Anagyrus fusciventris (Girault)

Soler, José María, Falcó-Garí, José Vicente, Herrero, Berta & Aquino, Daniel Alejandro, 2021, The Anagyrus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) parasitoids of the obscure mealybug Pseudococcus viburni (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in Spain, with description of a new species, Zootaxa 4980 (1), pp. 83-98 : 87-89

Anagyrus fusciventris (Girault)

Figs. 6–8.

Epidinocarsis fusciventris Girault, 1915: 144 . Holotype female, Australia.

Anagyrus nigricornis Timberlake, 1919: 199 . Holotype female, Hawaii.

For a detailed description, see Timberlake (1919: 197, as A. nigricornis ).

Diagnosis. Female. Body length: 1200-1800. Body (Fig. 6) color non-metallic, generally orange, except as follows: dark brown spot from postgena until mouth margin; frontovertex yellowish, lighter than rest of the thorax; eyes distinctly black, densely setose; scape with characteristic white spot, rest of antenna dark brown (Fig. 7); collar of pronotum white, with a row of long black setae, sometimes interrupted by white setae; metasoma brown; tegula white. Forewing hyaline but apical area with distinctly paler setae (Fig. 8); postmarginal vein a little longer than stigmal and 2.5x as long as wide; linea calva interrupted by four or five setae lines dorsally and four ventrally (Fig. 8). Legs yellowish white, except coxae, apex of tibiae and tarsi yellow. Female antenna length/width proportions: scape: 2.2x, pedicel: 3.6x, F1: 3.5x, F2: 2.8x, F3: 2.3x, F4: 2.0x, F5: 1.4x, F6: 1.2x, clava: 2.8x. F1–F6 decreasing in length and increasing in width. Ovipositor not exserted. Male antenna ( Fig. 9 ) with a line of 5–6 (usually 5) scalelike sensilla present only on base of the clava ( Fig. 10 ).

Material examined. Spain, Comunidad Valenciana, province Valencia, town Guadassuar, lat. 39°10’44.92” N & long. 0°28’22.39” W, leg.: B. Herrero and J.Mª. Soler, 9.viii.2016, [1 female ENV] collected 5.viii.2016; 19.viii.2016 [2 female ENV] collected 5.viii.2016; 26.viii.2016 [1 female ENV], collected 1.viii.2016, 29.ix.2016 [1 female, 1 male ENV] collected 16.ix.2016; 11.xi.2016 [2 male, 1 female ENV], collected 30.ix.2016, ex Pseudococcus viburni collected 16.ix.2016 and x.2016, on persimmon ( Diospyros kaki ) [13 male ENV], det.: J.Mª Soler. Spain, País Valenciano, province Valencia, town Godelleta lat. 39°25’50.91” N & long. 0°42’41.82” W, leg.: B. Herrero and J.Mª. Soler, 26.viii.2016, [1 female ENV] collected 1.viii.2016; ex Pseudococcus viburni , on persimmon ( Diospyros kaki ), det.: J.Mª Soler. Spain, País Valenciano, province Castelló, town Burriana, lat. 39°52’32.10” N & long. 0°3’27.87” W, leg.: J.Mª. Soler, 3.x.2017, [6 female, 4 male ENV] ex Pseudococcus viburni and Pseudococcus longispinus , on Cycas ( Cycas revoluta ), det.: J. Mª Soler.

Host. Anagyrus fusciventris is a parasitoid of pseudococcids and, among them, it is associated to the obscure mealybug Pseudococcus viburni although this relationship seems to be established in laboratory rearing experiments ( Blumberg & Driesche 2001; Noyes 2018). We have been able to observe A. fusciventris emerging from young P. viburni females collected on persimmon crops ( Diospyros kaki L.f.) and kept in controlled insectariums, and also as a parasitoid of P. longispinus on persimmon and Japanese sago palm ( Cycas revoluta Thunb. ). We considered that a confirmation of the association of this parasitoid with P. viburni under natural field conditions in Spain.

Comments. Anagyrus fusciventris is a species originally found in Australia but widely distributed around the world; in Europe is only cited from Italy, where it is attacking Pseudococcus calceolariae (Maskell) on citrus crops ( Viggiani & Battaglia 1983). This is a new record from Spain. The specimens were identified by comparison with literature descriptions.

Figures

FIGURES 9–10. Anagyrus fusciventris, male: 9, antenna; 10, scale-like sensilla on clava (only). FIGURES 11–13. Anagyrus jucundus, holotype female: 11, antenna; 12, fore wing; 13, body; FIGURES 14-15. Anagyrus borrianensis sp. nov., holotype female: 14, habitus in dorsal view; 15, head and antenna.