Prokius Medianero, Nicholls, Stone & Nieves-Aldrey, 2021, gen. nov.
Creators: name: Medianero, Enrique
name: Nicholls, James A.
name: Stone, Graham N.
name: Nieves-Aldrey, José Luis
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Cynipidae
Prokius

description: Prokius Nieves Aldrey, Medianero & Nicholls gen. nov.
Figs 1-8
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Type species: Prokius cambrai Nieves-Aldrey & Medianero sp. nov., designated herein.
Etymology. The new genus is named in honor of Alfred Kinsey, eminent cynipidologist and one of the first who studied gall wasps in Central America. The name is derived from Prok, the nickname used for Professor Kinsey by his students.
Gender. Masculine
Diagnosis. The new genus differs from all other known Cynipini genera by the following combination of morphological characters. Head smooth to weakly alutaceous, mesoscutum and mesopleuron smooth. Malar (subocular) sulcus absent, or if present indistinct, sometimes marked by a group of incomplete striae or in the form of a shallow impressed area (Figs 1A, 3A). Facial striae radiating from clypeus inconspicuous to virtually absent. Transscutal articulation present. Antenna with 14­­‒15 antennomeres in the sexual female, 15 antennomeres in male. Lateral propodeal carinae distinct, narrow, subparallel to strongly divergent on the mid-upper part of propodeum, strongly curved and converging below the mid height (Figs 2B, 4A). Median propodeal area smooth, without sculpture. Projecting part of hypopygial spine short, shorter than basal height of spine. In ventral view, hypopygial spine has the same width along entire length and with a blunt cleft apex; the hypopygial spine bears long and thick setae, arranged in pairs perpendicular to spine margins and only just extending beyond apex of spine (Figs 2F, 4D). Notauli complete, smooth, broad, deep and convergent posteriorly. Scutellar foveae distinct, deep, internally the foveae not separated by a septum, with distinct lateral margins but posterior margins indistinct. Mesoscutellum with distinct margins laterally and posteriorly. Metatarsal claws simple, without a basal lobe (Figs 2C, 4B). Associated with white oaks.
In the recently published key to the genera of Nearctic Cynipini that have a transscutal articulation and toothed tarsal claws (Melika et al. 2021), the new genus Prokius runs close to Dros. Both genera share many morphological characters, such as an almost smooth and shiny head, mesoscutum and mesopleuron, a smooth face without striae and without malar sulcus, and the shape and sculpture of the propodeum (Figs 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D). However, the tarsal claws in the two species of the new genus are simple and not toothed as in Dros (Fig. 7F), and the hypopygial spine is quite distinct from the known species of Dros, which have a long hypopygial spine with an acute apex (Kinsey 1937; Pujade-Villar et al. 2017; Fig. 7E).
The new genus is also morphologically similar to species of Dryocosmus Giraud, 1859 and Biorhiza Westwood, 1840; both genera have a smooth and shiny mesoscutum and mesopleuron and also have simple metatarsal claws. The new genus can be easily distinguished from Biorhiza by the absence of a malar (subocular) sulcus (distinctive in Biorhiza; Fig. 8C) and by the ventral spine of the hypopygium, which in Biorhiza is broad, short, pointed apically and has an apical tuft of setae (Fig. 8D). The new genus differs from Dryocosmus (a polyphyletic genus that needs revision; Nieves-Aldrey et al. 2021) by the shape and setation of the hypopygial spine, which in Dryocosmus has subapical setae extending beyond the apex of the spine (Fig. 8B). In addition, Dryocosmus species have radiating striae on the face (Fig. 8A) and a propodeum that is usually sculptured with a median propodeal carina.
Description. Description of this genus is based in the sexual generation of the two known species. The eventual discovery of asexual generations will require revision of the generic definition.
