Encarsia unfasciata (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 : 2251-2252

92. Encarsia unfasciata (Girault)

( Figures 292–294 )

Coccophagus unfasciata Girault 1915, p 54 , 56. Holotype ♀, Australia, Queensland, Gordonvale (Cairns), 18 May 1914 (QMBA, type no. Hy. 2941, examined).

Coccophagus unifasciata Girault : Girault 1928, p 3. Misspelling.

Prospaltella unifasciata (Girault) : Compere 1931, p 11. Change of combination.

Encarsia unfasciata (Girault) : Viggiani 1985c, p 253 –254. Change of combination.

Coccophagus unfasciata Girault : Dahms 1986, p 609.

Redescription (holotype)

Female. Colour: head and body yellow, pronotum, anterior margin of mesoscutal midlobe, mesopleuron, axilla, and propodeum darker. T4 laterally brown, T1 and T5 with transverse brown bands. Antenna yellow-white. Fore wing hyaline, slightly infuscate behind marginal vein. Legs white.

Morphology: antennal formula 1,1,3,3, F6 conical. Pedicel distinctly longer than F1 (1.72). F1 subquadrate and distinctly shorter than F2 (0.69) and F3 (0.64). F2 and F3 subequal in length. Flagellomeres with the following numbers of sensilla: F1: 0, F2: 0, F3: 1, F4: 3, F5: 3, F6: 3. Midlobe of mesoscutum with four setae. Scutellar sensilla widely separated (approximately six times the maximum width of a sensillum). Distance between anterior pair of scutellar setae subequal to distance between posterior pair. Fore wing about 2.9 times as long as width of disc. Marginal fringe 0.59 times as long as width of disc. Submarginal vein with two setae, marginal vein anteriorly with six setae. Basal cell with two setae. Tarsal formula 5-5-5. Apical spur of midtibia subequal in length to the corresponding basitarsus. Basitarsus of middle leg apically with distinct spine. Tergites laterally with the following numbers of setae: T1: 0, T2: 1, T3: 1, T4: 1 (setation of following tergites indiscernible). Ovipositor slightly longer than midtibia (1.10) and 1.26 times as long as clava. Third valvula approximately 0.35 times as long as second valvifer.

Male. Unknown.

Species group placement. E. inquirenda group sensu Hayat (1989a).

Distribution. Australia: Queensland.

Host. Unknown.

Comments

The species is characterized by the long marginal fore wing fringe, the sparse setation of the wings, and the conical F6. It is similar to inquirenda but differs by having the F1 subquadrate and distinctly shorter than F2 (longer than broad and subequal in length to F 2 in inquirenda ) and the ovipositor slightly longer than the middle tibia (subequal in inquirenda ).

Figures

Figures 292–294. Encarsia unfasciata (Girault), holotype female. (292) Type specimen. (293) Mesosoma. (294) Antenna.