Taxonomía y biología de los cinípidos inductores de agallas e inquilinos (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae) asociados a especies de Quercus (Fagaceae) en Panamá

Abstract

Abstract: A comprehensive faunistic and taxonomic study of the oak gall wasps of Panama has been made for the first time, and an updated check list of the Cynipidae of the Neotropical Region is provided. The results support the hypothesis than the mountains of Central America host a rich fauna of inducer and inquilines of the Cynipini and Synergini tribes (Cynipidae). Resulting of twenty months of samplings in montane Quercus forest of Panama, sixty five different galls induced by cynipids were collected, the adults inducers of 45 of them were reared and these were classified into 10 genera of the tribe Cynipini. A greater number of species are undescribed. The genera of cynipids identified are Andricus Hartig, 12 species; Neuroterus Hartig, 9 species; Dryocosmus Giraud, 7 species; Cynips Linnaeus, 4 species; Amphibolips Reinhard 3 species; Disholcaspis Dalla Torre & Kieffer, Loxaulus Mayr and Odontocynips Kieffer with 2 species each; Callirhytis Forster and Bassettia Ashmead, with one species each. Eight new species for the science from tribe Cynipini are described; Amphibolips castroviejoi, A. aliciae, A. salicifoliae, Disholcaspis bettyannae, D. bisethiae, Loxaulus panamensis, L. championi y Bassettia caulicola, adults of Odontocynps championi, be described for the first time and a Neotype is designated and a new combination is established for this specie. The known distribution and host range of O. hansoni, recorded only from Costa Rica, are also expanded upon. Eleven species of the tribe Synergini have been identified, 10 species of the genus Synergus Hartig, of which 8 are new species (Synergus elegans, S. laticephalus, S. ramoni, S. rufinotaulis, S. luteus, S. gabrieli, S. baruensis y S. chiricanus) and one new genus Agastoroxenia with A. panamensis are described. In addition two new genera of gall inducers have been detected in the material collected. The current fauna of the family Cynipidae in the Neotropical Region is updated to six tribes, 18 genera and 45 species, 41 of which are native and four have been introduced in the region. For Panama it is provided a list of 21 species of the family Cynipidae, of which 10 are gall inducers and 11 inquilines. The fauna Cynipids from Panama is altitudinally isolated and under heavy pressure by human activities. These populations to be located in the higher areas of the country are threatened with extinction due to global warming.