Anagyrus aciculatus ( Blanchard, 1940 )

Triapitsyn, Serguei V., Logarzo, Guillermo A., Aguirre, María B. & Aquino, Daniel A., 2014, Two new species of Anagyrus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) from Argentina, parasitoids of Hypogeococcus spp. (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), with taxonomic notes on some congeneric taxa, Zootaxa 3861 (3), pp. 201-230 : 203-204

Anagyrus aciculatus ( Blanchard, 1940)

( Figs 1, 2 )

Protanagyrus aciculatus Blanchard 1940: 116 –118. Type locality: Concordia (San Antonio de Padua de la Concordia), Entre Ríos, Argentina. Subsequent reference: Loiácono et al. 2001: 157 (type information).

Anagyrus aciculatus (Blanchard) : De Santis 1964: 71 –73 (redescription, illustrations, host associations, type information); De Santis 1967: 150 (catalog); Noyes 1980: 173 (list); Noyes 2000: 76 (mentioned).

Type material examined. Lectotype female [ MLPA] of Protanagyrus aciculatus Blanchard , here designated to avoid any possible confusion regarding the status of the type specimens of this taxon, on slide ( Fig. 1 ) labeled originally: 1. “Cóccido 3192 Concordia Hayward V-1939 2687/1 [in blue ink, MLPA type number added later]”; 2. “♀ Protanagyrus aciculatus n.g. et sp.”. The lectotype is in poor condition, with head plus antennae detached from the body which is mounted dorsoventrally; the mounting medium is strongly darkened.

2 ♀ paralectotypes [ MLPA] on slide labeled originally: 1. “LAB. ZOOLOGIA AGRICOLA ex. Coccido 3192 Concordia Leg. Hayward V/1939 ”; 2. “LAB. ZOOLOGIA AGRICOLA Protanagyrus aciculatus n.g. et sp. det. Cotipes”. Both specimens are collapsed and very poorly mounted in a strongly darkened medium under the same coverslip.

Loiácono et al. (2001) incorrectly stated that there was only one original syntype of this species in MLPA, but we found all three specimens mentioned by De Santis (1964).

Distribution. Argentina: Entre Ríos ( Blanchard 1940; De Santis 1964, 1967). The record of A. aciculatus from Santa Rosa, La Pampa, which was based on one female in MLPA ( De Santis 1964, 1967), needs verification.

Host.? Eriococcus sp. ( Hemiptera : Eriococcidae ) ( Blanchard 1940; De Santis 1964).

Taxonomic notes. Blanchard (1940) described this species from an unspecified number of females. The scape of the female antenna ( Fig. 2 ) is strongly broadened and darkened medially; and F1 is only partially dark brown or black (a little less than the basal half), the rest of the funicle segments and the clava being yellowish white ( Blanchard 1940). Because specimens of the type series are so poorly mounted, it is difficult to see the natural coloration of the flagellar segments; in the lectotype, a little more than the apical half of F1, F2–F6, and the clava appear to be partially darkened ( Fig. 2 ). De Santis (1964, p. 71, his fig. 19) thus incorrectly illustrated the female antenna of A. aciculatus in regard to the color of F1, which is shown as being entirely black.

Anagyrus aciculatus appears to be very similar to A. pseudococci s. str., as noted by John S. Noyes (personal communication, in review). Because its type specimens are so poorly preserved, we prefer to postpone any decisions about possible conspecificity (or otherwise) until freshly collected, good quality specimens of A. aciculatus become available. In the key above, we separate the two nominal species based on a different coloration of the flagellar segments of the female antenna, while keeping in mind that the apparent partial darkening of the flagellar segments could be an artifact possibly due to poor preservation methods with regard to A. aciculatus . That, however, may not necessarily be the case because according to Noyes (2000), this feature is also known for A. phya Noyes & Menezes from Costa Rica.

Figures

FIGURES 1, 2. Anagyrus aciculatus ♀ (lectotype): 1, slide; 2, antenna.