Description of a new species of Andricus Hartig, 1840 (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini) from China

Abstract

A new species of gall wasp, Andricus wugangensis Zeng, Liu, & Zhu sp. nov. is described and illustrated herein from Hunan Province, China. The new species is most similar to A. wuhanensis Ide, Abe, Su & Zhu and A. xishuangbanaensis Melika & Tang in morphology but can be easily distinguished by having 1) a large V-shaped carina on the lower face and 2) a broad transverse depression spanning the region between the inner margin of the eyes on the upper face. The results of a phylogenetic analysis and pairwise genetic distance comparison, based on COI sequences, were consistent with the conclusion of the comparative morphological assessment of the similar species: A. wuganensis, A. wuhanensis and A. xishuangbanaensis, although the morphological differences are more obvious than the small genetic distance of the COI sequences, which is 4.3% and 3% between the new species and A. wuhanensis and A. xishuangbanaensis, respectively. Additionally, a taxonomic key to the known species of Andricus from China is provided.