Encarsia aseta Hayat and Polaszek

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 : 2127-2128

10. Encarsia aseta Hayat and Polaszek

( Figures 34–37 )

Encarsia aseta Hayat and Polaszek 1992, p 107 . Holotype ♀, India, Maharashtra, Nagpur, 11 March 1987 (M. R. Lad), ex Dialeurolonga elongata Dozier on Citrus sp. (BMNH, examined).

Encarsia aseta Hayat and Polaszek : Hayat 1998, p 191 –192, Huang and Polaszek 1998, p 1844 –1845.

Diagnosis

Female. Colour: body entirely yellow. Fore wing hyaline.

Morphology: stemmaticum with reticulate surface sculpture ( Figure 36 ). Antennal formula 1,1,3,3. Pedicel longer than F1 (1.40–1.47). F1 1.77–2.00 times as long as its maximum width, slightly shorter than F2 (0.85–0.91) and F3 (0.71–0.79). F2 shorter than F3 (0.82–0.89). Flagellomeres with the following numbers of sensilla: F1: 0, F2: 1, F3: 2, F4: 2–3, F5: 3–4, F6: 3–4. Midlobe of mesoscutum without setae, side lobes with one seta each. Scutellar sensilla widely separated (approximately 11–12 times the maximum width of a sensillum). Distance between anterior pair of scutellar setae greater than between posterior pair. Fore wing with bare area, 3.0–3.1 times as long as width of disc. Marginal fringe 0.59–0.66 times as long as width of disc. Basal cell with one seta or none. Submarginal vein with two setae, marginal vein anteriorly with five setae. Tarsal formula 5- 5-5. Apical spur of midtibia longer than half the length of the corresponding basitarsus (0.65–0.68). Tergites laterally with the following numbers of setae: T1: 0, T2: 1, T3: 1, T4: 1, T5: 2, T6: 2, T7 with four setae. Ovipositor shorter than midtibia (0.61–0.67) and 0.68– 0.83 times as long as clava. Third valvula 0.60–0.63 times as long as second valvifer.

Male. Unknown.

Species group placement. E. parvella group.

Distribution. Australia: Northern Territory, Western Australia. China, Hawaii, India.

Host. Aleyrodidae : Aleuroplatus pectiniferus Quaintance and Baker , Aleurolobus sp. The following additional hosts have been recorded: Aleurotrachelus sp. ( Huang and Polaszek 1998), Dialeurolonga elongata Dozier ( Hayat and Polaszek 1992) .

Additional material examined

Northern Territory: 3♀, Keep River National Park, 3 May 2000 (S. and O. Schmidt), ex Aleuroplatus pectiniferus on Hakea arborescens (Proteaceae) (ANIC, ZSMG). Western Australia: 1♀, Barton Plains (14 ° 109S, 126 ° 539E), 18 June 1997 (G. Bellis), ex Aleurolobus sp. on Eucalyptus bigalerita (Myrtaceae) (ANIC).

Figures

Figures 34–37. Encarsia aseta Hayat and Polaszek, female. (34) Mesosoma and gaster. (35) Antenna. (36) Stemmaticum. (37) Fore wing.