Sexual female slightly pubescent. Head in anterior view generally oval (Fig. 1A, 3A), 1.2-1.3x wider than high, smooth to slightly alutaceous on front and vertex, with gena not expanded behind eyes. Facial striae radiating from clypeus very short, barely discernible (Fig. 1A). Anterior tentorial pits visible; epistomal sulcus apparent, clypeopleurostomal lines visible. Clypeus with ventral margin sinuate, moderately projecting over mandibles, slightly pubescent. Malar (subocular) sulcus absent, or if present indistinct, sometimes marked by a group of incomplete striae or in the form of a shallow impressed area (Fig. 1A). Head from posterior view (Fig. 1B) without occipital carina. Gula short, distance between occipital and oral foramina as high as occipital foramen (Fig. 1B). Hypostomal sulci well separated from oral fossa.
Antenna (Fig. 1C, 3E) with 14­­‒15 antennomeres in sexual female, 15 antennomeres in male; flagellum not broadening towards apex.
Mesosoma: Pronotum short medially, slightly pubescent, lateral surface of pronotum smooth; pronotal plate indistinct dorsally (Fig. 2A). Mesoscutum smooth, strongly convex dorsally, sparsely pubescent with scattered setae anteriorly. Notauli percurrent, smooth, well impressed along entire length, reaching pronotum, convergent posteriorly, median mesoscutal impression present. Transscutal fissure present. Mesoscutellum rectangular to slightly trapezoidal, marginated, surrounded by distinct carina. Scutellar foveae distinct, deep, internally the foveae not separated by a septum, with distinct lateral margins but posterior margins indistinct. Mesopleuron smooth, speculum glabrous; mesopleural triangle moderately pubescent (Fig. 1F). Lateral propodeal carinae distinct, narrow, subparallel to strongly divergent in mid to upper part of propodeum, strongly bent and convergent inwards below the mid height. Medial propodeal area smooth, glabrous, lateral propodeal area smooth, with dense white setae (Fig. 2B). Nucha rugose.
Metatarsal claws simple, without an acute basal lobe (Fig. 2C).
Forewing (Figs. 5E, 5F) hyaline, without fuscate spots or stripes, radial cell open along anterior margin; areolet triangular, closed and distinct. Apical margin of wing with short hair fringe.
Metasoma with second metasomal tergum covering about two thirds of metasoma. Projecting part of hypopygial spine short, shorter than basal height of spine. In ventral view, hypopygial spine has the same width along its entire length with a blunt cleft apex; the hypopygial spine bearing long and thick setae, arranged in pairs perpendicular to spine margins and only just extending beyond apex of spine (Figs. 2E, 2F, 4D).
Distribution. Based on our data, the new genus is found only from 1,440m to 3,000m a.s.l. at Volcán Barú, Chiriqui, Panama.
Key to adults of species of Prokius
1. Antennae with 14 segments in female, 15 in the male (Figs 1C, 1D). Median mesoscutal impression visible only in posterior one eighth of the mesoscutum (Fig. 1E). Antero-lateral part of second metasomal tergum with a dense patch of setae (Fig. 2D). R1 vein always strongly pigmented and visible, reaching wing margin (Fig. 5F). Body coloration dark brown (Fig. 5C, 5D)........................................................................................ P. cambrai n. sp.
• Antennae with 15 segments in both sexes (Figs 3E, 3F). Median mesoscutal impression almost complete but shallow, visible in posterior three quarts of the mesoscutum (Fig. 3D). Antero-lateral part of second metasomal tergum with only a few setae (Fig. 4C). R1 vein sometimes depigmented and not reaching wing margin (Fig. 5E). Body coloration amber to light brown in both sexes, lighter in males (Fig. 5A, 5B).......................................................... P. lisethiae n. sp.
description: Published as part of Medianero, Enrique, Nicholls, James A., Stone, Graham N. & Nieves-Aldrey, José Luis, 2021, A new genus of Neotropical oak gall wasp, Prokius Nieves-Aldrey, Medianero & Nicholls, gen. nov. (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini), with description of two new species from Panama, pp. 203-222 in Zootaxa 5081 (2) on pages 206-207, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5081.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/5771693