Encarsia horatii (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 : 2170-2171

39. Encarsia horatii (Girault)

( Figures 128–130 )

Coccophagus horatii Girault 1939 [453], p 18. Syntypes 2♀, Australia, Queensland, Brisbane, Indooroopilly, January 1932, ‘‘reared from Eriococcus on Eucalyptus ’’ (QMBA, type no. T. 9082, examined).

Coccophagus horatii Girault : Dahms 1984, p 695.

Encarsia horatii: Hayat 1989b, p 289 . Change of combination.

Redescription (syntypes)

Female. Colour: head and mesosoma yellow except pronotum, axilla, and mesopleuron more or less brown. Metasoma dark brown. Antenna yellow. Fore wing hyaline. Legs yellow.

Morphology: antennal formula 1,1,3,3. Pedicel slightly longer than F1. F1 slightly shorter than F2 and F3. Only two posterior setae on midlobe of mesoscutum discernible. Scutellar sensilla widely separated (approximately 10 times the maximum width of a sensillum). Distance between anterior pair of scutellar setae greater than between posterior pair. Fore wing about 2.6 times as long as width of disc. Marginal fringe 0.30 times as long as width of disc. Submarginal vein with two setae, marginal vein anteriorly with six setae. Basal cell with three setae. Tarsal formula 5-5-5. Apical spur of midtibia almost as long as the length of the corresponding basitarsus (0.86). T2–4 laterally apparently each with one seta, setation of remaining tergites indiscernible. Ovipositor subequal in length to midtibia, about 1.5 times as long as clava. Third valvula about 0.3 times as long as second valvifer.

Male. Unknown.

Species group placement. E. aurantii group.

Distribution. Australia: Queensland.

Host. There is only the very questionable host record of the type specimens ( Eriococcidae ).

Comments

Girault’s original description differs from the type specimens in that they do not have a dark band behind the marginal vein. It is possible that Girault described the species when they were still card mounted before he mounted them on a slide with the wings folded over the dark brown gaster, erroneously assuming that they have a dark band (and there are indications in the text, e.g. colour characters which are easier to see in card- than in slide-mounted specimens). No lectotype was designated because the heads of the two females on the slide are separated from the body and no unequivocal assignment is possible.

Figures

Figures 128–130. Encarsia horatii (Girault), holotype female.(128) Body.(129) Head and antennae. (130) Fore wing.