Encarsia bunyae, Schmidt & Polaszek, 2007

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 : 2142-2144

20. Encarsia bunyae n. sp.

( Figures 70–72 )

Description

Female. Colour: head light brown except vertex posteriorly with dark bar, postgena, gena, malar space, and area around mouth brown. Mesosoma brown except mesoscutum posteriorly, scutellum and metanotum lighter. Gaster brown except apex pale. Antenna light brown, apical segment slightly darker. Fore wing with dark band behind marginal vein. Legs pale except mid and hind coxae and hind femur brown.

Morphology: stemmaticum with reticulate surface sculpture. Antennal formula 1,1,6,0, i.e. clava not defined. Pedicel longer than F1 (1.42–1.44). F1 1.39–1.50 times as long as its maximum width, distinctly shorter than F2 (0.40–0.44) and F3 (0.41–0.47). F2 subequal in length to F3. Antenna very slender, F2 and F3 each about three times as long as their maximum width. Flagellomeres with the following numbers of sensilla: F1: 0, F2: 2–3, F3:3– 4, F4: 3, F5: 4–5, F6: 3–4. Midlobe of mesoscutum with (9–)10(–11) setae, side lobes with two setae each. Scutellar sensilla widely separated (approximately five times the maximum width of a sensillum). Distance between anterior pair of scutellar setae smaller than distance between posterior pair. Fore wing 2.3–2.5 times as long as width of disc. Marginal fringe 0.17–0.23 times as long as width of disc. Basal cell with two setae. Submarginal vein with two setae, marginal vein anteriorly with six or seven setae. Tarsal formula 5-5-5. Apical spur of midtibia slightly longer than half the length of the corresponding basitarsus (0.60–0.68). Tergites laterally with the following numbers of setae: T1: 0, T2: 1, T3: 2–4(–5), T4: 3–4(– 7), T5: 4–8, T6: 4–5(–8), T7 with four setae. Ovipositor 1.23–1.30 times as long as midtibia. Third valvula 0.40–0.43 times as long as second valvifer.

Male. Unknown.

Species group placement. E. smithi group.

Distribution. Australia: Queensland.

Host. Aleyrodidae : Aleurocanthus sp.

Material examined

Queensland: Holotype: ♀, Bunya Mountains, 22 February 1997 (P. De Barro), ex Aleurocanthus sp. on Ficus sp. (Moraceae) (ANIC). Paratypes: 4♀, same data as holotype (ANIC, ZSMG).

Comments

Encarsia bunyae is similar to E. smithi but can be separated by the weak sculpture of the propodeum, whereas the propodeum of E. smithi is distinctly reticulate. Encarsia smithi has not been recorded from Australia but was found by W. Liebregts on Truk Islands ( Federated States of Micronesia) as a parasitoid of a black whitefly (possibly citrus blackfly, Aleurocanthus woglumi Ashby ) on Citrus aurantiifolia .

Figures

Figures 70–72. Encarsia bunyae n. sp., female. (70) Mesosoma and gaster. (71) Antenna. (72) Fore wing.