First record of galling dipterans and its parasitoid on Taxodium mucronatum Ten. in Mexico

Paris Yeray Sánchez Cisneros; Ana Lilia Muñoz-Viveros; José Daniel Tejero-Díez; María Lourdes Ramírez-Ahuja; José Antonio Colio-Velázquez; Juan Manuel Vanegas-Rico

doi:10.53661/1806-9088202650264073

Authors

Paris Yeray Sánchez Cisneros Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Unidad de morfología y Función, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México, México https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0240-0196
Ana Lilia Muñoz-Viveros Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Unidad de morfología y Función, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México, México https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9815-4259
José Daniel Tejero-Díez Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Unidad de morfología y Función, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México, México https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7216-4755
María Lourdes Ramírez-Ahuja Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, México https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4886-6386
José Antonio Colio-Velázquez Colegio de Postgraduados. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Fitosanidad, Texcoco, Estado de México, México https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1552-6967
Juan Manuel Vanegas-Rico Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Unidad de morfología y Función, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México, México https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2342-7651

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53661/1806-9088202650264073

Keywords:

Taxodiaceae, Riparian vegetation, Exotic pests, Taxodiomyia cupressiananassa, Aprostocetus fidius

Abstract

The species Taxodium mucronatum Ten. is a riparian species of high ecological and cultural value. In Mexico, it is traditionally known as ‘Ahuehuete’ and is recognized as the national tree. Between August and December 2025, collections were made in a locality in the municipality of Valle de Bravo, located in central Mexico. At this site, the presence of strange structures on the branches of T. mucronatum was reported. Infested branches were collected and the positive tree specimens were georeferenced. The material was processed for specific tree identification and isolation of the galled branches in breeding boxes. A search was conducted on iNaturalist to locate the distribution of the tree in Mexico. A total of 119 specimens of gall-forming dipterans of the species Taxodiomyia cupressiananassa (Osten Sacken) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) were obtained, with a sex ratio of 1:1.4 females:males. In addition, 65 specimens of the parasitoid wasp Aprostocetus fidius (Girault) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) were collected, with a parasitism rate of 35.3% and a sex ratio of 1:1.4 females:males. Both species were previously reported only in the USA and on the Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.. tree. The galls observed on T. mucronatum are leaf inductions that develop mainly in the apical region of young branches. In the early stages of gall development, they are whitish green in colour, changing to pink over time. In the USA, however, the colouration is reversed. After reviewing the photographic database on T. mucronatum in Mexico in iNaturalist, specimens with galls were identified. Based on these records, it is considered that the presence of this gall-forming dipteran dates to 2019 in the north of the country, with a significant increase between 2023 and 2025 in the central part. The two insect species obtained are a new record for Mexico.

Keywords: Taxodiaceae, Riparian vegetation, Exotic pets, Taxodiomyia cupressiananassa, Aprostocetus fidius