Atrusca pupoides ( Kinsey, 1930 )

Atrusca pupoides ( Kinsey, 1930)

Figs 438–446 View FIGURES 438–442 View FIGURES 443–446

Cynips dugesi variety pupoides Kinsey 1930: 284 , female, gall.

Cynips View in CoL ( dugesi ) pupoides (Kinsey) : Kinsey 1936: 128, female, gall.

Atrusca pupoides (Kinsey) : Weld 1951: 638.

Types examined. HOLOTYPE female Cynips pupoides var. dugesi “Alpine, Tex. 12.14.19, gall 12.14.19”, “ Q. grisea, Kinsey View in CoL coll.”, red “ Cynips pupoides , Holo- Paratype ”, deposited in AMNH, NYC, examined by GM.

Diagnosis. Atrusca pupoides belongs to the species group characterized by a reddish brown body color, lacking dark stripes in the mesoscutum, the OOL more than twice as long as the diameter of the lateral ocelli, exhibiting fore wings with a complete and conspicuous venation, the Rs vein of radial cell being arcuate, the entirely rugose mesoscutellum, the mesopleuron and speculum sculptured in varying proportions, exhibiting smooth areas, without any linear sculpture and with or without piliferous points, and the ventral spine of the hypopygium is setose, with setae extending beyond the apex of the spine, as in A. oriens and A. vasta . Atrusca pupoides differs from A. oriens and A. vasta by the mesoscutum uniformly alutaceous-reticulate with evenly distributed setae and distinct piliferous points, while in A. oriens and A. vasta the mesoscutum is smooth and shining at least on the posterior half between the notauli, the posterior half of mesonotum also displays almost glabrous without any conspicuous piliferous point.

Re-description. Asexual female ( Figs 438–446 View FIGURES 438–442 View FIGURES 443–446 ). The species description is combined from Kinsey (1930: 284, 1936: 128) and our observations of the type photos.

Entire body, including antennae and legs reddish brown; palpi yellowish; black stripes along parapsidal lines and between notauli in anterior 2/3 of mesoscutum length; mesopleuron and mesosoma ventrally blackish.

Head slightly triangular in frontal view, with sparse white setae, 1.3× as broad as high and as broad as mesosoma in frontal view, 2.0× 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 delicately coriaceous, without striae, malar sulcus absent; eye 2.3× as high as height of malar space. Inner margins of eyes diverging ventrally. POL 1.6× as long as OOL; OOL 2.1× as long as diameter of lateral ocellus and 1.6× as long as LOL; all ocelli nearly rounded, of same size. Transfacial distance 1.3× as long as height of eye and 1.7× as long as height of lower face; diameter of antennal torulus 1.8× as long as distance between them, distance between torulus and eye slightly longer than diameter of torulus; lower face alutaceous asides, rugose in central part below toruli, with few setae; slightly elevated median area rugose, shining, without setae. Interocellar area slightly elevated above head in frontal view, lateral ocelli prominent. Clypeus impressed, uniformly coriaceous, rectangular, broader than high, with 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, with few short setae. Vertex, occiput delicately coriaceous; postocciput, postgena alutaceous, shining with sparse white setae; posterior tentorial pit large, ovate, area below impressed. Antenna longer than head+mesosoma, with 12 flagellomeres, pedicel slightly longer than broad, F1 1.25× as long as scape+pedicel and 1.25× as long as F2; F2 1.2 as long as F3; F3=F4, F5 slightly shorter than F4 and equal F6, F6=F7, subsequent flagellomeres till F11shorter, nearly equal in length, F12 1.2× as long as F11; placodeal sensilla on F4–F12.

Mesosoma 1.3× as long as high, with sparse short white setae. Pronotum laterally alutaceous in dorsal half, smooth, shining on rest surface, with sparse setae, with parallel rugae posteroventrally, extending to half width of pronotum. Mesoscutum uniformly alutaceous-reticulate, with sparse white setae and numerous distinct piliferous points; slightly longer than broad (greatest width measured across mesoscutum at level of base of tegulae). Notaulus complete, deep, broad, with alutaceous bottom, posteriorly broader and slightly converging; anterior parallel and parapsidal lines indistinct, hardly traceable, indicated by smooth stripes surface; median mesoscutal line absent; parascutal carina narrow, smooth, reaching notaulus. Mesoscutellum uniformly dull rugose, with stronger rugae laterally and posteriorly, ovate, slightly longer than broad, posteriorly rounded, overhanging metanotum; mesoscutellar foveae, transverse, broader than high, smooth, shining, separated by broad elevated rugose central area. Circumscutellar carina complete but weakly marked distally. Mesopleuron smooth, shining, with sparse setae, speculum uniformly delicately coriaceous; mesopleural triangle coriaceous, with some irregular rugae and dense setae; dorsal and lateral axillar areas smooth, shining, with dense white setae; subaxillular bar smooth, shining, most posterior part as high as height of metanotal trough; metapleural sulcus reaching mesopleuron at its mid height, upper part of sulcus distinct. Metascutellum coriaceous, as high as height of smooth, shining ventral impressed area; metanotal trough smooth, shining, with sparse setae; central propodeal area smooth, shining, without rugae; lateral propodeal carinae strongly bent outwards at mid height of propodeum; lateral propodeal area coriaceous, shining, with long dense white setae. Nucha with irregular rugae laterally, smooth, shining dorsocentrally. Tarsal claws toothed, with basal lobe.

Fore wing longer than body, hyaline, margin with long dense cilia, multiple slightly darker spots all over the wing, veins light 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, higher than long in lateral view; second metasomal tergum dark brown, extending over 3/4 of metasoma length in dorsal view, with dense white setae anterolaterally, without band of micropunctures posteriorly; subsequent terga without micropunctures. Hypopygium without micropunctures, prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium 3.5× as long as broad in ventral view, with few short setae extending beyond apex of spine.

Body length 1.8–3.2 mm ( Kinsey 1936).

Gall. The gall is similar to all galls of Kinsey’s bella and dugesi complexes, globular. Mature galls rosy tan, obscurelyfreckled or unspotted, mor or less shining; up to 23 mm, averaging 17 mm in diameter.

Biology. The asexual generation is only known to induce leaf galls on Q. grisea . Galls mature in autumn; adults emerge in January–Februray next year.

Distribution. USA: Texas.