Encarsia seminigriclava (Girault)

Schmidt, Stefan & Polaszek, Andrew, 2007, The Australian species of Encarsia Förster (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea: Aphelinidae), parasitoids of whiteflies (Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha, Aleyrodidae) and armoured scale insects (Hemiptera, Coccoidea: Diaspididae), Journal of Natural History 41 (33 - 36), pp. 2099-2265 : 2231-2232

79. Encarsia seminigriclava (Girault)

( Figures 251–253 )

Prospaltella seminigriclavus Girault 1913 [167], p 188. Holotype ♀, Australia, Queensland, Nelson [5Gordonvale] (Cairns), 14 June 1913 (A. P. Dodd) (QMBA, type no. Hy. 1729, examined).

Coccophagus seminigriclavus (Girault) : Girault 1915[238], p 57. Change of combination.

Prospaltella seminigriclavus (Girault) : Compere 1931, p 11. Dahms 1986, p 518 –519.

Encarsia seminigriclava (Girault) : Viggiani 1985c, p 248. Change of combination and species gender.

Redescription

Female. Colour: head brown, with indistinct and incomplete transverse brown band between eyes. Mesosoma brown, mesoscutum and axillae posteriorly, and scutellum lighter. Petiole light brown, laterally darker. Gaster predominantly brown. Antenna yellow, apical segment brown. Fore wing with dark band behind marginal vein. Legs yellow, hind coxa and femur brown.

Morphology [measurements of holotype in square brackets]: stemmaticum with reticulate surface sculpture. Antennal formula 1,1,3,3. Pedicel subequal in length to F1. F1 1.30–1.60 [1.60] times as long as its maximum width, shorter than F2 (0.65) and F3 (0.55–0.67 [0.67]). F2 slightly shorter than F3 or subequal (0.90–1.00 [1.00]). Flagellomeres with the following numbers of sensilla: F1: 0, F2: 0, F3: 2, F4: 3, F5: 3, F6: 3. Midlobe of mesoscutum with eight setae, side lobes with three setae each. Scutellar sensilla distantly placed (approximately three to four times the maximum width of a sensillum). Distance between anterior pair of scutellar setae smaller than between posterior pair. Fore wing 2.3–2.4 [almost 2.4] times as long as width of disc. Marginal fringe 0.17–0.18 [0.17] times as long as width of disc. Basal cell with five to nine [five] setae. Submarginal vein with two setae, marginal vein anteriorly with eight or nine setae. Tarsal formula 5-5-5. Apical spur of midtibia subequal in length to corresponding basitarsus. Tergites laterally with the following numbers of setae: T1: 0, T2: 1, T3: 1, T4: 1, T5: 2, T6: 3, T7 with four setae. Ovipositor shorter than midtibia (0.85–0.86 [0.86]), about 1.2–1.34 [1.34] times as long as clava. Third valvula 0.29–0.31 [0.29] times as long as second valvifer.

Male. Unknown.

Species group placement. Not established.

Distribution. Australia: New South Wales, Queensland.

Host. Unknown.

Additional material examined

New South Wales: 1♀, Tooloom Plateau, 14 km W Urbenville , 14 February 1984 (I. D. Naumann) ( ANIC) .

Comments

The maxillary palp appears to be two-segmented in the type which seems to contradict the condition in the second specimen from NSW which apparently has one-segmented maxillary palps. However, since both specimens otherwise show a great degree of similarity and since there is always the possibility of distortion of slide material mounted by A. A. Girault we regard the two specimens as being conspecific.

Figures

Figures 251–253. Encarsia seminigriclavus (Girault), holotype female. (251) Mesosoma and gaster. (252) Head and antennae. (253) Fore wing.