Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Article
Published: 2025-08-29
Page range: 503-516
Abstract views: 263
PDF downloaded: 76

First record of Cynipidae in Brazil: A new species of gall wasp of the genus Diastrophus Hartig (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Diastrophini)

Universidade Federal do Paraná; Departamento de Zoologia; Laboratório de Biologia Comparada de Hymenoptera; Curitiba; Paraná; Brazil
Universidade Federal do Paraná; Departamento de Zoologia; Laboratório de Biologia Comparada de Hymenoptera; Curitiba; Paraná; Brazil
Hymenoptera 28S CO1 Cynipoidea gall inquilines Paraná

Abstract

We describe Diastrophus brasiliensis Oliveira & Melo sp. nov., a gall inducer on stems of Rubus brasiliensis Mart. and R. sellowii Cham. & Schlitdl. (Rosaceae). This represents the first record of the family Cynipidae in Brazil and the second species of Diastrophus Hartig from the Neotropical region. The new species differs from the remaining Diastrophus mainly by its entirely rugose mesoscutum. We also generated molecular data for the new taxon and conducted an exploratory phylogenetic analysis to investigate its placement within Diastrophini.

 

References

  1. Blaimer, B.B., Gotzek, D., Brady, S.G. & Buffington, M.L. (2020) Comprehensive phylogenomic analyses re-write the evolution of parasitism within cynipoid wasps. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 20 (1), 155, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-020-01716-2
  2. Buffington, M.L., Forshage, M., Liljeblad, J., Tang, C.-T. & van Noort, S. (2020) World Cynipoidea (Hymenoptera): A key to higher-level groups. Insect Systematics and Diversity, 4 (4), 1, 1–69. https://doi.org/10.1093/isd/ixaa003
  3. Burks, B.D. (1979) Superfamily Cynipoidea. In: Krombein, K.V., Hurd, P.D., Jr., Smith, D.R. & Burks, B.D. (Eds.), Catalog of Hymenoptera in America North of Mexico. Vol. 1. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., pp. 1045–1107.
  4. Carpanezzi, A.A., Zanona, K. & Voltz, R.R. (2019) Separação botânica de espécies de Rubus da Região Metropolitana de Curitiba. Embrapa Florestas, Colombo, Paraná, 32 pp. [ISSN 1980-3958]
  5. Davis, C.K., Nastasi, L.F. & Deans, A.R. (2024) Description of two new species of Diastrophus Hartig, 1840 from Taiwan, Diastrophus renai and D. wushei (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Diastrophini). Zootaxa, 5541 (3), 367–374. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5541.3.7
  6. Gates, M.W., Zhang, Y.M. & Buffington, M.L. (2020) The great greenbriers gall mystery resolved? New species of Aprostocetus Westwood (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) gall inducer and two new parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Eurytomidae) associated with Smilax L. in southern Florida, USA. Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 80, 71–98. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.80.59466
  7. Gauld, I.D. (2006) Familia Ichneumonidae. In: Hanson, P.E. & Gauld, I.D. (Eds.), Hymenoptera de la Región Neotropical. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, 77, pp. 446–487.
  8. Hall, T.A. (1999) BioEdit: a user-friendly biological sequence alignment editor and analysis program for Windows 95/98/NT. Nucleic Acids Symposium Series, 41, 95–98.
  9. Harris, R.A. (1979) A glossary of surface sculpturing. Occasional Papers in Entomology, State of California, Department of Food and Agriculture, 28, 1–31.
  10. Hearn, J., Gobbo, E., Nieves-Aldrey, J.L., Branca, A., Nicholls, J.A., Koutsovoulos, G., Lartillot, N., Stone, G.N. & Ronquist, F. (2024) Phylogenomic analysis of protein-coding genes resolves complex gall wasp relationships. Systematic Entomology, 49 (1), 110–137. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12611
  11. Hines, H.M., Hunt, J.H., O’Connor, T.K., Gillespie, J.J. & Cameron, S.A. (2007) Multigene phylogeny reveals eusociality evolved twice in vespid wasps. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104 (9), 3295–3299. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0610140104
  12. Huber, J.T. & Sharkey, M.J. (1993) Structure. In: Goulet, H. & Huber, J.T. (Eds.), Hymenoptera of the World: An Identification Guide to Families. Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, pp. 13–59.
  13. Hultman, T., Stahl, S., Homes, E. & Uhlén, M. (1989) Direct solid phase sequencing of genomic and plasmid DNA using magnetic beads as solid support. Nucleic Acids Research, 17 (13), 4937–4946. https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/17.13.4937
