BIOLOGY, MOLECULAR SYSTEMATICS, POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CONTROL OF A STEM GALL WASP, ZAPATELLA DAVISAE (HYMENOPTERA: CYNIPIDAE)

Gall wasps are phytophagous insects that often go unnoticed, however, when they are released from their natural enemies, they have the capacity to outbreak and cause extensive foliar damage. One such outbreaking pest, Zapatella davisae, causes significant damage and mortality to black oak, Quercus velutina. In recent years, black oak decline has been documented in Long Island, New York and coastal New England. Little is known about the lifecycle, distribution or population dynamics of Zapatella davisae and the taxonomy of the species is still unclear. My first study described the biology and distribution of Z. davisae. Zapatella davisae completed one life cycle per year, and emerged in early May. The same proportion of trees were infested in Cape Cod and Long Island, however, the severity of the infestation was significantly greater in Cape Cod, an indication that something may be regulating populations in Long Island. I evaluated where Z. davisae fits within the Cynipidae phylogeny, quantified genetic diversity across geographically isolated populations and identified which loci gave the most taxonomic clarity. Three genes determined that Z. davisae is completely invariant across all geographically isolated populations, likely indicative of a founder effect. Zapatella davisae may be native, as it was a species-level match to a gall wasp species from the southeastern, US. LWRh and COI gave the most taxonomic clarity, as they had genera that fell out into distinct clades, whereas 28S increased the incidence of polyphyletic and paraphyletic clades. After I determined Long Island and Cape Cod populations were both Z. davisae, I compared the population dynamics in each location. On Long Island, multiple gall wasp populations exhibited almost 100% parasitism in 2015, which was followed by a near total collapse of the population in 2016. On Cape Cod, parasitism rates were lower and consistent overtime, which may explain greater canopy damage in that region. On Long Island, species-group Sycophila species 3 caused the highest level of parasitism, but parasitism from this species was lower on Cape Cod. My results indicate that Z. davisae populations are controlled by top-down pressures on Long Island

Les Cynipidae des chênes (Hymenoptera) collectés dans la chaîne montagneuse de Khmir (Tunisie) et mise à jour des connaissances sur les Cynipini tunisiens

Dans la présente étude réalisée dans le massif forestier de Khmir (aussi connu sous le nom de Kroumirie), on note les espèces gallicoles Cynipidae récoltées sur Quercus suber, Q. faginea et Q. coccifera. Au total, 20 espèces ont été trouvées dont huit sont citées pour la première fois de Tunisie : Andricus burgundus, A. curvator, A. quercusradicis, Cynips disticha, C. quercus, Neuroterus anthracinus, Plagiotrochus coriaceus et P. gallaeramulorum. La liste complète des Cynipini présents en Tunisie comprend 24 espèces. La mise à jour des connaissances sur ce groupe d'hyménoptères associés au genre sur Quercus a révélé que la présence d'Andricus infectorius (Hartig, 1843) citée depuis longtemps par les auteurs reste à discuter.En aquest estudi en el bosc de Khmir (també conegut pel Kroumirie), s'esmenten les espècies de cinípids cecidògens col·lectats en Quercus suber, Q. faginea i Q. coccifera. Un total de 20 espècies han estat trobades, vuit dels quals són esmentades per primera vegada a Tunísia: Andricus burgundus, A. curvator, A. quercusradicis, Cynips disticha, C. quercus, Neuroterus anthracinus, Plagiotrochus coriaceus i P. gallaeramulorum. La llista completa dels Cynipini presents a Tunísia contempla 24 espècies. La posada al dia del coneixement actualitzat d'aquest grup d'himenòpters sobre Quercus revela que la presència d'Andricus infectorius (Hartig, 1843), espècie esmentada des d'antic, necessita ser revisad

Neuroterus titou n. sp. from Costa Rica (Cynipidae: Cynipini)

