Abstract
This paper reports the first study of the inquiline oak gall wasp fauna of Panama. Samples were collected at 19 sites in Panama, and inquiline specimens were reared from 63 gall morphotypes, including six species of Quercus, mainly Q. salicifolia and Q. bumelioides. Two genera were found: Synergus, represented by 10 species, and the recently described genus Agastoroxenia Nieves-Aldrey & Medianero, with a single species, A. panamensis Nieves-Aldrey & Medianero. Synergus was recorded for the first time in Panama; Synergus mesoamericanus and Synergus nicaraguensis, which were formerly recorded from Guatemala and Nicaragua, have now been recorded in Panama, and eight new species of Synergus are described here: Synergus elegans, S. laticephalus, S. ramoni, S. rufinotaulis, S. luteus, S. gabrieli, S. baruensis and S. chiricanus. A key for the identification of the studied fauna is provided. An overall similarity cluster analysis of the inquilines of oak gall wasps of Panama, including one Neotropical and two Palaearctic species as outgroups, is included.
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