Encarsia leptosa, 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 : 2177-2179

44. Encarsia leptosa n. sp.

( Figures 141–143 )

Description (holotype)

Female. Colour: head brown, upper half paler. Mesosoma brown except the following parts yellow: mesoscutal midlobe posteriorly, mesoscutal side lobes largely, inner angles of axillae, scutellum, and propodeum. Gaster brown. Antenna light brown. Fore wing with dark band behind marginal vein. Legs yellow except hind coxa brown.

Morphology: maxillary palp two-segmented. Antennal formula 1,1,6,0, i.e. clava not defined. Pedicel distinctly shorter than F1 (0.20). F1 3.1 times as long as its maximum width, subequal in length to F2 and F3. All flagellomeres with numerous (six to nine) sensilla. Midlobe of mesoscutum with 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 subequal to distance between posterior pair. Fore wing about 2.3 times as long as width of disc, in particular the latter densely setose. Marginal fringe short, 0.13 times as long as width of disc. Basal cell with about 20 setae. Submarginal vein with three setae, marginal vein anteriorly with 12 setae. Tarsal formula 5-5-5. Apical spur of midtibia about half the length of the corresponding basitarsus (0.46). Tergites laterally with the following numbers of setae: T1: 0, T2: 1, T3: 1, T4: 1, T5: 1–2, T6: 3, T7 with four setae. Ovipositor subequal in length to midtibia. Third valvula 0.37 times as long as second valvifer.

Male. Unknown.

Species group placement. Not established.

Distribution. Australia: Queensland.

Host. Unknown.

Material examined Queensland: Holotype: ♀, 14 km W by N of Hope Vale Mission (15 ° 169S, 144 ° 599E), 7–

10 May 1981 (I. D Naumann), ex ethanol (ANIC).

Comments

Encarsia leptosa is similar to E. pilosa but can be separated by having fewer setae on the mesoscutal midlobe, presence of a medial furrow on the scutellum, lack of a clava, and twosegmented maxillary palp.

Figures

Figures 141–143. Encarsia leptosa n. sp., holotype female. (141) Mesosoma and gaster. (142) Antenna. (143) Fore wing.