Coccidencyrtus xero, Noyes, 2023

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 : 103-105

Coccidencyrtus xero sp.nov.

( Figs 223-229; Hab. E 36, G 37)

DIAGNOSIS. Female (length about 1.1-1.4mm): scape largely pale orange; pedicel mostly pale orange, flagellum pale orange; all coxae white; fore femur and tibia white to pale orange; mid femur white with a little brown subapically; mid and hind tibiae white to pale orange, each a without a subbasal brown band or stripe; gaster largely dark brown, but most of venter pale orange; frontovertex about 0.4X head width; antenna ( Fig. 224) with scape very slightly more than 3X as long as broad, funicle with F1 narrower than pedicel, all segments longer than broad, but gradually increasing in size distally, linear sensilla on F3-F6 or also present on F1; clava hardly longer than F4-F6 combined and about 4X as long as broad; palp formula 3-2; scutellum ( Fig. 229) with 4 pairs of setae and fine, polygonally reticulate sculpture that is clearly deeper than that on mesoscutum, becoming more longitudinally elongate laterally; mid tibial spur about as long as basitarsus; mid basitarsus with 4 or 5 ventral pegs; fore wing with stigmal vein ( Fig. 225) slightly longer than either postmarginal or marginal veins; hypopygium reaching about 0.8X towards apex of gaster; ovipositor ( Fig. 226) a little less than 3X as long as gonostylus with exserted part at least 2X as long as mid tibial spur. Male (length about 0.7-0.9mm): legs darker than in female with hind coxa and femur mostly brown; antenna (Hab. 37) with all funicle segments longer than broad, segments clothed with setae up to about 7X as long as diameter of segments.

Female (holotype): length, including ovipositor, 1.09mm; excluding ovipositor, 0.89mm (CPD).

Head dark brown to black with a weak to moderate metallic lustre; occiput with a weak coppery sheen; frontovertex generally with a weak coppery sheen, area around anterior ocellus mixed relatively bright, metallic dark green; scrobal area, temple and gena relatively dull with a slight coppery purple sheen; frontovertex, gena and interantennal prominence with a few scattered, very inconspicuous, brown setae; maxillary palpus white; radicle orange-brown; scape pale orange slightly dusky at base; pedicel pale orange, mixed pale brown proximally, flagellum pale orange, clava slightly dusky; thorax dark brown to black with a weak metallic lustre; pronotum and mesoscutum with a weak coppery and dark green sheen; tegula dark purple brown with a weak brassy sheen; axilla with a weak coppery purple sheen; scutellum less shiny than mesoscutum, but with a very weak coppery purple sheen, extreme side and apex more shiny and slightly brassy; mesopleuron with a moderate purplish sheen; all coxae white; fore femur white proximally, pale orange distally, tibia and tarsus pale orange; mid femur white proximally, pale orange distally with dorsal margin narrowly brown subapically, tibia white at extreme base, otherwise pale orange with a short, subbasal, brown stripe dorsally, spur and tarsus pale orange; extreme base of hind femur white, remainder pale orange, tibia pale orange, tarsus slightly dusky pale orange; wings hyaline, fore wing with a very small, weakly infuscate area immediately below marginal vein ( Fig. 225); propodeum dark brown with a weak brassy and purple sheen; gaster dark brown dorsally with brassy, purple, blue, green and coppery reflections, venter pale orange with apex of outer plate of ovipositor dark brown; gonostylus dark brown.