  14. Kalyaanamoorthy, S., Minh, B.Q., Wong, T.K.F., von Haeseler, A. & Jermiin, L.S. (2017) ModelFinder: fast model selection for accurate phylogenetic estimates. Nature Methods, 14, 587–589. https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.4285
  15. Lobato-Vila, I., Caicedo, G., Rodríguez, P.A. & Pujade-Villar, J. (2020) The inquiline oak gall wasp (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) fauna from Colombia: new data and species. The Canadian Entomologist, 152 (5), 579–592. https://doi.org/10.4039/tce.2019.77
  16. Lobato-Vila, I., Lobato-Vila, I., Bae, J., Roca-Cusachs, M., Kang, M., Jung, S., Melika, G., Pénzes, Z. & Pujade-Villar, J. (2022) Global phylogeny of the inquilinous gall wasp tribe Synergini (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Cynipidae): first insights and establishment of a new cynipid tribe. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 195, 1338–1354. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab085
  17. Melika, G. (2006) Gall Wasps of Ukraine. Vol. 1. The Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, 300 pp.
  18. Melika, G. & Klymenko, S. (2005) New species of aylacine gall wasps (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae, Aylacini) from Ukraine. Vestnik Zoologii, 39, 23–30.
  19. Melika, G., Nicholls, J.A., Abrahamson, W.G., Buss, E.A. & Stone, G.N. (2021) New species of Nearctic oak gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae, Cynipini). Zootaxa, 5084 (1), 1–131. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5084.1.1
  20. Melo, G.A.R., Aguiar, A.P. & Garcete-Barrett, B.R. (2012) Hymenoptera. In: Rafael, J.A., Melo, G.A.R., Carvalho, C.J.B., Casari, S. & Constantino, R. (Eds.), Insetos do Brasil: Diversidade e Taxonomia. Holos, Ribeirão Preto, pp. 553–612.
  21. Meyer, C.P. (2003) Molecular systematics of cowries (Gastropoda: Cypraeidae) and diversification patterns in the tropics. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 79 (3), 401–459. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1095-8312.2003.00197.x
  22. Nastasi, L.F., Buffington, M.L., Davis, C.K. & Deans, A.R. (2024) Key to the North American tribes and genera of herb, rose, bramble, and inquiline gall wasps (Hymenoptera, Cynipoidea, Cynipidae sensu lato). ZooKeys, 1196, 177–207. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1196.118460
  23. Nastasi, L.F., Davis, C.K., Nieves-Aldrey, J.L., Buffington, M.L., van Noort, S. & Deans, A.R. (2025) Review of herb gall wasp tribes (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Aylacini sensu lato), with an updated key to cynipid tribes and a checklist of world species. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 127 (1), 84–117. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.127.1.84
  24. Nieves-Aldrey, J.L. (1994) Revision of the West-European genera of the tribe Aylacini Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 3, 175–206.
  25. Nguyen, L.T., Schmidt, H.A., von Haeseler, A. & Minh, B.Q. (2015) IQ-TREE: a fast and effective stochastic algorithm for estimating maximum likelihood phylogenies. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 32 (1), 268–274. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msu300
  26. Nieves-Aldrey, J.L. (2001) Hymenoptera, Cynipidae. In: Ramos, M., Alba-Tercedor, J., Bellés-i-Ros, X., Gosálbez-i-Noguera, J., Guerra-Sierra, A., Macpherson-Mayol, E., Martín-Piera, F., Serrano-Marino, J. & Templado-González, J. (Eds.), Fauna Ibérica. Vol. 16. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid, pp. 1–636.
  27. Nieves-Aldrey, J.L. & Blas, G.S. (2015) Revision of the Neotropical genus Eschatocerus Mayr (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae, Eschatocerini) with biological notes and the first description of the terminal larva. Zootaxa, 4012 (1), 1–32. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4012.1.7
  28. Nieves-Aldrey, J.L. & Grez, A. (2007) Two cynipids species inducing galls to herbaceous weeds (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae) introduced in Chile. Agrociencia, 41, 921–927.
  29. Nieves-Aldrey, J.L., Rodríguez, P.A. & Medianero, E. (2013) Description of a new species of Diastrophus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Aylacini) from Colombia: the first herb gall wasp native to the Neotropical region. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 106 (6), 719–728. https://doi.org/10.1603/AN13033
