Pseudhomalopoda prima Girault, 1915

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 : 79

Pseudhomalopoda prima Girault

( Figs 152-163; Hab. E 25)

Pseudhomalopoda prima Girault, 1915b:171 . Holotype E, Jamaica, USNM, examined.

DIAGNOSIS. Female (length about 0.5-1.5mm): fore femur dark brown, tibia mostly pale orange; mid femur mostly dark brown, tibia white to very pale yellow, dark brown towards base; fore wing ( Fig. 152) with paired hyaline spots at apex of venation separated by about length of marginal vein; no distinct hyaline spot present in middle of wing below marginal vein; head ( Fig. 155) about 2.6-3.0X as wide as frontovertex; mandible with 1 acute tooth and a broad, slightly concave truncation; an inconspicuous line of sparse silvery setae adjacent to eye above scrobe; scape about 2.4-3.0X as long as broad; funicle segments slightly broadened ( Figs 157, 158), all clearly transverse and at least about 2X as broad as long; linear sensilla present only on F3-F4, absent from F 3 in smaller specimens; pedicel and flagellum combined shorter than head width; clava at least slightly longer than pedicel and funicle combined; thorax Fig 156; fore wing venation Figs 153, 154; gastral tergites Figs 162, 163; hypopygium Figs 160, 161; ovipositor Fig. 159. Male: unknown.

DISTRIBUTION. USA (Texas, Florida), Mexico, Cuba , Jamaica, Domincan Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Argentina and introduced into Colombia (see Trjapitzin & Ruiz Cancino, 1998; Noyes, 2019); also Costa Rica (new record).

HOSTS. Recorded as a parasitoid of Aonidiella aurantii (Maskell) , Aonidiella taxus Leonardi , Aspidiotus destructor Signoret , Chrysomphalus aonidum (Linnaeus) and Lepidosaphes beckii (Newman) ( Hemiptera : Diaspididae ); also recorded from Saissetia oleae (Olivier) ( Hemiptera : Coccidae ) and Aleurocanthus woglumi Ashby ( Hemiptera : Aleyrodidae ) (see Noyes 2019), but these records require confirmation. Recorded below from Acutaspis morrisonorum Kosztarab ( Hemiptera : Diaspididae ) on Juniperus silicicola (Small) L.H. Bailey ( Pinales : Cupressaceae ) (new record).

BIOCONTROL. Following the severe freeze of 1951, this species was introduced into Texas from Florida in 1955 to improve the control of Florida red scale, Chrysomphalus aonidum on citrus. The parasitoid became widely distributed throughout the area but control was insufficient (Rosen & DeBach in Clausen, 1978). Apparently also introduced into Colombia against the same pest where it provides substantial control ( Trjapitzin & Ruiz Cancino, 1998).

MATERIAL EXAMINED.

Type material. Holotype E: “ Parasitoid of Chrysomph. aonidum” “Parasite of Aleurocanthus woglumi ” “ L.F. Ashby Kingston Jamaica 1/20 ‘14” “Type No. 19405 U.S.N.M.” “ Pseudhomalopoda prima Gir. E type.” ( USNM).

