Andricus pseudomultiplicatus Sottile, Nicholls & Cerasa 2025, sp. nov.

Andricus pseudomultiplicatus Sottile, Nicholls & Cerasa, sp. nov. Figs 7–9; 10–15; 44–76 Type material. HOLOTYPE 1♂ & 1♀ (deposited in MSNG), card-mounted. ITALY: Emilia-Romagna, Vernasca (PC), ex galls on Quercus cerris, 20.IV.2024, 44.790164, 9.786095, 440 m, emerged 8.V.2024 (samples N.5280, N.5300), S. Sottile leg. “ Holotype Andricus pseudomultiplicatus sp. n. Sottile, Nicholls et Cerasa” (red). PARATYPES with white label “Paratype Andricus pseudomultiplicatus sp. n. Sottile, Nicholls et Cerasa”: 58♂: ITALY: Emilia-Romagna, Vernasca (PC), ex galls on Quercus cerris, 20.IV.2024, 44.790164, 9.786095, 440 m, emerged 3–12.V.2024, (samples N. 5281–N.5298) (MSNG, MCLSS, GCPC, SSPC); 27♀: with same label but emerged 3–14.V.2024 (samples N.5299–N.5307) (MSNG, MCLSS, GCPC, SSPC). Material used for molecular analysis. 1♀: ITALY: Emilia-Romagna, Alseno (PC), ex galls on Quercus cerris, 6.V.2018, 44.852526, 9.952569, 180 m, emerged 10.V.2018 (sample N.3503-B); 1♂: HUNGARY: Matrafured, ex galls collected 21.V.2001 on Q. cerris, emerged 28.V.2001, labels HP14477 and Andmul 20 (GSPC); 1♀: HUNGARY: Matrafured, ex galls collected 11.V.2001 on Q. cerris, emerged 5.VI.2001, labels HP12932 and Andmul 38 (GSPC); 2♂: ITALY, ex galls collected on Q. cerris, labels Andmul 70 and Andmul 71 (GSPC). All material used for this molecular work was also confirmed as A. pseudomultiplicatus sp. nov. using adult morphology. Additional material examined. 14♀: ITALY: Emilia-Romagna, Alseno (PC), ex galls on Quercus cerris, 6.V.2018, 44.852526, 9.952569, 180 m, emerged 8–10.V.2018 (samples N.3499–N.3504), S. Sottile leg. (MSNG, MCLSS, GCPC, SSPC); 2♀: with same label but mounted in Hoyer’s medium on microscope slides (V.360, V.361) (SSPC); 4♀: with same label but collected 15.V.2021, emerged 20.V.2021 (samples N.4274, N.4275) (SSPC); 18♀: ITALY: Toscana, Empoli (FI), ex galls on Quercus cerris, 2.V.2023, 43.701439, 10.937414, 120 m, emerged 3–8.V.2023 (samples N.4849–N.4854), Fabrizio Mujica leg. (SSPC, MSNG, MCLSS); 3♂ & 10♀: ITALY: Emilia-Romagna, Vernasca (PC), ex galls on Quercus cerris, 20.IV.2024, 44.790164, 9.786095, 440 m, emerged 3–12.V.2024 (preserved in 95 % ethanol), S. Sottile leg. (SSPC). Diagnosis. A. pseudomultiplicatus sp. nov. has such distinctive features that it could never be confused with any other sexual Andricus currently described from the Western Palaearctic. Among those sexual Andricus, the only comparable species are A. crispator and A. istvani; all three species share the distinguishing character state of an absence of setae on the forewing margins of females (Tavakoli et al. 2008; Nieves-Aldrey, 2009). The new species and A. crispator are distinguishable by the following features. In females of A. pseudomultiplicatus sp. nov., body length 1.25–1.35 mm (1.5–1.6 mm in A. crispator); mesoscutum 1.1 times wider than long in dorsal view and 1.5–1.7 times as long as the mesoscutellum (1.3 times wider than long in dorsal view and 1.2–1.3 times as long as the mesoscutellum in A. crispator); mesoscutellum not rounded posteriorly and ending in a point, strongly rugose especially near the margins and posteriorly (posteriorly rounded or truncated but not pointed, moderately rugose across the entire surface in A. crispator); prominent part of ventral spine of hypopygium less slender, 3.5–4.5 times as long as broad in ventral view (slender, 5.3–5.7 times as long as broad in ventral view in A. crispator); in males of A. pseudomultiplicatus sp. nov. POL 1.7–1.8 times as long as OOL (1.5–1.6 times in A. crispator); OOL 2.1–2.2 times as long as diameter of lateral ocellus and 1.1 times as long as LOL (1.8–2.0 times as long as diameter of lateral ocellus in A. crispator); distance between torulus and inner margin of eye nearly 3.0 times the distance between toruli (nearly 1.5 times the distance between toruli in A. crispator); mesoscutum shallowly reticulate in the internotali area, more weakly on the remaining parts, 1.4–1.5 times as long as the mesoscutellum (strongly reticulate across the entire surface, 1.6–1.7 times as long as the mesoscutellum in A. crispator); internotauli width at posterior margin of mesoscutum is 1.5–1.6 times the width of one notaulus at the same point (1.7–1.8 times the width of one notaulus at the same point in A. crispator). Description. SEXUAL FEMALE. Body with sparse white setae, predominantly amber-colored; antenna slightly lighter than body, excluding the distal half which is darkened; eyes black; legs yellow-amber except for light brown Ts5 and tarsal claws. Mesosoma and metasoma amber to brown, dorsally much darker, with the metasoma relatively darker. Body length 1.1–1.35 mm (N = 27). Head (Figs 44–48) with very sparse white setae, nearly 1.2–1.3 times as broad as high in frontal view, 2.0–2.1 times as broad as long in dorsal view. Lower face coriaceous to shallowly reticulate, with striae radiating from clypeo-pleurostomal line but present only near the