Es descriu de Costa Rica una nova espècie de Neuroterus Hartig, 1840 (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini): Neuroterus titou n. sp. Aquesta nova espècie és la segona espècie del gènere Neuroterus registrada a Costa Rica. Neuroterus titou n. sp. indueix gales foliars a Quercus copeyensis CH Mull. (Fagaceae, subgènere. Quercus, sect. Quercus, Alzines blanques, Sèrie Leucomexicanae). Es donen i es discuteixen els caràcters morfològics diagnòstics, la descripció de l’adult i de la gala, i altres dades biològiques d’aquesta nova espècie.A new species of Neuroterus Hartig, 1840 (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini) is described from Costa Rica: Neuroterus titou n. sp. This new species is the second species of the genus Neuroterus recorded from Costa Rica. Neuroterus titou n. sp. induces leaf galls on Quercus copeyensis CH Mull. (Fagaceae, subgen. Quercus, sect. Quercus, White Oaks, Series Leucomexicanae). The diagnostic morphological features, the description of the adult and the gall, and other biological data of this new species are given and discussed

Description of the first species of gall wasp (Hym., Cynipidae: Cynipini) and other unknown galls on Quercus macdougallii (Fagaceae)

Es descriu de Mèxic una nova espècie de cinípid de roures, Neuroterus chinanteco Pujade-Villar & Clark n. sp., coneguda només a partir de la seva generació sexual que indueix gales a les fulles de Quercus macdougallii Martínez (secció Quercus). Quercus macdougallii és una espècie poc coneguda, endèmica d’Oaxaca i poc comú (localitzada entre els 2700-3000 m), en perill d’extinció (inclosa a la Llista Vermella de la UICN). Es donen dades referents a la diagnosi, la distribució i la biologia d’aquesta nova espècie. Neuroterus chinanteco Pujade-Villar & Clark n. sp. representa la primera espècie esmentada en aquest hostatger. També s’il·lustren altres gales col·lectades en Q. macdougallii de les quals només s’han obtingut inquilins i/o parasitoides.A new species of oak gallwasp, Neuroterus chinanteco Pujade-Villar & Clark n. sp., known only from its sexual generation that induces galls on the leaves of Quercus macdougallii Martínez, (section Quercus) is described. Quercus macdougallii is a poorly known species, endemic to Oaxaca and rare (located between 2700-3000 m a.s.l.), endangered (included in the IUCN Red List). Diagnosis, distribution and data on biology of the new species are given. Neuroterus chinanteco Pujade-Villar & Clark n. sp. represents the first species mentioned on this oak host. Other galls collected on Q. macdougallii from which only inquilines and/or parasitoids have been obtained are also illustrated

First record of Neuroterus galls on twigs in Mexico with description of two new species (Hym.: Cynipidae)

Es descriuen, a partir de la forma asexual, dues noves espècies de cinípids cecidògens de roures per a Mèxic: Neuroterus ellongatum Pujade-Villar & Melika n. sp. i N. verrucum Pujade-Villar n. sp. Aquestes espècies representen el primer registre de Neuroterus ocasionant gales en branques de roures. Ambdues espècies es localitzen en una espècie endèmica de roure mexicà: Quercus laeta. Es donen dades referents a la diagnosi, distribució i biologia d?aquestes noves espècies.Two species of oak gallwasps, Neuroterus ellongatum Pujade-Villar & Melika n. sp. and N. verrucum Pujade-Villar n. sp., known from the asexual generations only, are described from Mexico. This is the first record of Neuroterus species which are inducing galls in twigs. Both species are inducing galls on an endemic Mexican oak, Quercus laeta. Data on the diagnosis, distribution and biology of the new species are given

Phylogenomic analysis of protein-coding genes resolves complex gall wasp relationships

