Disholcaspis crystalae (agamic)

Disholcaspis mexicana (agamic)

Disholcaspis crystalae, n. sp.
Agamic form

Gall (Fig. 1c): Globular, spherical, lignified, growing in clusters of two to five galls. Green when young and growing, turning brown when old. Surface provided with a large number of short protuberances reminding the fruit of Arbutus unedo L. or the gall of the agamic form of Cynips quercusfolii; rarely protuberances scarce or almost non-existent. Diameter 8 to 14 mm. Easy to cut, external wall (2mm) is not hard, corky texture. Internally with a large air chamber in which the yellow, oval and friable larval chamber is housed in the lower part. The larval chamber detaches easily, being free in the internal chamber.

Biology: Only asexual females are known, inducing galls on Quercus laeta Liebm. (Quercus Section Quercus, white oaks), endemic to Mexico (Valencia, 2004; Romero-Rangel et al., 2015). Galls were collected early in end June, and adults emerged in December to January. Further study is needed to determine the phenology of this species.

D. taumalipensis is transfered here de novo to Disholcaspis genus: D. mexicana (Beutenmüller) (= Andricus taumalipensis Pujade-Villar n. syn.)

A new species of Disholcaspis from Mexico: D. crystalae Pujade Villar n. sp. (Hym., Cynipidae)