Cheiloneurus albinotatus De Santis.

Noyes, John Stuart, 2023, ENCYRTIDAE OF COSTA RICA (HYMENOPTERA: CHALCIDOIDEA), 4 Subfamily Encyrtinae: tribes Arrhenophagini, Habrolepidini, Cerapterocerini, Cheiloneurini, Trechnitini, Cercobelini, Polaszekiini, Protyndarichoidini, Gahaniellini and Syrphophagini (part), mainly primary parasitoids and hyperparasitoids of Coccoidea and Psylloidea (Hemiptera), Taxonomic Monographs on Neotropical Hymenoptera (Oxford, England) 2 (11), pp. 1-921 : 383-384

Cheiloneurus albinotatus De Santis.

( Figs 972-976)

Cheiloneurus albinotatus De Santis, 1964:351-353 . Holotype E, Argentina, MLP , image examined.

DIAGNOSIS. Female (length about 1.9-2.0mm): body mostly orange with mesoscutum and metanotum dark brown and gaster orange-brown, darker areas with a weak to moderate metallic sheen; antenna ( Fig. 974) with scape pale orange; pedicel brown; flagellum dark brown, but with F1 partially white and F2-F3 white; mesoscutum clothed with dense silvery setae; fore and hind coxae white, mid coxa pale orange; legs white to pale orange; fore wing ( Fig. 975) mostly infuscate with basal cell hyaline, a small hyaline area at apex of venation and a similar area opposite wing margin, apex narrowly hyaline; head ( Fig. 973) about 4.7X as wide as frontovertex, in facial view slightly longer than broad, genae strongly converging and hardly curved; frontovertex with about 10 inconspicuous setae medially between anterior ocellus and scrobes; eye separated from scrobe by about 2.5X diameter of anterior ocellus, area between eye and scrobe with conspicuous sculpture, scrobes shallow with margin rounded; interantennal prominence with about 15 inconspicuous setae and dorsally rounded; mandible tridentate; antenna ( Fig. 974) with scape about 6.5X as long as broad; funicle with F1-F3 longer than broad, F4 quadrate, F5-F6 transverse; head width about equal to length of F1-F5 combined; linear sensilla on F1-F6; clava 3-segmented, about as long as F4-F6 combined; sensory area enlarged and forming an oblique truncation, extending nearly 0.5X along ventral margin; mesoscutum ( Fig. 976) overall with uniform, coarse, polygonally reticulate sculpture; scutellum with a distinct, apical tuft of setae; wings fully developed; fore wing ( Fig. 975) nearly 3.3X as long as broad; parastigma clearly downcurved; costal cell dorsally naked and ventrally with virtually a complete line of setae, but this is narrowly interrupted above parastigma; area below proximal part of parastigma with a group of about 45 setae; apices of postmarginal and stigmal veins connected by a naked hyaline area that hardly continues into disc ( Fig. 972); apical bristle of postmarginal vein slightly more than 0.2X as long as marginal vein; mid tibial spur very slightly longer than basitarsus; propodeum ( Fig. 976) with about 18 setae adjacent to spiracle, side naked; gaster without “gland-like” structures on Gt1 or Gt5; syntergum hardly longer than mid tibia; ovipositor about 37X gonostylus or about 1.4X as long as mid tibia; gonostylus hardly longer than mid tibial spur; exserted part of ovipositor about 0.6X as long as mid tibial spur. Male: unknown.

DISTRIBUTION. Costa Rica (new record), Argentina.

HOSTS. Unknown.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.

Type material (digital images): Holotype E, on slide: “ Cheiloneurus albinotatus Det. De Santis HOLOTIPO 1970 /1 MUSEO DE LA PLATA ”, “Baradero (Prov. de Bs. As.) Col. Exp. Museo 19/I/ 1960 X E”. Paratypes, 1E, on slide: “ Cheiloneurus albinotatus Det. De Santis PARATIPO 1970 /2 MUSEO DE LA PLATA ”, “Cazon ( Prov. de Bs. As. ) Col. Exp. Museo 11/II/1960 ” ( MLP) .

Non type material. COSTA RICA, 1E, Guanacaste, Santa Rosa NP, Bosq. Hum. 12-C, 24.v-14.vi.1986

(D. Janzen, I.D. Gauld). