Torymus lasallei Bubenikova, Pujade-Villar and Jansta 2020, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Bubeníková, Kristýna
name: Pujade-Villar, Juli
name: Janšta, Petr
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Torymidae
Torymus
Torymus lasallei

description: Torymus lasallei Bubeníková, Pujade-Villar and Janšta, sp. nov.
(Figures 1–3)
Diagnosis. Head transverse, 2.2–2.3× as broad as long; ocelli large, POL 1.8–2.0× OOL, OOL 1.1× LOD; clypeus with anterior margin broadly bilobed; funicular ‘segments’ (antennomeres) elongate, about 1.5× as long as broad; frenum present, weakly costulate; frenal line developed only laterally, reaching to about 1/3 of metascutellum breadth; propodeum with complete median carina and submedian fovea apically; hind coxa carinate and dorsally setose; metafemur with conspicuous subapical tooth; wings slightly infumate, most distinctive on costal cell, beneath and along cubital setal line, and on speculum extending to stigmal vein and with narrow brown stripe in medial part of posterior margin of fore wing; Gt1–Gt4 incised medially; Gt1 strongly emarginate mediolaterally; Gt5 slightly emarginate medially; tip of hypopygium almost reaching apex of gaster; ovipositor sheaths covered by conspicuously long brown setae in their basal two-fifths.
Description. Female. Body length excluding ovipositor 5.3–6.9 mm; length of ovipositor 10–15.4 mm. Colour. Funicle and clava dark brown to black with dark brown setation. Head, scape, pedicel, mesosoma including all coxae, and metasoma dark with metallic blue, violet, and green reflections; green reflection more apparent on mesosoma laterally and dorsally. All coxae, tibiae, and tarsi yellow except yellow-brown apical part of metabasitarus; all claws and pulvilli dark brown. Body setation pale. Wing setation and venation brown, wings slightly infumate; infumation most distinctive on ‘costal cell’, beneath and along cubital setal line and on speculum extending to stigmal vein, slightly more brown around stigmal vein, and with narrow brown stripe in medial part of posterior margin of fore wing. Ovipositor sheaths dark brown, covered by brown setae, ovipositor stylets brown.
Head. Head 1.3–1.4× as broad as high; 2.2–2.3× as broad as long (Figure 1b,c); 2.0–2.3× as broad as mesonotum at its widest part in dorsal view. Temples short, strongly converging, one-fifth as long as eyes. Eye 1.4–1.5× as high as long. Head coriaceous with shallow setose punctations; setae thin, as long as diameter of torulus; puctations on vertex denser; scrobes more finely coriaceous, without setae. Clypeus with anterior margin broadly bilobed; lobes smooth and exserted relative to corners of oral fossa; rest of the clypeus and lower part of supraclypeal area densely reticulate, diameter of meshes of reticulation minute (Figure 1d). Malar space 0.4–0.5× as long as width of oral fossa and 0.3× as long as eye height; malar sulcus present in its entire length. Occipital carina present; dorsally arched, about 2× closer to posterior ocelli than to dorsum of occipital foramen, ventrolateral edge of occipital carina extending below dorsal margin of hypostomal foramen and not joining hypostomal carina above base of mandible. Antenna with scape and pedicel 4.1× and 1.2× as long as broad, respectively; the former reaching or almost reaching dorsal margin of anterior ocellus; lower margin of toruli above 1/3 eye height from ventral level of eye. Combined length of pedicel and flagellum 1.5× as long as width of head. Flagellum with one anellus; remaining flagellomeres distinctly elongated, with F7 the smallest, 1.3× as long as broad, F1–F6 between 1.4× and 1.7× as long as broad (Figure 1e); micropilosity area on clava divided into three minute parts, placed ventroapically and ventrodistally on Cl 3 and ventrodistally on Cl 2 (Figure 1f). POL 1.8–2.0× OOL, OOL 1.1× LOD.