Non type material. USA, 2E, Florida, Orlando, 1930, ex Chrysom [phalus] aonidum L., 6268, 1930 (W.W. Yothers); 3E, Florida, Franklin, Apalachicola, ex Acutaspis morrisonorum on Juniperus silicicola , 18.viii.1998 (F.D. Bennett). COSTA RICA, 9E, Guanacaste, Sta Rosa NP , various localities and dates 1.vi.1985 - 16.v.1987 (Janzen, Gauld); 1E, Guanacaste, PN Santa Rosa , 10°51’N 85°37’W, 300m, 24.ii.2009)J.S. Noyes); 1E, Guanacaste, Volcán Cacao, Cerro Pedregal, 1000 m, 11.iv.1989 (Gauld); 3E, Guanacaste, Guanacaste NP, Est. Cacao (Pedregal) , xi-xii.1990 ( INBio Team); 1E, Guanacaste, Guanacaste NP (error for Santa Rosa NP ), near HQ, MT/YPT, 2-10.iii.1990 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Guanacaste 1E, Guanacaste, Guanacaste NP (error for Santa Rosa NP ), near Playa Naranjo, 11.iii.1990 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Guanacaste, Cacao (ACG), 1100 m, MT/YPT, 26.i-24.ii.1996 (J.S. Noyes); 3E, Guanacaste, Maritza ( ACG), 700m, MT/ YPT, 20.i-24.ii.1996 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Guanacaste, Est. Maritza ( ACG), 600m, LN 326900 373000, iii.1996 (M. Pereira); 2E, Guanacaste, Murcielago ( ACG), 75m, MT, 24.i-4.ii.1996 (J. Ugalde); 2E, Guanacaste, San Ramon, 4.5km WSW Dos Rios de Upala, LN 318500 381200, 720m, iv.1996 and v.1996 (F.A. Quezada); 9E, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, Sect. Palo Verde, LN 385020 260952, 250m, #57716, 10-18.viii.2000 (I. Jiménez); 6E, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, Sect. Palo Verde, LN 260952 385020, 0-50m, 8-18.iii.2000 and 12-18.vii.2000 (I. Jiménez); 1E, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, Laguna, 200m S Estación, LN 260952 385020, YPT, #52765, 13-17.i.1999 (I. Jiménez); 1E, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, 125m N Estación, LN 259050 388400, 0m, #59291, x.2000 (I. Jiménez); 6E, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, Sect. Palo Verde, LN 260952 385020, 50m, 5-18.i.2000 and 8-9.ii.2000 (I. Jiménez); 1E, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, Est. Palo Verde, LN 259050 388400, 10m, #60224, xi.2000 (I. Jiménez); 1E, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, LN 260952 385020, 0-50m, red de golpe, #53999, xi.1999 (I. Jiménez); 1E, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, 300m SW Estación, LN 259050 388400, 10m, #62254, 12-21.xii.2000 (I. Jiménez); 1E, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, 400m E. Puenta, La Espuela, 10m, #60219, xi.2000 (I. Jiménez); 1E, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, 10°21’N 85°21’W, 20m, 21.ii.2013 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Guanacaste, RF Monte Alto, Cerro Romo, LN 220700 382545, 883m, #65013, 27-29.x.2001 (I. Jiménez); 1E, Guanacaste, BN Diriá, Quebrada Brazil, LN 239390 361240, 160m, #67323, 18.ii-19.iii.2002 (G. Carballo); 1E, Guanacaste, Santa Cruz, Vista del Mar, Torre Cocesna, LN 357490 235340, 970m, #60713, viii-ix.2000 (Y. Cardenas); 1E, Guanacaste, Santa Cruz, Vista del Mar, Torre Cocesna, LN 357500 235350, 972m, 10.x.2002 (Y. Cardenas); 1E, Alajuela, Est. Cabro Muco, 10°43’N 859’W, 1100m, 13.ii.2004 (C. Hansson, J. Azofeifa); 1E, Alajuela, San Ramon BS, 900m, vi-vii.1995 (P. Hanson); 1E, Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva, 10°26’N 84°01’W, ix.1995 ( OET / INBio); 1E, Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva, 10°26’N 84°01’W, 75m, 1-2.iii.2007 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Heredia, 16km SSE La Virgen, 10°16’N 85°05’W, 1050-1150m, 10.ii-11/M/TN, 21.vi.2001 ( INBio / OET / ALAS); 2E, Heredia, Santo Domingo, INBio Parque, LN 526250 217400, 1100m, 1-12.iv.2002 ( D. Rubí, J.S. Noyes ): 3E, Heredia, Santo Domingo, INBio Parque, 9°59’N 84°06’W, 1100m, 11-26.ii.2006 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Puntarenas, Est. Biol. Monteverde, 10°19’N 84°49’W, 1540-1890m, 19.ii.2013, (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Puntarenas, Manuel Antonio, 23-28.viii.1986 (L. Masner); 2E, Puntarenas, Est. Altamira, Send. Los Gigantes, LS 331800 572100, 1460m, ii.2002 (C. Hansson, D. Rubí ); 1E, Puntarenas, San Vito, Las Cruces, Wilson Bot. Gdns, 1500m, 18-22.iii.1990 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Puntarenas, San Vito, Las Cruces, Wilson Bot. Gdns, 8°46’N 82°57’W, 7-19.ii.2007 (C. Hansson); 1E, Puntarenas, Est. Agujas, C. Quebraditos, 782m, #61330 18.i-20.ii.2001 (J. Azofeifa); 1E, Limón, RB Hitoy-Cerere, 100m, 14-19.i.1991 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Limón, PN Cahuita, 9°43’N 82°49’W, 10m, 24.ii.2010 (J.S. Noyes). Material in MZUCR, NHMUK and CNC.