Gahaniella californica Timberlake, 1926

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 : 551-552

Gahaniella californica Timberlake

(Figs 1396-1398; Hab. E 203)

Gahaniella californica Timberlake, 1926:26-27 . Holotype E, USA (California), USNM, digital images examined.

DIAGNOSIS. Female (length about 1.0- 1.4mm): all coxae brown; fore femur brown, tibia pale orange or brown; mid femur and tibia mostly brown; head about 2.1X as wide as frontovertex; ocelli forming an angle of about 100°; scape (Fig. 1396) about 3.3X as long as broad; linear sensilla on flagellum slender, generally separated by 2-3X their own widths; reticulate sculpture on mesoscutum shallow, scutellum with polygonally reticulate to striate sculpture; fore wing (Fig. 1397), in apical half of costal cell, with scattered setae in addition to line of submarginal setae; linea calva interrupted and closed posteriorly; apex of fore wing venation Fig. 1398; syntergum shorter than mid tibia; ovipositor hardly exserted and about 1.3X as long as mid tibia. Male (length about 1.4mm): generally very similar to female; ocelli forming an angle of about 115°; funicle segments about 1.5-2.0X as long as broad and clothed with whorls of long setae, the longest of which is about 3.5X as long as diameter of segments; phallobase slender, each digitus with 1 tooth and aedeagus slender with apex acute.

DISTRIBUTION. USA (California) ( Timberlake, 1926), Mexico (Trjapitzin et al., 2008); Costa Rica (new record).

HOSTS. Recorded as a parasitoid of Parthenolecanium? corni (Bouché) ( Hemiptera : Coccidae ) on Quercus californica J.G. Cooper ( Fagales : Fagaceae ) and Parthenolecanium corni on Arctostaphylos Adans ( Ericales : Ericaceae ) ( Timberlake, 1926) and also from Orthezia Bosc d’Antic ( Hemiptera : Ortheziidae ) on Capsicum annuum L. ( Solanales : Solanaceae ) and from Differococcus argentinus (Morrison) on Celtis pallida Torr. ( Rosales : Ulmaceae ) (Trjapitzin et al., 2008; Myartseva et al., 2010). Recorded below from a mixed collection of Saissetia coffeae (Walker) and Ceroplastes Gray ( Hemiptera : Coccidae ) on a fern.

MATERIAL EXAMINED

Holotype E (Digital images): USA, Idyllwild Cal. Jl. 29 1912” “Ex Lecanium sp. ” “Timberlake lectopr 14654 E” “ Holotype ” “Type No 28145 U.S. N.M.” “ Gahaniella californica Types Timb” “USNMENT 01570144” ( USNM).

USA, 1E, 1G, California, San Jacinto Mts, Idyllwild, ex L. corni on manzanita, vii.1939 (P De Bach) “ Gahaniella californica Timb. E Det. H.C. ”. COSTA RICA, 1E, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, 400m E Puenta La Espuela, LN 258 980 396500, 10m, #60219, no date (I. Jiménez); 1E, Cartago, Turrialba, ex collection of Saissetia coffeae and Ceroplastes on fern, 13.iii.1990 (J.S. Noyes). Material in NHMUK and MZUCR.