Rhytidothorax Ashmead

Hayat, Mohammad & Kazmi, Sarfrazul Islam, 2011, On some Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) from Namdapha Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh, India, Zootaxa 2830, pp. 1-19 : 2-3

Rhytidothorax Ashmead

Rhytidothorax Ashmead, 1900: 377 . Type species Rhytidothorax marlatti Ashmead , by monotypy and original designation.

Anusomyia Girault, 1915: 164 . Type species Anusomyia auratiscutum Girault , by original designation. Synonymy by Noyes & Hayat, 1984: 333.

Ectromoides Girault, 1915: 167 . Type species Ectromoides purpureiscutellum Girault , by monotypy. Synonymy by Noyes & Hayat, 1984: 333.

Mesanusomyiia Girault, 1922: 48 . Type species Mesanusomyiia fera Girault , by monotypy. Synonymy by Noyes & Hayat, 1984: 333.

Swazencyrtus Prinsloo & Annecke, 1979: 379 . Type species Swazencyrtus latiscapus Prinsloo & Annecke , by monotypy and original designation. Synonymy by Noyes & Hayat, 1984: 333.

[Mesanusomyia (sic): Noyes & Hayat, 1984: 333. Singh & Agarwal, 1993a: 100. Singh & Agarwal, 1993b: 139. Hayat, 2006: 64. Lapsus calami ]

Other references. Trjapitzin & Gordh 1979: 1067–1070, redescription of type species. Singh & Agarwal 1993a: 102–203, Indian species, key to world species. Singh & Agarwal 1993b: 139–150, Indian species, descriptions, figures, key to world species. Dahms & Gordh 1997: 328–334, taxonomy, Girault’s Australian species, figures, comments. Hayat 2006: 63–64, Indian species, key, figures.

Diagnosis. Female. Occipital margin sharp; frontovertex moderately broad, with small, thimble-like setigerous punctures; eyes setose; malar sulcus present. Maxillary palp 3 or 4 segmented, labial palp 2 or 3 segmented. Mandible usually curved, with 1 or 2 pointed teeth and usually a receding small truncation. Antennal formula, 1, 1, 6, 3; clava with apex rounded or pointed, rarely obliquely truncate.

Mesosoma moderately convex, generally longer than gaster; pronotum short with concave posterior margin; axillae meeting; scutellum sometimes with a thin apical flange; propodeum medially at least one-fifth scutellum length, and with ridges in mesal third; mesopleuron not touching base of gaster. Fore wing hyaline or infuscated; marginal, postmarginal and stigmal veins varying in relative lengths; linea calva open posteriorly; basal triangle with a distinct bare area. Legs unmodified.

Gaster with hypopygium extending to apex or at least to four-fifths length; ovipositor not exserted; third valvula fused with apex of second valvifer or rarely short and distinctly articulated with second valvifer.

Male. Similar to female except for antennae and genitalia. Antennal formula, 1, 1, 6, 1; pedicel distinctly shorter than F1; funicle segments all longer than broad with setae longer than segment width; clava unsegmented. Genitalia with a short phallobase; parameres absent; each digitus with a large denticle.

Hosts. Unknown.

Distribution. Nearly cosmopolitan except absent from Palaearctic region.

World species. The following 19 species, including the 3 species described in this paper:

Afrotropical: 2 species — R. ambositrensis ( Risbec 1952) ; R. latiscapus ( Prinsloo & Annecke1979) .

Australian: 4 species — R. aeriscutellum ( Girault 1915) ; R. auratiscutum ( Girault 1915) ; R. ferus ( Girault 1922) ; R. purpureiscutellum ( Girault 1915) .

Oriental: 6 species — R. callistus Hayat et al. 2002 ; R. horticola sp. nov.; R. namdapha sp. nov.; R. nigrum Singh & Agarwal 1993a , b; R. pectinatum Singh & Agarwal 1993a , b; R. ramakrishnai sp. nov.

Nearctic: 2 species — R. marlatti Ashmead 1900 ; R. niveiclava ( Girault 1917) .

Neotropical: 5 species — R. bollowi ( Mercet 1928) ; R. flaviclava ( De Santis 1964) ; R. flavicornis ( De Santis 1967) ; R. hirtus ( Howard 1894) ; R. perhispidus ( De Santis 1964) .

Rhytidothorax is very speciose, containing several dozens of undescribed species in the Afrotropical, Oriental, Nearctic and Neotropical regions. In this paper three new species are described and one previously known species is recorded from Namdapha Tiger Reserve. The key to the described species presented here is intended only to summarise current knowledge and except for the Indian species is based on the original descriptions, and the available later redescriptions and figures. Three species are not included in the key for the following reasons:

1. R. bollowi ( Mercet 1928) : Antennae with flagella missing.

2. R. niveiclava ( Girault 1917) : Relative dimensions of antennal scape not given. However, the species appears to be distinct based on the following characters: scape subclavate; pedicel 2x as long as broad; F3–6 each a little broader than long; postmarginal vein slightly longer than stigmal vein, the latter slightly over half length of marginal vein; antennae apparently dark except reddish scape, and clava snowy white except basal half of first segment dusky; coxae dark, otherwise legs reddish. This species appears to be very similar to auratiscutum . 3. R. ambositrensis ( Risbec 1952) : This species was based only on a male. It was described in Leptomastidea Mercet but transferred to Rhytidothorax by Noyes & Hayat (1994).