Encarsia perseus (Girault)

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 : 2217-2219

70. Encarsia perseus (Girault)

( Figures 220–223 )

Coccophagus ashmeadi perseus Girault 1917a [312], p 29. Lectotype ♀ [designated by Viggiani 1986: 69], Australia, Western Australia, Swan River (USNM, type no. 20683, examined).

Prospaltella persea (Girault) : Compere 1931, p 11. Change of status and combination.

Coccophagus ashmeadi perseus Girault : Dahms 1983, p 59

Encarsia persea (Girault) : Viggiani 1986, p 69–70. Change of combination. (As Girault did not state whether the epithet ‘‘ perseus ’’ is an adjective or substantive, the latter is assumed, under ICZN 1999, Code Articles 31.2.2 and 34.2.1).

Redescription (lectotype)

Female. Colour: head and mesosoma yellow, gaster dark brown. Antenna yellow. Fore wing with dark band behind marginal vein. Legs yellow.

Morphology: antennal formula 1,1,3,3. Collapsed antenna apparently with pedicel slightly longer than F1 and F1 slightly shorter than F2 and F3. F2 subequal in length to F3. Midlobe of mesoscutum with four setae. Scutellar sensilla indiscernible, but distance between anterior pair of scutellar setae greater than between posterior pair, indicating distantly placed sensilla. Fore wing about 2.7 times as long as width of disc. Marginal fringe 0.30 times as long as width of disc. Basal cell with three setae. Submarginal vein with one seta, marginal vein anteriorly with five setae. Tarsal formula 5-5-5. Apical spur of midtibia distinctly longer than half the length of the corresponding basitarsus (0.81). Ovipositor shorter than midtibia (0.83). Third valvula slightly less than half the length of the second valvifer.

Male. Unknown.

Species group placement. Not established.

Distribution. Australia: Western Australia.

Host. Unknown.

Figures

Figures 220–223. Encarsia perseus (Girault), holotype female. (220) Type specimen. (221) Mesosoma and base of gaster. (222) Antenna. (223) Fore wing.