Tachardiobius nigricans Timberlake 1926

Triapitsyn, Serguei V., 2008, A review of Tachardiobius (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), with description of a new species from California, USA, a parasitoid of Tachardiella spp. (Hemiptera: Kerriidae), Zootaxa 1716, pp. 44-52 : 46-48

Tachardiobius nigricans Timberlake 1926

( Figs 1–8 )

Tachardiobius nigricans Timberlake 1926: 22 –23 + plate 1 (figs 3 and 4) + plate 2 (figs 24 and 24a); Peck 1963: 468; De Santis 1964: 215; De Santis 1989: 41; Trjapitzin & Ruíz-Cancino 1996: 22.

Type locality. Arlington, Maricopa Co., Arizona, USA.

Type material examined. Paratypes: 3 females, 1 male on points and 1 female on slide [ UCRC], labeled: 1. “Reared from Tachardia larreae 5 Apr. 1919 ”; 2. “Arlington Ariz.”; 3. “Collected on Greasewood 23 Jan. 1919 ”; 4. “C. H. Gable Collector”; 5. “Reared by C. S. Menagh”; 6. “ Paratype ”.

Additional material examined. MEXICO. Baja California Sur, Las Barracas (ca. 30 km E of Santiago, 23°28’20’’N 109°27’10’’W, 50 m), 14.v.1982, P. DeBach (ex. lac scale on? Acacia sp.) [6 females, 6 males, UCRC]. USA. Arizona: Maricopa Co., Arlington: 23.i.1919, C.H. Gable (reared at Washington, District of Columbia, 29.i–5.iv.1919, C.S. Menagh, from Tachardiella larreae on greasewood) [8 females, 12 males, and 1 specimen of an undetermined sex, USNM]; 26.ii.1919, C.H. Gable (from Tachardiella larreae , “Tempe No. 335C”) [2 females, 1 male, USNM]. Pima Co., Tucson, 26.xii.1896 – vi.1897 (under No. 6251°, some on “Carteria”) [35 females, 23 males, and 9 specimens of an undetermined sex, USNM]. California, Riverside Co.: near Hemet, 11.iv.1937, C.M. Dammers (ex. Tachardiella sp. on Adenostoma sp.) [23 females, 8 males, UCRC; 1 male, EMEC; 1 female, USNM]. Pigeon Pass (near Moreno Valley and Riverside), i.1909, California State Insectary (ex. Tachardiella sp. on greasewood) [5 females, UCRC]. Thousand Palms Canyon, 2.iii.1961, W.H. Ewart, O.L. Brawner (ex. lac scale) [4 females, 1 male, UCRC]. Texas, Brewster Co., Big Bend Ranch State Park, 29°28’09’’N 103°46’07’’W, 3980’, 12.v.1990, G. Zolnerowich [1 female, TAMU].

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Body length 0.83–1.70 mm. Body mostly brown to dark brown, sometimes with a few lighter markings (particularly face often with a pattern of white or light brown markings but sometimes almost uniformly brown or dark brown); appendages mostly light brown to brown except meso- and metatibiae mostly whitish, with two submedial dark bands (best observed in lateral view, Fig. 3 ). Maxillary palpus 4– segmented. Antenna ( Fig. 1 ) with scape 4.2–4.7 x as long as wide; F1–F3 each longer than wide, F4 and F5 usually a little longer than wide but sometimes about as long as wide, F6 about as long as wide; all funicle segments with longitudinal sensilla (although often not evident on F1); clava 1.7–2.3 x as long as wide.

Forewing ( Fig. 5 ) 2.2–2.4 x as long as wide. Ovipositor not or barely exserted ( Fig. 4 ), ovipositor length: metatibia length ratio 1.3–1.4:1.

MALE. Similar to female except as follows. Body length 0.60–1.10 mm. Face generally more uniformly colored than in female, sometimes with less patterned light markings. Vicinity of torulus without secretary pores. Antenna ( Fig. 6 ) with scape about 3.7 x as long as wide; funicle segments longer than wide (F1 the longest) and all but F1 with longitudinal sensilla; clava 2.8–3.2 x as long as wide, entire or 2–segmented, sometimes the subdivision is indistinct or incomplete. Forewing ( Fig. 7 ) about 2.4 x as long as wide. Genitalia ( Fig. 8 ) with 2 or 3 conspicuous spines on each digitus.

Distribution. Mexico (Baja California Sur) and USA (Arizona, California, and Texas [new record]).

Hosts. Tachardiella larreae (Comstock) ( Timberlake 1926) , Tachardiella sp(p)., and unidentified Kerriidae .

Comments. The holotype female of T. nigricans is deposited in USNM ( Timberlake 1926); most of the paratypes (including the allotype male) are also in USNM.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Tachardiobius nigricans, female (Riverside County, California, USA). 1. Antenna. 2. Head (rear view). 3. Middle leg. 4. Mesosoma and metasoma. 5. Forewing.

FIGURES 6 – 8. Tachardiobius nigricans, male (Riverside County, California, USA). 6. Antenna. 7. Forewing. 8. Genitalia.