Mesosoma. Mesosoma 1.8–2.0× as long as broad (Figure 2a,b). Pronotum in dorsal view 0.7–0.8× as broad as mesoscutum. Mesoscutellum 1.2–1.3× as long as broad (Figure 2c). Collar of pronotum, mesoscutum and metascutellum weakly rugose and foveolate; foveoles hairy; their distance about 2 times and length of hairs about 2–3 times foveoles’ diameter; posterior part of mid lobe mesoscutum and metascutellum, except central part of metascutellum anterior to frenal line, more densely foveolated; distance between foveoles up to their diameter. Frenum weakly costulate; frenal line present only laterally reaching to about 1/3 of its breadth; metascutellum rim complete, punctulate in its entire length. Notauli deeply impressed; their distance anteriorly about 0.8–0.9× pronotum breadth and posteriorly about 0.5–0.6× metascutellum breadth. Propodeum delicately costulate with complete median carina and submedian fovea apically (Figure 2c). Mesotibia 2.1–2.4× as long as mesobasitarus length. Hind leg with coxa carinate and hairy dorsally, alutaceous, 2.1–2.3× as long as broad; metafemur 4.4–4.5× as long as broad, with conspicous subapical tooth; metatibia 6.2–6.9× as long as broad; metabasitarus 1.8–2.0× as long as metatibia (Figure 2d). Fore wing 3.1–3.3× as long as wide; speculum narrow, reaching anterior part of marginal vein; costal cell dorsally with one incomplete row of setae along apical third of anterior margin, ventrally with one row of setae in basal third and one to three incomplete rows of setae along apical third of anterior margin of cell; basal and cubital cells almost bare; basal setal line complete; cubital setal line incomplete with setae only in apical half (Figure 2f); marginal vein 6.2– 7.3× as long as postmarginal vein (Figure 2g) and 10.9–11.8× as long as stigmal vein (Figure 2i).
Metasoma. Metasoma 2.5–2.6× as long as broad (Figure 2e). Petiole very short, strongly transverse. Gaster with Gt1 almost smooth, at most very shallowly, delicately alutaceous; other tergites alutaceous; Gt1–Gt4 incised medially; Gt1 strongly emarginated mediolaterally; Gt5 slightly emarginated medially (Figure 2e); tip of hypopygium almost reaching apex of gaster (Figure 1a). Ovipositor 1.9–2.2× as long as body; OI (ovipositor index) = 6.6– 7.1; ovipositor conspicuously hairy in basal third to two-fifths; hairs about as long as breadth of ovipositor sheath (Figure 1a – detail).
Variation. There is not much variation except what is mentioned above. Some females are more violet on the surface of the metascutellum and propodeum.
Male (N = 2). Length of body 2.1–2.6 mm. Similar to females except as follows: Head and mesosoma, entire coxae, femora and metatibia, and fore- and mesotibia medially dark with mostly metallic blue-green reflections; metasoma dark with metallic purple-bluegreen reflections; basal part of femora and apical parts of femora and tibiae yellow. Funicular segments elongate, but broader than in females; relative measurements are: anellus 5:2, F1 13:8, F2 15:8, F3 13:8, F4–F6 12:8, F7 12:8.5, clava 23:9; no visible area of micropilosity on clava.
Type material. Holotype female (deposited in CUPC) with the following labels: ‘ MEXICO, Estado de México, San Felipe del Progreso, Rancho la Concepción, ex galls of Amphibolis hidalgoensis on Quercus conspersa, (14.vii.2016) 3.iv.2017 (Moemí Flores leg., ref. 3 B 1), PJ17056_0101’. Paratypes. Same data as holotype except: ‘ 24.ii.2017 (ref. 8B6), 1♂ (UB)’; ‘ 7. ix.2016 (ref. 8A1), on Q. crassipes, 1♀ (UB)’; ‘ 21.ix.2016 (ref. 8A1), 1♀ (UB); 28.x.2016 (ref. 10A13), PJ17056_0102, 1♀ (CUPC)’; ‘ 31.x.2016 (ref. 2A3), 1♀ (UB)’; ‘ 10.iii.2017 (ref. 10A12), PJ17056_0103, 2♂♂ (CUPC)’; ‘ 20.iii.2017 (ref. 8A2), 1♂ (UB)’. ‘ MEXICO: Estado de Tlaxcala, Tlaxco, ex galls of A. hidalgoensis on Q. conspersa, (19.vi.2018) 1–15.vii.2018, 1♀ (UB) (Pujade-Villar and Equihua leg, ref. 334)’; ‘ Estado de Puebla, Aquixtla, Ctra. AquitslaChichicaxtla, ex galls of A. hidalgoensis, Q. crassifolia (16.vi.2018) 16–30.vi.2018, 2♀♀ (UB) (Pujade-Villar leg, ref 353)’; ‘ Estado de Zacatecas, Monte Escobedo, ex galls of A. zacatecaensis on Q. eduardi, (31.v.2012) viii.2012, 1♀ (UB) (C. Carrillo leg, MEX 277)’; ‘ Estado de Morelos, San Felipe Neri, ex galls of Amphibolips sp on Quercus sp. (29.v.2012) viii.2012, 1♀ (UB) E. Estrada and A. Equihua leg. (ref. 278)’.
Additional material. The second author has examined several images of females (Figure 3) belonging to this species that were collected by Leticia Valencia in the Parque Ecológico El Huixteco (Guerrero State, Mexico) on Q. castanea from Amphibolips nr hidalgoensis galls.
Etymology. Named in honour of our colleague Dr John La Salle.
Holotype condition. Holotype female HMDS (hexamethyldisilasane) dried and glued by left side on grey triangular card; right wings detached and glued on rectangular card placed below.
Distribution. Mexico (Central Mexico region: in Guerrero, Mexico, Morelos, Puebla, Tlaxcala and Zacatecas states).
Biology. All specimens studied were reared from galls of Amphibolips hidalgoensis and A. zacatecaensis (Cynipidae) on Quercus acutifolia Née (= Q. conspersa Benth.), Q. castanea Née, Q. crassipes Humb. and Bonpl., Q. crassifolia Humb. and Bonpl. and Q. eduardi Trel., all of them belonging to the Lobatae section.
Taxonomic remarks. Morphology as well as AHE results (unpublished) place this species within the Torymus fullawayi species group. This group is characterised by rugose to granulose mesosoma dorsally, with occasional large foveae (punctures sensu Grissell 1976), denticulate metafemur and foveated propodeum. The fullawayi species group was considered for a long time to be closely related to Diomorus, another genus with denticulate metafemur (Grissell 1976). However, Janšta et al. (2018) showed this group to be more closely related to other Nearctic species of Torymus rather than to Diomorus, even if sampling in this study is not dense enough and statistical support is not high in all nodes. Denticulation on the metafemur within Torymus outside the fullawayi group is quite rare (known only in T. kononovae Zerova and Seryogina 1991, so far); however, some nonrelated genera of Torymini (Diomorus, Ecdamua, Mesodiomorus, Nannocerus, Physothorax, Plesiostigmodes) have it (Bouček 1988; Janšta et al. 2018) and, therefore, denticulation of the metafemur is rather homoplastic.
In the key of Grissell (1976), T. lasallei would key out to T. texanus (Hoffmeyer, 1930, couplet 1, p. 40), which is the most similar (Figure 4 a–c) species but differs in colouration, wing pattern, and having long conspicuous setae along basal third to two-fifths of the ovipositor sheath. As well as other species of the fullawayi group, T. lasallei has been reported as a parasitoid of gallmaker larvae. Nevertheless, the two species of Amphibolips from which T. lasallei has been obtained cause galls with a loose spongy tissue, giving a soft touch to the gall, unlike other species with similar galls in which the spongy tissue is dense and thus the galls are hard as in A. tarasco (Nieves-Aldrey and Pascual, 2012). This suggests that Torymus lasallei also occurs in A. dampfi (Kinsey, 1937) causing a very soft gall. Further, Torymus sp. 1 (Sánchez et al. 2013), probably conspecific with T. lasallei, has been reared from A. castroviejoi.
The long setation of the ovipositor sheath seems to be rare within Chalcidoidea. Only one other species has been described so far with a similarly formed ovipositor, Critogaster pinnata Mayr, 1906 (Pteromalidae: Sycoryctinae) from Brazil. The biology of C. pinnata is not clear, but it could be a parasitoid of Tetrapus (Agaonidae) pollinators associated with the Ficus subgenus Pharmacosycea (J.-Y. Rasplus, pers. comm.). According to images of C. pinnata (kindly sent to us by J.-Y. Rasplus), the ovipositor sheath of T. lasallei is not so broad, and setation is even longer basally. We also know of another type of appendages on the ovipositor sheath of the genus Cameronella (Pteromalidae: Colotrechninae) (Bouček 1988; Wang and Cook 2012), a parasitoid of gall-inducing scale insects of the genus Apiomorpha Rübsaamen, 1894 (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae). The ovipositor of Cameronella resembles the tail of a dart and is derived from the modified epipygium of the adult female. However, the function of dart-tail appendages of Cameronella and the function of setation in T. lasallei or C. pinnata are unclear.
description: Published as part of Bubeníková, Kristýna, Pujade-Villar, Juli & Janšta, Petr, 2020, Description of Torymus lasallei, sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Torymidae), a species with an unusual ovipositor, pp. 791-800 in Journal of Natural History 54 (9) on pages 792-799, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2020.1769763, http://zenodo.org/record/4290611