International audienceAbstract Gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) comprise 13 distinct tribes whose interrelationships remain incompletely understood. Recent analyses of ultra‐conserved elements (UCEs) represent the first attempt at resolving these relationships using phylogenomics. Here, we present the first analysis based on protein‐coding sequences from genome and transcriptome assemblies. Unlike UCEs, these data allow more sophisticated substitution models, which can potentially resolve issues with long‐branch attraction. We include data for 37 cynipoid species, including two tribes missing in the UCE analysis: Aylacini (s. str.) and Qwaqwaiini. Our results confirm the UCE result that Cynipidae are not monophyletic. Specifically, the Paraulacini and Diplolepidini + Pediaspidini fall outside a core clade (Cynipidae s. str.), which is more closely related to the insect‐parasitic Figitidae, and this result is robust to the exclusion of long‐branch taxa that could mislead the analysis. Given this, we here divide the Cynipidae into three families: the Paraulacidae stat. prom., Diplolepididae stat. prom. and Cynipidae (s. str.). Our results suggest that the Eschatocerini are the sister group of the remaining Cynipidae (s. str.). Within the Cynipidae (s. str.), the Aylacini (s. str.) are more closely related to oak gall wasps (Cynipini) and some of their inquilines (Ceroptresini) than to other herb gallers (Aulacideini and Phanacidini), and the Qwaqwaiini likely form a clade together with Synergini (s. str.) and Rhoophilini. Several alternative scenarios for the evolution of cynipid life histories are compatible with the relationships suggested by our analysis, but all are complex and require multiple shifts among parasitoids, inquilines and gall inducers

Descriptions of two new species of Neuroterus Hartig from China (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae)

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 fromChina. Data about galls, distribution and biology of the new species are included. Taxonomic problems concerning some of the Palaearctic Neuroterus species, including the species described here, are also commented

Synergus umbraculus (Hymenoptera: Cynipiade: Synergini) filogeográfiája a Nyugat-Palearktikumban = Phylogeography of Synergus umbraculus (Hymenoptera: Cynipiade: Synergini) in the Western Palearctic region

Célunk betekintést nyerni a Nyugat-Palearktikus tölgy gubacsdarázs társbérlők (Cynipidae, Synergini) differenciálódásának természetébe. Elvégeztük a Synergini molekuláris filogenetikai rekonstrukcióját magi és mitokondriális DNS szekvenciák alapján. Tisztázásra került a Synophrus fajok filogenetikai helyzete. A Synergus umbraculus differenciációját részletesebben elemeztük. Jelentős genetikai változatosságot találtunk a hazai populációkon belül és populációk között. Ezt részben kriptikus fajok jelenlétével és a filogeográfiai szerkezettel magyarázhatjuk. Általánosságban nem találtuk egyértelmű jelét a gubacsképző gazda szerinti asszociációnak, azonban ez további részletesebb elemzést igényel. Emellett a Nyugat-Palearktikus Chilaspis-Dryocosmus fajok taxonómiai és filogenetikai helyzete is tisztázódott. Több új faj is leírásra került. | Our aim was to get insight into the nature of differentiation of cynipid inquilines (Cynipidae, Synergini) associated with oaks in the Western-Palaearctic. Molecular phylogenetic reconstruction of Synergini was carried out on the basis of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences. Phylogenetic position of Synophrus species was also clarified. More detailed analysis was performed on Synergus umbraculus. High level of genetic variability was found within and between populations in Hungary. It was explained by the presence of cryptic species and phylogeographic structure. In general, no clear evidence was found for the association to galling wasp hosts, although more detailed analyses are needed. In addition, phylogeny and taxonomy of the Western-Palearctic Chilaspis-Dryocosmus species were clarified. New species were also described

Una especie nueva de avispa gallícola para México: Andricus sphaericus Pujade-Villar n. sp. (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini)

Se describe una nueva especie de cinípido gallícola de México, Andricus sphaericus Pujade-Villar n. sp., solo conocida por su forma sexual. Induce agallas en las hojas de Quercus rugosa Née. Representa la segunda colecta de una generación sexual del género Andricus para México. Se proporcionan datos referidos a la diagnosis, distribución y biología de esta nueva especie