A new species of Asphondylia Loew, 1850 (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) on Hancornia speciosa (Apocynaceae), a native plant to Brazil

ABSTRACT Asphondylia hancorniae, sp. n. (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) is described and illustrated. This species was collected in Atlantic Forest and Caatinga domains in Bahia State (Northeastern Brazil). It induces galls on fruits of Hancornia speciosa Gomes (Apocynaceae), a plant native to Brazil. Asphondylia hancorniae is compared to other congeneric species which induce galls on Apocynaceae.

In this paper, a new congeneric species is proposed.It induces fruit galls on Hancornia speciosa Gomes (Apocynaceae), popularly known as "mangabeira".This plant, native to Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Peru, has edible fruits with a high percentage of pulp and high content of vitamins and minerals, in addition to antioxidant action and low caloric value (Lederman et al., 2000;Pereira et al., 2016;Silva Júnior et al., 2018).
In Brazil, H. speciosa shows wide distribution, occurring in savanna formations associated with coastal restinga, coastal plains, and Cerrado, always on sandy soils, poor in nutrients and very well drained (Flora e Funga do Brasil, 2023).It is a pioneer and heliophyte tree or shrub, with semideciduous behavior and abundant latex (Silva et al., 2016).

Materials and methods
VAMP and LSF collected fruit galls on Hancornia speciosa in three municipalities of Bahia State (Northeastern Brazil): Mata de São João, Salvador and Lençóis, the first two within the Atlantic Forest domain in Restinga vegetation, and the third within Caatinga domain, in Chapada Diamantina, in Capitinga vegetation, in different dates (see "Material Examined").Six populations of the host plant were investigated.Their geographic coordinates are presented in Table 1.Specimens of the gall-inducer were reared in laboratory, preserved in 70% ethanol and sent to VCM for identification.
All material was prepared and mounted on microscope slides following the methods outlined in Gagné (1994).The genus was identified using the key of Gagné (1994), and the new species were proposed after comparison with literature data (host plants, gall morphology and cecidomyiid descriptions).
All types were deposited in the Entomological Collection of the Museu Nacional/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (MNRJ).
Morphological studies and drawings were made with the aid of an optical microscope with coupled photographic camera and drawing tube.Measurements were done as indicated in Maia and Oliveira (2021).
The new species is compared to other congeneric species on the same host plant family based on literature data.

Results and discussion
For the first time, galls on Hancornia speciosa are reported.This plant has edible fruits, which are used mainly in the production of juice.As the new species described here induces galls on its fruits, it is a potencial pest of H. speciosa.
Gall (Figs. 5d-f): On fruit of Hancornia speciosa Gomes (Apocynaceae).Externally, galled immature fruits have the same aspect of ungalled fruits.When galled, the fruit grows irregularly, more than one side than the other.Thus, traces of the floral calyx are not on the side opposite the peduncle, but laterally, and the fruit acquires hook shape (Fig. 5d).The gall is only perceived when pale spots appear.Then, it becomes completely brown and soft (Fig. 5e), wilting afterwards, when it is possible to find the exuvia trapped in the adult's exit hole.Internally, the gall has one chamber (Fig. 5f), which is lined by fungal hyphae.

Table 1
Geographic coordinators and region characterization.