Neococcidencyrtus crouzelae De Santis, 1964

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 : 137-138

Neococcidencyrtus crouzelae De Santis

( Figs 329-335; Hab. E 54)

Neococcidencyrtus crouzelae De Santis, 1964:233 . Holotype E, Argentina, MLP , not examined.

DIAGNOSIS. Female (length about 0.7-1.2mm): body generally dark brown to black with a weak to moderate metallic sheen; frontovertex with a characteristic orange to pale brown area bordering occipital margin; head largely with a weak purple sheen; scrobal area with a weak metallic green sheen; scape orange-brown to dark brown; flagellum brown with F6 pale orange; mesoscutum with a moderate dark green or dark blue sheen, mixed purple; tegula dark brown, axilla and scutellum with a weak coppery sheen, side and apex of scutellum very shiny with brassy, green and coppery sheen; all coxae dark brown; femora mostly dark brown; fore and hind tibiae mostly dark brown; fore tarsus orange-brown, mid and hind tarsus white; wings hyaline; gaster with a moderate brassy and purple sheen, Gt1 with a dark blue or green sheen; gonostylus proximally brown, apically very pale yellow; head ( Fig. 331) about 4-6X as wide as frontovertex, the latter wider in smaller specimens; occipital margin acute, not carinate; an elongate, shiny bottomed, depression adjacent to eye immediately behind posterior ocellus; antenna as in Fig. 332; scape weakly broadened and flattened, about 5X as long as broad; funicle with F1-F3 smaller, subequal, subquadrate, F4- F6 larger, gradually increasing in size distally, usually slightly longer than broad, occasionally quadrate; linear sensilla on F4-F6; clava about as long as funicle, outer suture incomplete and dorsally oblique; eye clothed with very short inconspicuous setae, each a little shorter than facet; mandible with a long, acute, lower tooth and a broad, mostly straight truncation, but with a short, lower, acute tooth; scutellum ( Fig. 329) dorsally with very fine, regular, polygonally reticulate sculpture that is clearly deeper and of much smaller mesh than sculpture on mesoscutum, side and apex completely smooth and shiny; fore wing with venation and setation as in Figs 333, 335, about 2.3X as long as broad and with linea calva interrupted; gaster with ovipositor ( Fig. 330) slightly exserted, the exserted part generally about 0.5X as long as mid tibial spur or about 0.2X mid tibia; hypopygium Fig. 334; gonostylus shorter than mid tibial spur. Male (length about 0.91mm): head mostly black with a slight metallic sheen, lower face purple, scrobes metallic green; scape dark brown; flagellum testaceous; thorax dark brown mesoscutum slightly brassy and coppery, scutellum matt, side and apex coppery purple; wings hyaline; legs coloured as in female; frontovertex slightly less than half head width; scape about 2.5X as long as broad; funicle segments about 2.5-4X as long as broad, clothed in long setae, the longest of which is about 6X as long as diameter of segment; phallobase with each digitus about 3X as long as broad and with a single apical hook; aedeagus very slender.

DISTRIBUTION. Argentina ( De Santis, 1964; Annecke, 1974): Brazil, Peru, Trinidad & Tobago ( Noyes, 1987) and St Vincent & Grenadines, Costa Rica and Ecuador (new records).

HOSTS. Recorded as a parasitoid of Hemiberlesia rapax (Comstock) ( Hemiptera : Diaspididae ) on Ribes sp. ( Saxifragales : Grossulariaceae ) ( De Santis, 1964) and Diaspis echinocacti (Bouché) on Harrisia Britton. ( Caryophyllales : Cactaceae ) (Annecke, 1974).

MATERIAL EXAMINED.

Type material. Paratypes: ARGENTINA, 2E, Buenos Aires, La Plata , ex Diaspididae , 1959, xii.1961 (De Santis) ( NHMUK) .

Non type material. ST VINCENT & GRENADINES, 1E, St Vincent, St David, Richmond Beach, coastland, 10.vii.1976 (J.S. Noyes). TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, 1G, Trinidad, St George, St Augustine, Malaise trap, 15.-vii-13.viii.1976 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Trinidad, St George, St Augustine, light trap, viii.1976 (F.D. Bennett). COSTA RICA, 2E, Guanacaste, Santa Rosa NP , various localities, 3-24.viii.1985, 16.xi-7. xii.1985 and 6-27.ix.1986 (D. Janzen, I. Gauld); 3E, Guanacaste, Nandayure, Finca Agua Fria, LN 222550 399500, canopy fog, i.2002 (W. Porras); 1E, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, Sec. Palo Verde, Estacion, LN 385020 260952, 0m, #58299, 13-20.ix.2000 (I. Jiménez); 1E, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, Cerro Guayacan, LN 259350 389600, 200m, #54245, xi-xii.1999 (I. Jiménez); 1E, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, Cerro Guayacan, LN 388500 259750, 100m, #57963, 11.vii-10.viii.2000 (I. Jiménez); 1E, Alajuela, Reserva Rincon Forestal, Est. Caribe, 10°53’N 85°18’W, 400m, 19-20.ii.2003 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Heredia, 11km SE La Virgen, 10°20’N 84°04’W, 450-550m, 05/M/NOTN, 22.ii-20.iv.2003 (INBio-OET-ALAS); 1E, Heredia, Santo Domingo, INBio Parque, LN 526250 217400, 1200m (error for 1100m), 19.ii.2001 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Heredia, INBio Parque, LN 217300 526200,1100m, #62271, v.2001 (R. Zuñiga); 3E, Heredia, Santo Domingo, INBio Parque, LN 526250 217400, 1100m, iii.2002 (J.A. Azofeifa, J.S. Noyes); 1E, Puntarenas, Pen. Osa , 8km S. R. Rincon, Coopermarti, x.1990 (A. Retama); 1E, Puntarenas, RF Golfo Dulce, 24km W Piedras Blancas, vi.1991 (P. Hanson); 1E, Puntarenas, Pen. Osa , Puerto Jimenez, 10m, iv.1991 (P. Hanson). ECUADOR, 1E, Napo, Res. Ethnica Waorani , 00°39’S 76°26’W, 220m, canopy fog #853, 4-10.x.1994 (T.L. Erwin et al.); 1E, Napo, Res. Ethnica Waorani , 00°39’S 76°26’W, 220m, canopy fog #913/914, 10.x.1994 (T.L. Erwin et al.); 1E, Napo, Res. Ethnica Waorani , 00°39’S 76°26’W, 220m, canopy fog #924, 4-10.x.1994 (T.L. Erwin et al.). PERU, 1E, Junin, Satipo, 18-19.i.1984 (L. Huggert). BRAZIL, 8E, Sta Catarina, Nova Teutonia, various dates 18.v.1943 - 14.xii.1949 (F. Plaumann). Material in NHMUK and MZUCR.

COMMENTS. Females of Neococcidencyrus crouzelae are the easiest to recognise in the genus because this is the only species known with an overall dark brown body with completely hyaline wings.