without invagination.

Re-description. Asexual female ( Figs 544–556 View FIGURES 544–549 View FIGURES 550–553 View FIGURES 554–557 ). Head, antenna, mesosoma, legs uniformly reddish brown, mesoscutum with dark brown stripes along anterior parallel and parapsidal lines, palpi yellowish; metasoma lighter with a posterior dark stripe on second metasomal tergum.

Head rounded in frontal view, alutaceous-reticulate, with sparse white setae, denser on lower face, 1.3× as broad as high and narrower than mesosoma in frontal view, 1.9× as broad as long in dorsal view. Gena alutaceous, slightly broadened behind eye in frontal view, narrower than transverse diameter of eye in lateral view. Malar space coriaceous-reticulate, with indistinct striae radiating from clypeus; malar sulcus absent; eye 2.9× as high as height of malar space. Inner margins of eyes slightly diverging ventrally. POL 1.6× as long as OOL; OOL 1.6× as long as diameter of lateral ocellus and 1.4× as long as LOL; all ocelli ovate, of same size. Transfacial distance 1.1× as long as height of eye; diameter of antennal torulus 1.2× as long as distance between them, distance between torulus and eye slightly shorter than diameter of torulus; lower face alutaceous, shining, without striae, with white setae, denser along eyes; slightly elevated median area alutaceous, shining, with few setae. Interocellar area not elevated above head in frontal view. Clypeus impressed, uniformly delicately coriaceous, quadrangular, broader than high, with few long setae; ventrally rounded, emarginate, with broad shallow median incision; anterior tentorial pit large, rounded, epistomal sulcus and clypeo-pleurostomal line broad, well impressed. Frons and interocellar area alutaceous, without striae, with few short setae, with deep smooth, shining impressed area below and around central ocellus; interocellar area not elevated above head. Vertex, occiput, uniformly alutaceous, with sparse white setae, postocciput, postgena smooth, shining; 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 in ventral part, bent outwards towards occipital foramen, split into two parts, postgenal bridge anteriorly as broad as width of occipital foramen. Antenna as long as length of body, with 12 flagellomeres, pedicel as long as broad, F1 1.2× as long as scape+pedicel and equal F2; F2 1.2× as long as F3; F3 slightly longer than F4, subsequent flagellomeres from F5 till F8 progressively shorter, F8=F9=F10, F11 shorter than F10, F12 1.3× as long as F11; placodeal sensilla on F5–F12.

Mesosoma 1.3× as long as high, with sparse short white setae. Pronotum glabrous,with weak carina only in half upper porterior part; propleuron delicately coriaceous aside, smooth, shining centrally, with dense white setae. Mesoscutum predominantly weak alutaceous, between notauli in posterior 2/3 smooth, with piliferous points, with dense white setae in anterior half and along notaulus; 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 lines distinct, impressed in anterior 1/3, parapsidal lines distinct, impressed, with smooth stripes; median mesoscutal line absent; parascutal carina narrow, smooth, reaching notaulus. Mesoscutellum uniformly dull rugose, rectangular, with subparallel sides, slightly broader in posterior 1/3, posteriorly rounded, with semilunar invagination posterocentrally; overhanging metanotum; mesoscutellar foveae quadrangular, as broad as high, with smooth, shining bottom separated by a narrow median carina. Circumscutellar carina complete but obscured by sculpture. Mesopleuron anteriorly delicately coriaceous along entire height smooth, shining, with few setae in ventral half, speculum smooth, shining, with piliferous points; mesopleural triangle smooth, shining, with dense setae; dorsal axillar and lateral axillar areas smooth, shining, with dense setae; subaxillular bar smooth, shining, small, triangular, most posterior part slightly shorter than height of metanotal trough; metapleural sulcus reaching mesopleuron at half height, upper part of sulcus distinct. Metascutellum delicately coriaceous, as high as height of smooth, shining ventral impressed area; metanotal trough smooth, glabrous, with sparse setae; central propodeal area smooth, shining, without rugae; lateral propodeal carinae bent outwards in posterior 1/3; lateral propodeal area smooth, shining, with long dense white setae. Nucha with irregular rugae laterally, smooth, shining dorsocentrally. Tarsal claws toothed, with basal lobe.

Fore wing slightly longer than body, shorter than normal size, margin with long dense cilia, with slightly darker spots and stripes, veins dark brown, radial cell open, 2.5× as long as broad; second abscissa of Rs gradually curved not angulated distally; R1 and Rs nearly reaching wing margin; areolet triangular, distinct, Rs+M indistinct but traceable along entire length, reaching basalis slightly below its mid height.

Metasoma as long as head+mesosoma, 1.2× as high as long in lateral view; second metasomal tergum extending 4/5 of metasoma length in dorsal view, without setae anterolaterally, without band of micropunctures posteriorly; subsequent tergites without micropunctures, without setae. Hypopygium without micropunctures, prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium 11.3× as long as broad in ventral view, with few short setae ventrally which do not extend beyond apex of spine.

Body length 1.7–3.8 mm ( Kinsey 1936).

Gall ( Fig. 557 View FIGURES 554–557 ). The gall is similar to all galls of Kinsey’s bella and dugesi complexes. Mature galls light straw tan to yellowish brown, less often brownish or purple olive, rarely rosy, unmarked, with a conspicuous bluish puberulence, up to 17 mm, in average 13 mm in diameter.

Biology. The asexual generation is only known to induce leaf galls on Q. rugosa (= Q. conglomerata ). Mature galls in late autumn, December; adults emerge in January–March next year.

Distribution. Mexico: Michoacan.