ventral margin of the head, not reaching eye and not present medially on the lower face, malar sulcus absent (Figs 16, 19). Clypeus (Figs 44, 47) smooth, subtrapezoidal, ventral margin projecting over mandibles with distinct anterior tentorial pits, epistomal sulcus and clypeo-pleurostomal line only slightly impressed. Malar space 0.3–0.4 times as long as height of compound eye. Transfacial distance 1.2–1.3 times as long as height of eye and 1.7–1.8 times as long as height of lower face (distance between antennal rim and tip of clypeus); diameter of torulus about 1.6–1.8 times as long as distance between toruli; distance between torulus and inner margin of eye 1.5 times diameter of torulus. Inner margins of eyes distinctly convergent ventrally. Gena delicately reticulate (Figs 46–47), only very slightly broadened behind eye in front view, with only rare setae. Frons, vertex and interocellar area uniformly reticulate, with irregular dark spot in the ocellar area in some specimens (Fig. 48). Ocelli oval in shape, elevated over dorsal margin of head; POL 1.2–1.3 times as long as OOL; OOL 3.5–4.0 times as long as diameter of lateral ocellus and 1.6–1.7 times as long as LOL. Occiput coriaceous to shallowly reticulate with rare white setae; postgena coriaceous to reticulate, with very sparse white setae; area around occipital foramen impressed, without or with only rare setae. Postocciput around occipital foramen impressed; posterior tentorial pits distinct, elongate, deep; occipital foramen slightly shorter than height of postgenal bridge, which is nearly 1.4 times shorter than length of oral foramen; gula narrowed in lower half with very few and delicate longitudinal striae in lower half; gular sulci very weakly impressed, curved outwards in the upper half (Fig. 45). Labial palpus 3–segmented, maxillar palpus 4-segmented. Antenna (Figs 53, 54) with 10 flagellomeres (but the last sometimes with an indistinct, incomplete suture, so appears as 11 flagellomeres), 1.3–1.4 times as long as head+mesosoma and 0.8 times shorter than body length, with sparse white setae on scape, pedicel and first four flagellomeres, setae gradually denser and shorter on the last seven segments; placodeal sensilla present on F4–F10; pedicel about 1.6 times as long as broad, scape + pedicel 1.8–2.0 times longer than F1, which is 1.3–1.4 times longer than F2, F2–F6 nearly equal in length, subsequent flagellomeres F7–F9 slightly shorter and gradually decreasing in length, F10, 2.0–2.1 times longer than F9; all flagellomeres longer than wide. Mesosoma 1.2–1.3 times as long as high in lateral view (Fig. 50). Pronotum (Figs 50, 55) reticulate with some wrinkles in lateral and posterolateral pronotal area and near posteroventral corner, shiny, with a few white setae concentrated near anterior rim and posteroventral corner of pronotum; anterior rim of pronotum narrow, emarginate; transverse pronotal sulcus present, shallow, striate. Dorsal part of pronotal plate distinctly offset, with anterolateral corners, ventral and lateral margins marked; posterolateral tooth-like section of anterior part of pronotal plate present (Fig. 55). Propleuron (Fig. 59) weakly reticulate, shiny with rare short setae. Mesoscutum reticulate in between the notali, more weakly reticulate on the remaining parts (Fig. 49), shiny, with rare white setae along the lateral margin and rare adnotaular setae; 1.15–1.25 times as broad as long from above (width measured across base of tegulae); notauli complete, broad, deep and well-impressed along total length, with wide smooth, shining bottom, converging and almost confluent at posterior end near to the posterior margin of mesoscutum, where internotauli width is 1.3 times the width of one notaulus at the same point; median mesoscutal line visible, short, in the form of a triangle, extending less than 1/5 of the total length of the mesoscutum (Fig. 51); antero-admedian line absent, parapsidal lines absent but indicated by narrow stripes of smooth sculpture; parascutal carina narrow, anteriorly reaching notauli, mesoscutal suprahumeral sulcus strongly reticulate. Transscutal articulation deep, distinct. Dorsomedian area of mesoscutellaraxillar complex (disc of mesoscutellum+axillar foveae; Fig. 49) 1.5–1.7 times shorter than mesoscutum, nearly as long as broad from dorsal view, pentagonal, strongly rugose especially near the margins and posteriorly, very slightly emarginated laterally but not posteriorly, with rare long white setae, clearly overhanging metanotum in lateral view (Fig. 50), clearly visible also in ventral view (Fig. 56). Scutellar foveae (Fig. 49) ellipsoidal, 1.7–1.8 times broader than high, deep with smooth and shiny bottom weakly delimited posteriorly and separated by distinct, central carina. Mesopleural triangle smooth with some delicate striae and a few white setae. Mesopleuron and speculum (Figs 14, 50, 52) shiny, uniformly transversely striate; essentially glabrous except for rare short white setae on anteroventral part and (more densely) on p