Sycophila submutica
Creators: name: Gómez, J. F.
name: Nieves-Aldrey, J. L.
name: Stone, G. N.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Eurytomidae
Sycophila
Sycophila submutica

description: Sycophila submutica (Thomson 1876)
(Figures 1, 2, 4E, F, 5E, 6E, F, 7E, F, and 8E)
Description
Body length 2.17 mm (range 1.4–2.7; n = 20); body width 1.27 mm (0.8–1.8) (Figures 4E, F, and 5E); body fusiform, broadest in mid-region, tapering anteriorly and posteriorly; ratio L/W = 1.8; ventral margin of body segments clearly convex for specimens reared from galls of Isocolus scabiosae form rogenhoferi, but straight or slightly convex for specimens associated with galls of Isocolus lichtensteini; anterodorsal protuberances in lateral view absent, the intersegmental membranes not protruding (Figure 5E).
Dorsal margin of the vertex convex, ratio SA/DAV = 1.18 (Figure 6E, F); anteromedial setae of vertex situated midway between vertex and antenna on the upper face (Figure 6E); ventral margin of clypeus distinct; labrum with deep divisions almost reaching the level of labral setae; two lateral flaps and five clearly differentiated lobes with the central part broadest and shorter than lateral ones; maxillae well differentiated, protruding from labium (Figure 7E, F).
Mandibles bidentate; for specimens reared from Isocolus scabiosae form rogenhoferi, ratio L/W 1T = 2.4 (Figure 8E); second tooth triangular, acute at apex; inner margin of mandible, from the base of second tooth, straight, not interrupted.
Remarks
Despite a drawing of the larva in lateral view being provided by Claridge (1959), it was not described in detail. The larva of S. submutica has some differences according to its hosts as has been stated earlier but generally it is closely related in appearance to the larva of S. biguttata (Figure 9I). They differ in the shape of the ventral margin of body, the position and relative separation of the anteromedial setae of vertex, the ventral margin of clypeus and the mandibles.
Biology
Sycophila submutica (Figure 9J) is a polyphagous primary endoparasitoid associated with several cynipid galls on herbs. It has been reared from galls of species of Aulacidea, Isocolus, Liposthenes, Phanacis and Rhodus on Asteraceae and Lamiaceae (Askew et al. 2006). Larvae of the species are usually found in gall chambers of different species of Isocolus (Figure 9K). Specimens for this study were reared from galls of Isocolus lichtensteini (Mayr) (Figure 9L) and Isocolus scabiosae (Giraud) form rogenhoferi Wachtl on different species of Centaurea (Asteraceae).
Material examined
ex Isocolus lichtensteini: Spain, Guadalajara: Pozo de Guadalajara, 3 October 2004, J.L. Nieves leg, (n = 8); Spain, Madrid: Arganda, 6 November 2002, J.L. Nieves leg, (n = 7); ex Isocolus scabiosae form rogenhoferi: Spain, Madrid: Chinchón, 20 September 2003, J.L. Nieves leg (n = 1), 6 June 2004, J.L. Nieves leg, (n = 3); Spain, Madrid: Morata de Tajuña, 6 June 2004, J.L. Nieves and J.F. Gómez leg, (n = 1).
description: Published as part of Gómez, J. F., Nieves-Aldrey, J. L. & Stone, G. N., 2013, On the morphology of the terminal-instar larvae of some European species of Sycophila (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae) parasitoids of gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), pp. 2937-2960 in Journal of Natural History 47 (47 - 48) on pages 2954-2955, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2013.791937, http://zenodo.org/record/5198140