Encarsia chaetogastra, 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 : 2148-2149

24. Encarsia chaetogastra n. sp.

( Figures 82–84 )

Description

Female. Colour: head yellow, face with transverse brown band between eyes. Mesosoma yellow except pronotum, mesoscutal midlobe anteromedially, mesoscutal side lobes anteriorly, axilla laterally, mesepimeron, and propodeum laterally brown. Metasoma dark brown except at extreme apex pale. Antenna yellow except F5 (mostly) and F6 brown. Fore wing hyaline with distinct dark band behind marginal vein. Legs yellow.

Morphology: stemmaticum with evenly reticulate surface sculpture. Antennal formula 1,1,3,3. Pedicel shorter than F1 (0.80–0.83). F1 2.4–2.5 times as long as its maximum width, slightly shorter than F2 (0.86–0.90) and F3 (0.94–0.97). F2 and F3 subequal in length. Flagellomeres with the following numbers of sensilla: F1: 0, F2: 1–2, F3: 1–2, F4: 2–3, F5: 2–3, F6: 2. Midlobe of mesoscutum with 10–12 setae, posterior and anterolateral pair of setae stronger than remaining setae on mesoscutal midlobe. Side lobes with three setae each. Scutellar sensilla separated by a distance of two to three times the maximum width of a sensillum. Distance between anterior pair of scutellar setae greater than distance between posterior pair. Fore wing 2.6–2.8 times as long as width of disc. Marginal fringe 0.14–0.17 times as long as width of disc. Basal cell with seven or eight setae. Submarginal vein with two setae and at its proximal end with a single long seta, marginal vein anteriorly with nine setae. Marginal vein at its proximal end with a single long seta. Tarsal formula 5- 5-5. Apical spur of midtibia distinctly longer than half the length of the corresponding basitarsus (0.79–0.86), the latter with row of six or seven strong pegs. T5 medially with a pair of very long setae reaching back as far as base of T7. Tergites laterally with the following numbers of setae: T1: 0, T2: 1, T3: 1, T4: 1, T5: 1 (except long medial setae), T6: 2, T7 with four setae. Ovipositor shorter than midtibia (0.8). Third valvula very short, 0.2 times as long as second valvifer.

Male. Unknown.

Species group placement. Tentatively placed in E. elegans group.

Distribution. Australia: Queensland.

Host. Aleyrodidae : Dumbletoniella sp.

Material examined Queensland: Holotype: ♀, Brisbane, Brookfield, 9 July 2002 (M. Coombs), ex

Dumbletoniella sp. on Argyrodendron trifoliatum F. Muell. (Sterculiaceae) (ANIC). Paratypes: 3♀, same data as holotype (ANIC); 2♀, 1 „, 24 June 2003, same locality as holotype (ANIC, ZSMG); 1 „, Brisbane, Rafting Ground Res., 20 April 2003, ex Dumbletoniella sp. on Argyrodendron trifoliatum (ANIC) .

Figures

Figures 82–84. Encarsia chaetogastra n. sp., female. (82) Mesosoma and gaster. (83) Antenna. (84) Fore wing.