O. Merkl szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 67. (Budapest, 2006)

FOLIA ENTOMOLOGICA HUNGARICA ROVARTANI KÖZLEMÉNYEK Volume 67 2006 pp. 199-206. A new species of Neuroterus Hartig, 1840 from Syria (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae, Cynipini) G. MELIKA Systematic Parasitoid Laboratory, Plant Protection and Soil Conser\>ation Sendee of County Vas, H-9762 Tanakajd, Ambrózy sétány 2, Hungary. E-mail: melikageorge®gmail.com Abstract - A new species of cynipid gall wasp, Neuroterus gyulaigaraiae sp. n. from Syria is described. Only females and galls of the parthenogenetic (asexual) generation are known. Data on the diagnosis, distribution and biology of the new species is given. With 18 figures: Key words - Cynipidae, gall wasp, Neuroterus, taxonomy, morphology, distribution, biologv. INTRODUCTION Neuroterus HARTIG, 3 840 is a Holarctic genus, with numerous representatives in the Old World (Eurasia) and in North America. Twelve species are known from the Western Palaearctic (STONE et al. 2006) and all occur in Hungary (AMBRUS 1974, MELIKA et al. 1999). This genus is easily distinguished from other genera of oak gall-inducing cynipids by the absence of the transscutal articulation and medially absent transscutal fissure so the scutum and scutellum being not separated; the body being usually smooth and gracile, with a delicate coriaceous or alutaceous sculpturing on the mesosoma; the notauli usually being absent; and the radial cell of the forewing being long and narrow. All the known species of this genus cause galls only on oaks in the subgenus Lepidobalanus, except for a single North American species, N. chrysolepis LYON, which induces galls on Quercus chrysolepis LlEBM., a species in the subgenus Protobalanus (LYON 1984). Six species of Western Palaearctic species, Neuroterus aggregatus (WACHTL, 1880), N. ambrusi MELIKA, STONE et CSÓKA, 1999, N. lanuginosus GlRAUD, 1859, N. minutulus GlRAUD, 1859, N. obtectus (WACHTL, 1880), and N saliens (KOLLAR, 1857) trophically associate with only the Cerris section of Quercus. The