A new species of Pseudasphondylia (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) associated with Magnolia kobus DC. var. borealis Sarg. (Magnoliaceae) in Japan

Abstract

A gall midge species (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) inducing leaf bud galls on Magnolia kobus DC. var. borealis Sarg. (Magnoliaceae) was found in Hokkaido and northern Honshu, Japan. Based on its morphology, the species is regarded as an undescribed species of the genus Pseudasphondylia Monzen (Cecidomyiinae, Cecidomyiidi, Asphondyliini). The species is herein described as Pseudasphondylia saohimea Matsuda, Elsayed and Tokuda sp. n. The new species is easily distinguishable from its congeners by the number of adult palpal segments and the shape of the male terminalia and larval spatula.