Head ( Fig. 223) about 2.3X as wide as frontovertex, in profile about 1.5X as high as deep, tangent to frontovertex forming an angle of about 105° with that of face occipital margin sharp, not carinate; no distinct oval depression adjacent to eye near occipital margin; ocelli forming an angle of about 90°; frontovertex slightly widening in front of anterior ocellus with moderately deep, polygonally reticulate sculpture of mesh size subequal to eye facet; temple and gena with relatively shallow, slightly longitudinally elongate, fine, polygonally reticulate sculpture; top of scrobes with shallow, regular, polygonally reticulate sculpture; interantennal prominence and mouth margin with shallow, polygonally reticulate sculpture; scrobes shallow, indistinctly margined, broadly ∩-shaped; interantennal prominence dorsally acute; antenna as in Fig. 224; scape slightly broadened and flattened, about 3.1X as long as broad; funicle with all segments clearly longer than broad, subequal, but gradually increasing in size distally, linear sensilla present only on F3-F6, also F1 on one antenna; clava slender, about 4X as long as broad, about 1.2X as wide as F6, and very slightly longer than F4-F6 combined, sutures parallel, sensory area small, at apex only giving it a pointed appearance; eye slightly overreaching occipital margin, clothed with conspicuous setae, each about as long as diameter of facet; malar sulcus present, distinct; clypeal margin concave, medially very slightly produced and straight; mandible tridentate with 2 lower, acute teeth and an upper, slightly shorter, rounded tooth; palp formula 3-2. Relative measurements: HW 52, HH 39.5, FV 22.5, POL 9.5, OOL 2.5, OCL 3.5 AOL 7, EL 30, EW 23.5, MS 11.5, SL 22, SW 7.

Thorax ( Fig. 229) with pronotum hardly exposed behind head, its posterior margin broadly concave, not angular medially; pronotum and mesoscutum with polygonally reticulate sculpture that is similar to that in ocellar area, but perhaps slightly shallower; axilla with transversely elongate reticulate sculpture that is shallower than that on mesoscutum; scutellum ( Fig. 229) dorsally with fine, polygonally reticulate sculpture that is clearly deeper than that on mesoscutum, sculpture more longitudinally elongate laterally, extreme side and apex completely smooth and shiny; visible part of mesoscutum about 1.9X as broad as long; scutellum about 1.2X as broad as long with 4 pairs of setae; mid tibial spur about as long as basitarsus; hind femur about 3.9X as long as broad; mid tibial spur about as long as basitarsus; mid basitarsus with 4 or 5 ventral pegs; fore wing with venation and setation as in Figs 225, 227, stigmal vein slightly longer than either postmarginal or marginal veins; propodeum ( Fig. 229) medially about 0.08X as long as scutellum. Relative measurements: FWL 72, FWW 31; HWL 48, HWW 10.5.

Gaster with hypopygium ( Fig. 228) reaching about 0.8X towards apex; last tergite about 0.8X as long as mid tibia, with apex rounded, almost truncate; ovipositor ( Fig. 226) exserted, the exserted part about 2.3X as long as mid tibial spur or about 0.6X mid tibia. Relative measurements: OL 111.5, GL 40 [MT 52].

Variation. Females vary in overall length from 1.05-1.36mm, otherwise little variation noted in material examined.

Male: length 0.71-0.88mm. Generally similar to female but for slightly darker legs and structure of antenna and genitalia. Legs generally slightly darker than those of female with hind coxa and femur mostly dark brown; antenna (Hab. 37) with all funicle segments at least 3X as long as broad with segments gradually increasing in length and width distally and F6 about one-third longer than F1, all segments clothed with whorls of long setae, dorsal ones longest and at least 6-7X as long as diameter of segments.

DISTRIBUTION. Costa Rica.

HOSTS. Unknown.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.

Type material. Holotype E: COSTA RICA, Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva , 10°26’N 84°01’W, 75m, ii.2003 (J.S. Noyes) . Paratypes: COSTA RICA, 1E, Alajuela, Res. Priv. Selva Verde, 10°27’N 84°04’W, 75m, 13.iii.2005 (C. Hansson); 1E , Heredia, Estacion Biologica La Selva, 10°26’N 84°01’W, 75m, 1-2. iii.2007 (J.S. Noyes); 10E, 8G, Heredia, Estacion Biologica La Selva, 10°26’N 84°01’W, 75m, 28-29. ii.2008 (J.S. Noyes); 7E, Heredia, Estacion Biologica La Selva , 10°26’N 84°01’W, 75m, 24-25.ii.2011 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Heredia, Estacion Biologica La Selva , 10°26’N 84°01’W, 75m, 22-24.ii.2012 (J.S. Noyes); 1G, Heredia, Estacion Biologica La Selva , 10°26’N 84°01’W, 75m, 25-27.ii.2015 (J.S. Noyes) . Holotype in NHMUK, paratypes in NHMUK, MZUCR and USNM .