  30. Nieves‐Aldrey, J.L., Vårdal, H. & Ronquist, F. (2005) Comparative morphology of terminal‐instar larvae of Cynipoidea: phylogenetic implications. Zoologica Scripta, 34 (1), 15–36. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-6409.2005.00175.x
  31. Pang, Y., Liu, Z., Su, C.Y. & Zhu, D.H. (2020) A new species of Periclistus Foerster, 1869 from China and review of the tribe Diastrophini (Hymenoptera, Cynipoidea, Cynipidae). ZooKeys, 964, 109–126. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.964.47441
  32. Pujade-Villar, J. & Díaz, N.B. (2017) Gall-makers cinipoids introduced in South America (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Cynipidae). Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina, 60 (1–4), 1–10.
  33. Pujade-Villar, J., Hanson, P., Medina, C.A., Torres, M. & Melika, G. (2012) A new genus of oak gallwasps, Zapatella Pujade-Villar & Melika, gen. n., with a description of two new species from the Neotropics (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae, Cynipini). ZooKeys, 210, 75–104. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.210.3014
  34. Pujade-Villar, J., Wang, Y., Liu, Z., Chen, X., He, J. & Ferrer-Suay, M. (2019) Discovery of Xestophanopsis gen. n. from China and taxonomic revision of two species misplaced in Ceroptres Hartig, 1840 (Hymenoptera, Cynipoidea: Cynipidae). Entomologica Fennica, 30 (3), 126–137. https://doi.org/10.33338/ef.84149
  35. Rambaut, A. (2007) FigTree, a graphical viewer of phylogenetic trees. Available from: http://tree.bio.ed.ac.uk/software/figtree (accessed 3 August 2025)
  36. Ronquist, F. (1994) Evolution of parasitism among closely related species: phylogenetic relationships and the origin of inquilinism in gall wasps (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae). Evolution, 48 (2), 241–266. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1558-5646.1994.tb01310.x
  37. Ronquist, F., Nieves-Aldrey, J.L., Buffington, M.L., Liu, Z., Liljeblad, J. & Nylander, J.A.A. (2015) Phylogeny, evolution and classification of gall wasps: the plot thickens. PLoS ONE, 10 (5), e0123301. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0123301
  38. Ronquist, F., Nylander, J.A.A., Vårdal, H. & Nieves-Aldrey, J.L. (2018) Life history of Parnips and the evolutionary origin of gall wasps. Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 65, 91–110. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.65.24115
  39. Sanver, D. & Hawkins, B.A. (2000) Galls as habitats: the inquiline communities of insect galls. Basic and Applied Ecology, 1 (1), 3–11. https://doi.org/10.1078/1439-1791-00001
  40. Schick, K., Liu, Z. & Goldstein, P. (2003) Phylogeny, historical biogeography, and macroevolution of host use among Diastrophus gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 105 (3), 715–732.
  41. Stone, G.N., Schönrogge, K., Atkinson, R.J., Bellido, D. & Pujade-Villar, J. (2002) The population biology of oak gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae). Annual Review of Entomology, 47, 633–668. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ento.47.091201.145247
  42. Tataroglu, M. (2025) Another brushstroke on the cynipoid painting: a new species of Andricus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini) from Türkiye. Zootaxa, 5646 (1), 131–143. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5646.1.8
  43. van Noort, S., Stone, G.N., Whitehead, V.B. & Nieves-Aldrey, J.L. (2007) Biology of Rhoophilus loewi (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Cynipidae), with implications for the evolution of inquilinism in gall wasps. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 90 (1), 153–172. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2007.00719.x
  44. Wachi, N., Ide, T. & Abe, Y. (2013) Eastern Palearctic occurrence of Diastrophus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Aylacini) on Rubus bushes, with description of a new species. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 106 (3), 288–293. https://doi.org/10.1603/AN12114
  45. Weld, L.H. (1952) Cynipoidea (Hym.) 1905–1950. Privately printed, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 351 pp.

How to Cite

Oliveira, A.G.C. & Melo, G.A.R. (2025) First record of Cynipidae in Brazil: A new species of gall wasp of the genus Diastrophus Hartig (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Diastrophini). Zootaxa, 5686 (4), 503–516. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5686.4.3