Amphibolips michoacaensis Nieves-Aldrey & Maldonado

viable collections: April-May

Host: Quercus castanea

Amphibolips michoacaensis induced galls in the buds of Quercus castanea. The spherical galls measured up to 60 mm of diameter; they are soft to human feel and spongy and green during early stages and turns brown on maturation (Figure 1A, B). The gall induced by A. michoacaensis includes a centrally located single larval chamber occupied by one larva (Figure 1C). Three layers of tissue occur in the galls induced by A. michoacaensis: the nutritive, the spongy and the epidermal cells

Amphibolips michoacaensis sp. nov.

[Photos of this gall appear on page 38 of the pdf]

Gall (Figs 20A, 20B). A globular more or less regular gall with spongy interior Monothalamic. Grows on twigs of Quercus castanea or nearer the base of the gall, galls up to 48 mm in diameter, detachable, on twigs.

Distribution. A. michoacaensis was found at Umécuaro and other sites of Cuenca of Cuitzeo at 2100 m at Michoacán state, Mexico.

Biology. Exhibits a sexual generation. The galls were collected in April, and the adults emerged in May.

Amphibolips michoacaensis

The large globular gall is similar to other species, with or without mottled surface (Nieves-Aldrey et al. 2012: Figs 20A–B); impossible to differentiate from A. hidalgoensis and A. jaliscensis but differs from A. quercuspomiformis comb. nov., A. oaxacae, A. tarasco, A. kinseyi n. sp. and A. bassae n. sp. by the deformable surface at finger pressure because of the relatively soft parenchyma in A. hidalgoensis, A. jaliscensis and A. michoacaensis.

Gall. A subglobose large bud gall, up to 48 mm in diameter, outer shell thin but resistant, uniformly pale green, turning into brown when dry. The gall is monolocular, with a spongy internal tissue, filling the entire gall. The larval cell is rounded (Nieves-Aldrey et al. 2012: Figs 20A–B).

Host. Quercus castanea, Q. emoryi.

Biology. Only the sexual generation is known. Galls were collected between April and May; adults emerged between May and October of the same year of collection.

Distribution. Mexico: Michoacan and Zacatecas states.

Remarks. Nieves-Aldrey et al. (2012) described the males with 12 flagellomeres, however, the antenna has 13 flagellomeres (type specimens examined). This species shares several characters with A. jaliscensis, including the forewing pattern, that were originally used as diagnostic (Nieves-Aldrey et al. 2012), and the gall morphology is also similar between the two species (see corresponding remarks under A. jaliscenis).