Homosemion, Annecke, 1967

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 : 497-498

Genus HOMOSEMION Annecke

Homosemion Annecke 1967:156-157 . Type species: Homosemion bennetti Annecke , by original designation and monotypy.

Female. Overall length about 1.0- 1.9mm.

Body not dorsoventrally flattened; fore wing generally infuscate with base, a small area below parastigma, area at apex of venation and apex hyaline, area near anal angle usually partially hyaline, main infuscate area not apically enclosed by a curved darker band; apex of postmarginal vein and stigmal vein connected by a hyaline streak.

Frontovertex less than 0.15X head width, with shallow, inconspicuous piliferous punctures; scrobal area delimited dorsally by a continuous frontofacial ridge above which is a shallow, smooth and shiny transverse depression that contains a transverse band of silvery setae that are more dense below eye; ocellar area with very shallow, indistinct polygonally reticulate sculpture, frontovertex elsewhere smooth but not shiny; each scrobal depression delimited dorsally by frontofacial ridge; mandible tridentate with two lower teeth acute and a slightly rounded truncate upper tooth; palp formula 4-3; antenna inserted near mouth; scape strongly broadened and flattened, subtrapezoidal, lamina apically rounded; upper margin of scape broadened but not overhanging the basal part of the flagellum; apically quite smooth not very shiny and not flattened; pedicel very nearly as wide as F1, subtriangular in profile, dorsal margin rounded; flagellum flattened from side to side, F1- F3 gradually increasing in width, F3-F6 hardly increasing in width, subequal in width, produced subequally dorsally and ventrally, much wider than long; clava 3-segmented, sutures entire, oblique, sensory area very enlarged giving apex a strong obliquely truncate appearance;

Mesoscutum with notaular lines sometimes visible anteriorly; fore wing with marginal vein about 4X as long as broad, about 2X as long as stigmal vein; postmarginal vein a little less than half as long as stigmal; submarginal vein with parastigma slightly widened and slightly downcurved; basal cell largely naked and with a smaller naked area below parastigma which is open ventrally; linea calva entire; filum spinosum present, represented by about 5 modified setae.

Gaster with hypopygium transverse, about 2.5X as broad as long, anteriorly bilaterally concave, posteriorly with a shallow to moderate median invagination; ovipositor at least 1.4X as long as mid tibia and quite strongly exserted; gonostylus free; paratergites absent.

Male. Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION. Southern Caribbean and Costa Rica.

HOSTS. Primary parasitoids of Crypticerya Cockerell ( Hemiptera : Monophlebidae ). BIOCONTROL. Homosemion bennetti has been introduced into Barbados (see below).

COMMENTS. See comments under Ammonoencyrtus (p. 519) and Iceromyia (p. 496).

IDENTIFICATION. Only one species known, see Annecke (1967).