Psyllaephagus othrys Noyes & Hanson, 1996

Noyes, John Stuart, 2023, ENCYRTIDAE OF COSTA RICA (HYMENOPTERA: CHALCIDOIDEA), 4 Subfamily Encyrtinae: tribes Arrhenophagini, Habrolepidini, Cerapterocerini, Cheiloneurini, Trechnitini, Cercobelini, Polaszekiini, Protyndarichoidini, Gahaniellini and Syrphophagini (part), mainly primary parasitoids and hyperparasitoids of Coccoidea and Psylloidea (Hemiptera), Taxonomic Monographs on Neotropical Hymenoptera (Oxford, England) 2 (11), pp. 1-921 : 586

Psyllaephagus othrys Noyes & Hanson

(Figs 1525-1531; Hab. E 225, G 226)

Psyllaephagus othrys Noyes & Hanson, 1996 :126,127-128. Holotype E, Costa Rica, NHMUK, examined.

Female (length about 1.4-1.9mm): head largely bluish; antenna (Fig. 1529) with scape dark brown, almost black and concolourous with flagellum; dorsum of thorax bright metallic green; tegula yellow basally; all femora dark brown; all tibiae pale orange with a narrow, dark brown subbasal ring; head (Fig. 1527) about 2.5X as wide as frontovertex and about 2.2X as wide as mouth opening; frontovertex with moderately conspicuous piliferous punctures, slightly larger than eye facet, separated by at least about their own diameters; ocelli forming an angle of about 105°, posterior ocellus slightly closer to eye than to occipital margin; scrobes shallow, dorsally separated from anterior ocellus by at least about 1.5X length of torulus; antenna (Fig. 1529) with scape about 4.5X as long as broad and about as long as frontovertex width; pedicel a little longer than F1, all funicle segments longer than broad, linear sensilla on F2-F6; clava with segments subequal, but becoming progressively shorter distally, apex rounded; clypeal margin weakly emarginate, slightly concave; mandible with two teeth and a truncation; mesoscutum and scutellum (Fig. 1526) with fine, punctate-reticulate sculpture, slightly deeper and more longitudinally elongate on scutellum; scutellum slightly convex; fore wing (Fig. 1531) about 2.4X as long as broad, marginal vein (Fig. 1528) slightly longer than broad, but not reaching wing margin, costal cell with a single line of setae dorsally, linea calva open; Gt3 without a distinct, strongly reticulate area anteromedially; ovipositor slightly exserted, the exserted part about 0.5X as long as mid tibial spur. Male (length about 1.4-2.0mm): as female but for structure of antenna (Fig. 1525) and genitalia (Fig. 1530), and mid legs conspicuously paler and hind tibia darker.

DISTRIBUTION. Costa Rica ( Noyes & Hanson, 1996).

HOSTS. Reared from nymphs of Euphalerus certus Tuthill ( Hemiptera : Psyllidae ) forming galls on Lonchocarpus atropurpureus Benth. ( Fabales : Fabaceae ) ( Noyes & Hanson, 1996).

MATERIAL EXAMINED.

Type material. Holotype E: COSTA RICA, San José, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, 1100m, ex Lonchocarpus psyllid gall, 17.viii.1987 (P. Hanson). Paratypes: COSTA RICA, 1E, San José, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, agalla de Lonchocarpus atropurpureus , 22.vii.1987 (P. Hanson); 12E, 11G, San José, San Pedro, Montes de Oca, 1100m, 20.ii.1988 (P. Hanson); 1E, 2G, same data but Lonchocarpus gall (P. Hanson). Holotype in NHMUK, paratypes in INBio, NHMUK, CNC, MZUCR and USNM.

Non type material. COSTA RICA, 2E, 2G, Guanacaste, Cacao (ACG), 1100 m, MT/YPT, 26.i-24. ii.1996 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Guanacaste, Est. Cacao (ACG) , 10°55’N 85°30’W, 19-20.ii.2005 (J.S. Noyes). Material in NHMUK and MZUCR.

COMMENTS. Psyllaephagus othrys is superficially similar to pachypsyllae (Howard) known only from North America. Both species have the base of the tegula yellow. Both sexes of othrys can be separated from those of pachypsyllae by the marginal vein not reaching the anterior wing margin and the tibiae being extensively marked with dark brown. In pachypsyllae the marginal vein clearly reaches the anterior wing margin and is quadrate or slightly longer than broad and the tibiae are almost entirely yellow. See also comments under xepo (0. 000).