Synergus, Hartig, 1840

Lobato-Vila, Irene, Caicedo, Guadalupe, Rodríguez, Pedro A. & Pujade-Villar, Juli, 2020, The inquiline oak gall wasp (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) fauna from Colombia: new data and species, The Canadian Entomologist 152 (2), pp. 131-144 : 140

SynerguS undescribed species

Figures 25–29 .

Material examined. 1♀ collected in Malaise trap at Acevedo (Huila, Colombia) near Cueva de los Guacharos National Natural Park (1°40 0 4.44 00 N, 76°7 0 31.008 00 W, 1909 m), 5–10.vii.2016 .

Diagnosis. The only female found of this new species is morphologically very similar to Synergus kinseyi Ritchie and Shorthouse, 1987 from Guatemala, both being large-sized (females being more than 5 mm long) ( Fig. 25 ) and having antennae with 15 flagellomeres ( Figs. 25, 28 ) ( Synergus females usually have antennae with 14 flagellomeres). However, this new species mainly differs from S. kinseyi by having the radial cell a little more than 2.0 times as long as wide (about 3.0 times as long as wide in S. kinseyi ) and with the end of the R1 vein curved downwards ( Fig. 29 ) (R1 not curved downwards in S. kinseyi ); mesopleura covered with distinguishable striae, thinner and less impressed in the speculum, but visible (speculum finely aciculate to smooth in S. kinseyi ); ocellar-ocular distance somewhat more than 3.0 times as long as diameter of lateral ocelli ( Fig. 28 ) (about 2.0 times in S. kinseyi ); and median groove short but visible ( Fig. 26 ) (absent in S. kinseyi ).

Natural history. Unknown, collected in Malaise trap.

Distribution. Colombia. Huila department, above 1900 m.

Remarks. Currently, the Guatemalan inquiline oak gall wasp fauna includes three of the largest and morphologically most peculiar Synergus known from the New World: S. cultratus Ritchie and Shorthouse, 1987 , S. mesoamericanus Ritchie and Shorthouse, 1987 , and S. kinseyi ( Ritchie and Shorthouse 1987) . The type material of these species was examined and commented in Lobato-Vila et al. (2019). The above diagnosed species is very similar to S. kinseyi , and so extremely different from the other Colombian species within this genus. However, we only captured a female specimen in Malaise trap, so its biology is unknown. Thus, we prefer to wait until new material is found to publish its description.

Figures

Figs. 25–29. Synergus undescribed species (female). 25, Habitus; 26, dorsal view; 27, head in frontal view; 28, head in dorsal view and antennae; 29, radial cell.