© Entomologica Fennica. 15 February 2016 Descriptions of two new species of Neuroterus Hartig from China (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) Juli Pujade-Villar, Yiping Wang*, Zhiwei Liu, Rui Guo Pujade-Villar, J., Wang, Y., Liu, Z. & Guo, R. 2016: Descriptions of two new spe- cies of Neuroterus Hartig from China (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae). — Entomol. Fennica 27: 23–32. Two morphologically unusual new species of Neuroterus Hartig, Neuroterus sculpturatus Pujade-Villar & Wang sp. n. and N. abdominalis Pujade-Villar & Wang sp. n., are described from China. Data about galls, distribution and biology of the new species are included. Taxonomic problems concerning some of the Pa- laearctic Neuroterus species, including the species described here, are also com- mented. J. Pujade-Villar, Department of Animal Biology, Barcelona University, Barce- lona 08028, Spain; E-mail: jpujade @ub.edu Y. Wang (*corresponding author), College of Forest and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Agricultural and Forestry University, Lin’an 311300, China; E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Z. Liu, Department of Biological Sciences, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, 61029, Illinois, U. S. A.; E-mail: [email protected] R. Guo, Administration Bureau of Zhejiang Qingliangfeng National Nature Re- serve, Lin’an 311300, China; E-mail: [email protected] Received 25 May 2015, accepted 8 October 2015 1. Introduction 2010); Cerroneuroterus Melika & Pujade-Villar was erected to include four new European spe- Until recently, the genus Neuroterus was consid- cies, i.e., C. aggregatus (Wachtl), C. cerrifloralis ered to comprise approximately 100 species (Müllner), C. obtectus (Wachtl) and C. lanugi- widely distributed throughout the Holarctic re- nosus (Giraud) (Melika et al. 2010); Pseudo- gion (Stone et al. 2002). These 100 species were neuroterus Kinsey, originally treated as a subge- classified into 6 subgenera by Kinsey in his nus of Neuroterus, was elevated to the generic monographic treatment of the genus (Kinsey status to include P.macropterus (Hartig) (Pujade- 1923). However, the subdivision of Kinsey has Villar et al. 2004) and the subsequently added P. become obsolete: some of the subgenera are hard saliens (Kollar) (Melika et al. 2010); finally, the to distinguish morphologically and the genus has genus Latuspina Monzen, originally described as been considerably redefined. Trichagalma Mayr, a subgenus of Neuroterus, was also raised to the a genus previously synonymized with Neuro- generic status to include the single Japanese spe- terus by Abe (2006), was re-established to in- cies, L. stirps (Monzen). Many new species have clude Trichagalma serratae (Ashmead) and Tri- subsequently been described to the aforemen- chagalma acutissimae (Monzen) (Melika et al. tioned genera (Melika 2006, Melika et al. 2010, 24 Pujade-Villar et al. • ENTOMOL. FENNICA Vol. 27 Pujade-Villar & Wang 2012, Tang et al. 2012). 2. Materials and methods Furthermore, the recently described genus Cyclo- neuroterus Melika & Tang, with five known spe- Throughout the paper, we followed the terminol- cies from Taiwan, obviously belongs to the ogy used in Liljeblad and Ronquist (1998) and Neuroterus complex (Tang et al. 2011). The rede- Melika (2006) for structural morphology, Ron- fined Neuroterus Hartig, 1840 is currently repre- quist and Nordlander (1989) for abbreviations on sented by 84 species, including 6 from the West- forewing venation, and Harris (1979) for cuticu- ern Palaearctic area (Melika et al. 2010), 14 in the lar surface sculpture. Measurements and abbrevi- eastern Palaeactic – 6 of them are of uncertain ations used are: systematic position – (Abe et al. 2007, Melika et al. 2010), 52 from North America (Burks 1979, – F1–F12, first and subsequent flagellomeres Melika & Abrahamson 1997, 2002), and 8 from – POL, post-ocellar distance, the distance be- Mexico (Pujade-Villar et al. 2009, Pujade-Villar tween the inner margins of the posterior ocelli & Ferrer-Suay 2015). – OOL, ocellar–ocular distance, the distance The genus as previously defined consists of from the outer margin of the posterior ocellus species forming galls on oaks (Quercus)inthree to the inner margin of the compound eye sections: Cerris, Quercus s.s. (the white oaks), – LOL, the distance between lateral and frontal and Protobalanus (the intermediate oaks) (Stone ocelli et al. 2002), but the redefined Neuroterus appears – The width of the forewing radial cell was to be relatively more specific regarding its host measured from the margin of the wing to the association; all species currently included in Rs vein. Neuroterus are associated with white oaks (sec- tion Quercus s.s.), the only exception is N. Descriptions and measurements were made under chrysolepis