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Issue: Vol. 5301 No. 2: 9 Jun. 2023
Type: Article
Published: 2023-06-09
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5301.2.6
Page range: 257-268
Abstract views: 277
PDF downloaded: 156

A new species of Contarinia (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) from flower galls on the relict tree Zelkova abelicea (Ulmaceae) endemic to Crete (Greece)

Department of Biology and Botanic Garden; University of Fribourg; Chemin du Musée 10; 1700 Fribourg; Switzerland
School of Zoology; The George S Wise Faculty of Life Sciences; Tel Aviv University; Tel Aviv 6997801; Israel; The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History; Tel Aviv University; Tel Aviv 6997801; Israel
Natural History Museum Fribourg; Chemin du Musée 6; 1700 Fribourg; Switzerland
Institute of Biosciences and BioResources – Italian National Research Council; Corso Calatafimi 414; 90129 Palermo; Italy
Institute of Biosciences and BioResources – Italian National Research Council; Corso Calatafimi 414; 90129 Palermo; Italy
Department of Geoinformation in Environmental Management – CIHEAM Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania; Alsyllio Agrokepiou; 73100 Chania; Greece
Laboratory of Forest Entomology; Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems; Hellenic Agricultural Organisation – Demetra; Terma Alkmanos; 11528 Ilissia; Athens; Greece
Department of Biology and Botanic Garden; University of Fribourg; Chemin du Musée 10; 1700 Fribourg; Switzerland; Natural History Museum Fribourg; Chemin du Musée 6; 1700 Fribourg; Switzerland; Eastern China Conservation Centre for Wild Endangered Plant Resources; Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden; 3888 Chenhua Road; Songjiang; 201602 Shanghai; China
Diptera Cecidomyiini gall midge Mediterranean stamen filaments

Abstract

Contarinia ampelitsiae n. sp. Dorchin & Fazan is described as a newly discovered gall-midge species (Diptera: Cecidoymiidae) forming galls in flowers of Zelkova abelicea (Ulmaceae), a tree species endemic to the Mediterranean island of Crete (Greece). Larvae develop within modified filaments of male flowers, contrary to many Contarinia species that develop freely in flowers or in simple flower galls. The species has one generation per year, and its galls are sometimes found in great numbers on individual trees, thus affecting both fruit quantity and weight. This is the first report of a gall midge from Zelkova and the first record of Contarinia from Ulmaceae. Based on its host-plant association and on the barcoding section of the mtCOI gene, this species has no obvious relatives within Contarinia.

 

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