Encarsia fasciola, 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 : 2164-2165

35. Encarsia fasciola n. sp.

( Figures 116–118 )

Description (holotype)

Female. Colour: head brown, darker below antennal toruli. Mesosoma light brown except pronotum, mesoscutum anteriorly, and propodeum darker. Metasoma predominantly brown. Antenna yellow. Fore wing slightly brown with dark band behind marginal vein which is proximally darker and getting lighter distally, basal cell distally infuscate. Legs pale, hind coxa and femur darker.

Morphology: stemmaticum with rugose-reticulate surface sculpture. Antennal formula 1,1,3,3. Pedicel subequal in length to F1. F1 2.2 times as long as its maximum width, shorter than F2 (0.80) and F3 (0.82). F2 and F3 subequal in length. Flagellomeres with the following numbers of sensilla: F1: 1, F2: 2, F3: 3, F4: 4–5, F5: 4–5, F6: 4. Midlobe of mesoscutum with four setae, arranged symmetrically, 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 slightly greater than between posterior pair. Fore wing 2.4 times as long as width of disc. Marginal fringe 0.21 times as long as width of disc. Basal cell with four setae. Submarginal vein with two setae, marginal vein anteriorly with eight setae. Tarsal formula 5-5-5. Apical spur of midtibia longer than half the length of the corresponding basitarsus (0.78). Tergites laterally with the following numbers of setae: T1: 0, T2: 1, T3: 1, T4: 1, T5: 2–3, T6: 3, T7 with four or five setae. Ovipositor subequal in length to midtibia and 1.20 times as long as clava. Third valvula 0.41 times as long as second valvifer.

Male. Unknown.

Species group placement. E. smithi group.

Distribution. Australia: New South Wales.

Host. Unknown.

Material examined New South Wales: Holotype: ♀, Tooloom Plateau, 14 km W Urbenville, 14 February

1984 (I. D. Naumann) (ANIC).

Comments

This species resembles E. smithi but can be separated by the three-segmented clava, fewer setae on the mesoscutum and different wing infuscation.

Figures

Figures 116–118. Encarsia fasciola n. sp., female. (116) Mesosoma and gaster. (117) Antenna. (118) Fore wing.