Lyon from California, USA, which is a Leica MZ 12.5 stereomicroscope (Wetzlar, Ger- associated with Q. chrysolepis in the section many), and photos were taken by a digital camera Protobalanus. No species of Neuroterus is asso- (Q-Imaging, Micropublisher 3.3 RTV) attached ciated with the diverse North American red oaks to a Leica MZ APO stereomicroscope (Wetzlar, (section Lobatae). Germany) and stacked using Synoptics Auto- The alternating asexual and sexual genera- Montage version 5.0 software. The field-emis- tions are poorly known for the genus, except for sion gun environmental scanning electron micro- the Western Palaearctic species (Pujade-Villar et scope (FEI Quanta 200 ESEM, Barcelona Uni- al. 2001). The galls of Neuroterus species are versity) was used for high-resolution imaging usually structurally more primitive than those of without gold-coating. other Cynipini genera and lack the highly special- Type specimens are deposited in the Hyme- ized tissues and tissue layers of the other galls noptera Collection of Zhejiang Agricultural and (Melika 2006). Forest University, Lin’an, China (ZAFU) and the Many of these species, especially those from University of Barcelona (UB) as detailed in the Nearctic and the Eastern Palaearctic regions need species descriptions. revision (Melika et al. 2010). Abe et al. (2007) listed the Neuroterus species of the Eastern Palae- arctic with taxonomic comments and indicated 3. Descriptions of two new species that some of the species were in need of revision. of Neuroterus As noticed by Melika et al. (2010), several species of the genus have distinctive morphologi- 3.1. Neuroterus sculpturatus Pujade-Villar & cal peculiarities – i. e. N. anthracinus (Curtis) and Wang sp. n. (Fig. 1, 2e–i) N. politus Hartig from Western Palaearctic re- gion. In the present study, we describe two addi- Type material. Holotype $: China, Shaanxi, tional morphologically divergent new species Houzhenzi (107°47’E, 33°50’N), galls collected from China and discuss their inclusion in Neuro- from Quercus variabilis Blume on 17.V.2011, terus. and adult wasp emerged on 5.VI.2011, Guo Rui ENTOMOL. FENNICA Vol. 27 • Two new species of Neuroterus from China 25 Fig. 1. Neuroterus sculpturatus sp. n. –a. Head, dorsal view. – b. Head, frontal view. – c. Mesosoma, dorsal view. – d. Head and mesosoma, lateral view. – e. Female antenna. – f. Forewing. – g. Tarsal claws. – h. Propodeum. – i–j. Gall. 26 Pujade-Villar et al. • ENTOMOL. FENNICA Vol. 27 leg. Paratypes: 1$1#, same data as holotype. Male (Fig. 2e–f): with 15 segments, first flagello- Holotype and paratype # deposited in ZAFU; $ mere incised and apically expanded; antennal for- paratype deposited in UB (JP-V collection). mula:4.5:4:9:8:7:7:7:5:5:5:5:5:4.5:4.5:6. Diagnosis. The new species differs from all Mesosoma (Figs 1c–d, h, 2g, i). Mesoscutum known species of Neuroterus in having strong 1.3 times as long as broad in dorsal view. Prono- sculpture on mesosoma including mesopleuron. tum strongly coriaceous and laterally strongly Description, sexual generation. striate. Mesoscutum strongly coriaceous in most Length. Female: 2.0 mm (n=2); male: 1.8 mm of its surface and partially reticulate, with a few (n= 1). white setae; slightly longer than maximum width Colour. Head yellowish brown or dark (measured across mesoscutum between tegulae at brown; antennal scape and pedicel pale yellow, anterior tip). Notauli percurrent, reaching prono- flagellomeres yellowish brown (male antennae tum, impressed in its entire length; parapsidal basally pale yellow and apically dark yellow); lines present, median mesoscutal impression mesosoma dark brown, darker in some areas; present, weakly impressed but extending almost mandibles pale yellow with dark brown tips, to entire length of mesoscutum; anterior meso- maxillae and labium yellow; legs dark yellow scutal parallel lines absent; parascutal carina usu- (yellowish in males); metasoma black; hypopygi- ally broad, extending to the point where notaulus um pale red; wing veins brown. reaches pronotum. Mesoscutellum slightly lon- Head (Figs 1a–b, 2h). Head subquadrate in ger than wide, quadrangular, laterally uniformly frontal view, around 1.3–1.4 times as broad as covered by strong rugose sculpture and medially high, distinctly broader than mesosoma in frontal strongly coriaceous, slightly overhanging meta- view, with sparse short white setae, and 1.9–2.0 notum. Transscutal articulation absent; scutellar times as wide as long in dorsal view. Lower face foveae absent but transversal scutellar depression without lateral striae radiating from clypeus present with weak rugae inside and not separated while medially coriaceous; area below antennal by a median carina. Mesopleuron and speculum sockets with a few interrupted striae. Transfacial strongly coriaceous, with thin but distinct