Protobalandricus Nicholls & Stone & Melika 2018, new genus

Protobalandricus Melika, Nicholls & Stone, new genus Figs 1–16 Type species: Andricus spectabilis Kinsey, 1922. Etymology. The name of the genus indicates the food plant association with the golden cup oaks, section Protobalanus of the genus Quercus, and its original assignment (and morphological similarity) to the oak gallwasp genus Andricus. Gender: Masculine. Diagnosis. Only asexual females are known. Protobalandricus belongs to the group of genera in which the transscutal articulation is present and the asexual females are fully-winged and in addition: the mesoscutum is delicately coriaceous, with numerous punctures and dense setae, never transversely rugose (as in Bassettia Ashmead, Callirhytis Foerster, Loxaulus Mayr, some Plagiotrochus Mayr, Zapatella) or coarsely rugose and dull (as in Amphibolips Reinhard); the hind tibia is without an apical lobe, which is present only in Odontocynips Kieffer; the malar sulcus is absent (present in Biorhiza Westwood, Erythres, Melikaiella, Trigonaspis Hartig), female antennae are 13–14-segmented, never 16–17-segmented like in Barucynips, Coffeikkos and some Holocynips; the forewing is without dark spots and stripes, present in Atrusca Kinsey and many Cynips Linnaeus and Besbicus Kinsey; the head and mesosoma have dense white setae, never bare with only scattered setae or with very short apprised pubescence like in Heteroecus Kinsey or Dryocosmus Giraud. Protobalandricus differs from all other known Cynipini genera by the following characters: the mesosoma between the pronotum and anterior end of the mesoscutum is invaginated between anterior parallel lines; sides of pronotum are angled from dorsal view; R1 of the forewing runs along the wing margin and reaches Rs, thus the radial cell is closed; the median propodeal carina is present; 2nd and 3rd metasomal tergites are equal in length. Protobalandricus morphologically most closely resembles asexual females of Holocynips, Andricus and Disholcaspis; these three genera also occur in the southwest USA. In Protobalandricus the hind tarsal claws have basal lobes, antennae 14-segmented, notauli complete; the mesoscutellum rounded, 0.45x as long as the length of the mesoscutum; the ventral spine of the hypopygium is very short, as broad as long, while in Holocynips hartmani (Weld) (Figs 17–22), a species galling Quercus chrysolepis roots in California, hind tarsal claws are without basal lobes, antennae are 17-segmented (Fig. 18), notauli are incomplete (Fig. 20); the mesoscutellum trapezoid, only 0.6x as long as length of the mesoscutum (Fig. 20); the ventral spine of the hypopygium about 4– 5x as long as broad (Fig. 22). In Protobalandricus the ventral spine of the hypopygium has parallel sides and is short, never needle-like as in asexual Andricus (for example, Andricus quercuscalifornicus (Bassett), Figs 23–29). In Protobalandricus the lower face and malar space has radiating striae, notauli are complete, the mesoscutum is alutaceous, while in asexual females of Disholcaspis (for example, Disholcaspis costaricensis Melika & Pujade- Villar, Figs 30–36) the lower face and malar space lack radiating striae, notauli are incomplete in the anterior third and the mesoscutum is always coriaceous to rugose. Description. Asexual female. Head and mesosoma black; metasoma reddish brown to dark chestnut brown, dorsally always darker; mandibles, palpi labialis and maxillaris brown; antennae dark brown; all coxae and trochanter black; femora, tibiae and tarsi brown. Head (Figs 1–3) transverse, 1.4x as broad as high in frontal view, with gena broadened behind eye, alutaceous, with dense white setae except on smooth glabrous central area of frons. Transfacial distance 2.0x as broad as height of compound eye. Inner margins of compound eyes slightly converging ventrally. Lower face alutaceous, without striae. Malar space with striae, extending to eye, malar sulcus absent. Vertex alutaceous, with deep micropunctures; occiput glabrous, occipital carina absent; postocciput and postgena alutaceous; posterior tentorial pit ovate; height of occipital and oral foramen longer than height of postgenal bridge; hypostomal carina emarginate, continuing into postgenal sulcus; postgenal sulci subparallel along entire length of narrow postgenal bridge (gula), slightly diverging only in dorsal half of gula. Antenna short, slightly longer than head+mesosoma, with 12 flagellomeres, with F1 the longest (Fig. 4). Pronotum impressed along anterior margin, delicately coriaceous dorsally and laterally, without striae (Fig. 8), dorsally broad, visible on both sides of mesoscutum (Fig. 9); propleuron alutaceous, glabrous, with dense setae (Fig. 7). Mesoscutum alutaceous, with punctures, each with white setae; longer than broad (greatest width measured across mesoscutum level with base of tegulae) (Fig. 9). Mesoscutum anterodorsally with invagination (Fig. 10). Notauli complete, reaching pronotum, uniformly impressed; parapsidal lines present, median mesoscutal line absent, anterior parallel lines distinct; parascutal carina broad, extending to 2/3 of mesoscutum length. Mesoscutellum rounded, as broad as long, with dense setae, uniformly rugose, very slightly overhanging metanotum. Scutellar foveae transverse, separated by median carina, with smooth glabrous bottom (Fig. 9). Mesopleuron smooth, with some punctures and setae, speculum smooth, glabrous, without setae (Fig. 8). Dorsal axillar area alutaceous, with white setae; mesopleural triangle coriaceous; lateral axillar area smooth, with few setae; subaxillular bar smooth, glabrous, triangular, posteriorly as high as long; metapleural sulcus reaching mesopleuron slightly above half of its height (Fig. 8). Metascutellum rugose, slightly shorter than height of smooth, glabrous ventral impressed area; metanotal trough smooth, glabrous, with few short white setae; central propodeal area narrow, smooth, glabrous, with short longitudinal central carina; lateral propodeal carinae strong, high, subparallel; lateral propodeal area smooth, glabrous with dense setae and piliferous points (Fig. 11). Nucha rugose, without longitudinal rugae (Figs 8, 11). All tarsal claws with strong basal lobe. Forewing longer than body, hyaline, with dense cilia on margin, veins dark brown, conspicuous, radial cell 2.5x as long as broad, closed; R1 running along wing margin and reaching Rs; areolet large, elongated, triangular, closed and distinct; Rs+M not reaching basalis, its projection reaching basalis at slightly less than half its length (Fig. 6). Metasoma slightly longer than head+mesosoma, 1.3x as long as high in lateral view, from uniformly reddish brown to darker, chestnut brown. Length of 2nd metasomal tergite equal in length to 3rd tergite; subsequent tergites shorter; 2nd and 3rd metasomal tergites smooth, without micropunctures, 5th and 6th metasomal tergites dorsally and laterally with delicate micropunctures; 2nd tergite with long white setae uniformly covering entire tergite, 3rd tergite with few white setae laterally; 7th tergite punctured with seta in each puncture. Ventral spine of hypopygium with parallel sides, not needle-like, prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium short, as long as broad from ventral view, with dense white subapical setae, extending beyond apex of spine and forming a tuft (Figs 12–14). Body length 4.5–5.1 mm (n = 10). One species belongs to this genus, Protobalandricus spectabilis (Kinsey, 1922), new. comb.

Topic: Hymenoptera taxonomy and phylogeny
Subfield: Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Domain: Life Sciences