Cerapterocerus, Westwood, 1833

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 : 150-151

Genus CERAPTEROCERUS Westwood

Cerapterocerus Westwood, 1833b:495 . Type species: Cerapterocerus mirabilis Westwood , by monotypy.

Jurinia Costa, 1839:115. Type species: Jurinia platicera Costa by subsequent designation of Bouček (1970:86). Synonymy with Cerapterocerus by Bouček (1970:86).

Telegraphus Ratzeburg, 1848:153 . Type species: Telegraphus maculipennis Ratzeburg , by monotypy. Synonymy with Cerapterocerus by Trjapitzin (1989:298).

Female. Length about 1.1-2.2mm.

Body dark brown to black; head generally with a strong metallic dark blue, green or purple sheen; thorax mostly duller but often with a strong metallic sheen medially or at apex of scutellum; tegula dark brown; legs orange with some dark brown, sometimes mostly dark brown; fore wing infuscate, macropterous forms ( Fig. 373) with a pattern of mainly triangular hyaline areas; hind wing hyaline; gaster with a weak to moderate metallic coppery purple and brassy sheen.

Head about 3X as wide as frontovertex, in profile with frontovertex hardly convex, abruptly angled at a little more than 90° level with top of scrobes and then fairly straight to mouth margin; ocelli forming a slightly acute angle; frontovertex with transversely elongate lineolate-reticulate to polygonally reticulate sculpture; scrobal area (Fig, 377) deep, dorsally delimited by a transfacial carina that continues across face and below eye to outside of torulus; a line of silvery setae across dorsal surface of carina; eye more or less naked, inner eye margins subparallel; antenna attached a little above mouth margin; scape ( Fig. 372) broadened and flattened, subtrapezoidal with upper and lower margins largely subparallel, apical margin curved and slightly extended past insertion of pedicel; pedicel triangular in profile, partially enclosing F1; flagellum flattened, funicle segments subequal in width, strongly transverse, clava slightly narrower, 3-segmented, sensory area enlarged giving apex a strong obliquely truncate appearance; malar sulcus absent; mandible tridentate, sometimes with 2 acute teeth and a truncate upper tooth; palp formula 4-3.

Pronotum ( Fig. 380) short, posterior margin concave, subparallel to occipital margin; mesoscutum without notauli, with transversely elongate fine, imbricate-reticulate to lineolate reticulate sculpture; axilla and scutellum with shallow, polygonally reticulate to imbricate-reticulate sculpture, scutellum sometimes completely smooth medially; apex of scutellum often flange-like and clearly overhanging middle of propodeum; mesopleuron extending to about level with posterior margin of propodeum; mid tibial spur about as long as basitarsus; wings fully developed or abbreviated, sometimes fore wing not reaching base of gaster; fully developed fore wing about 3-4X as long as broad, submarginal vein ( Fig. 373) with a distinct triangular expansion of proximal part of parastigma; junction of submarginal and marginal veins with a hyaline band; marginal vein about 7-8X as long as broad; postmarginal vein less than half as long as stigmal vein, sometimes virtually absent, stigmal vein about one-third length of marginal vein, with 3 campaniform sensilla at apex, uncus undeveloped; linea calva open, filum spinosum present; middle of propodeum with some sculpture, spiracular area mostly with shallow, irregular longitudinal ridges.

Gaster (Fig, 379) with syntergum slightly longer than mid tibia, with apex acute; hypopygium ( Fig. 378) not quite reaching half way along gaster, about 2X as broad as long, with fairly well developed anterolateral and anteromedian projections, posterior margin almost straight; ovipositor ( Fig. 376) at least 2X as long as mid tibia, about 3-4X as long as gonostylus and slightly exserted, the exserted part about as long as mid tibial spur; gonostylus about 2X as long as mid tibial spur. Male. Length about 0.7-1.3mm.

Body dark brown, head and thorax with a more or less uniform metallic dark green or blue sheen; legs varying from mostly yellow to mostly dark brown with pale orange apices to mid and hind tibiae and pale orange tarsi; wings hyaline; frontovertex without a transfacial carina; scape slightly broadened, about 2.5-3X as long as broad; pedicel short, triangular in profile; flagellar segments ( Fig. 382) subcylindrical, at least 2X as long as broad and clothed in long setae, longest of which is slightly more than 2X as long as diameter of segment; mesoscutum with moderately deep imbricate-reticulate sculpture, axilla and scutellum similar sculpture to that of female; apex of scutellum with a distinct, thin, apical flange that partially overhangs the propodeum medially; fore wing ( Fig. 383) with venation to that of female but marginal vein slightly shorter, about 3-4X as long as broad, and distinct postmarginal vein, about half as long as stigmal vein; genitalia with phallobase ( Fig. 381) about 5X as long as broad, digitus about 2X as long as broad and with a pair of apical hooks; paramere distinct with an apical seta; aedeagus slightly more than half as long as mid tibia, slightly broadened subapically, apex acute.

DISTRIBUTION. Cosmopolitan.

HOSTS. Recorded as secondary parasitoids of scales insects ( Hemiptera : Coccidae , Aclerdidae , Diaspididae , Eriococcidae , Kermesidae and Pseudococcidae ) via encyrtid ( Hymenoptera : Encyrtidae ) primary parasitoids (see Noyes, 2019). The biology of Cerapterocerus mirabilis Westwood has been described by Silvestri (1919).

IDENTIFICATION. Worldwide 11 species; Gordh & Trjapitzin , 1981 (3 species); Trjapitzin, 1989 (3 Palaearctic species); Fatima & Shafee, 1994 (2 Indian species),

COMMENTS. Females of Cerapterocerus can be recognised by flattened antennae, metallic colouration and fore wing with a radial hyaline pattern and triangular expansion of the submarginal vein. Similarly, the males can be recognised by the metallic colouration and triangular expansion of the submarginal vein and elongate marginal vein. The males are most likely to be confused with those of Tyndarichus Howard, 1910 but can be separated by their stronger metallic sheen and relatively longer marginal vein.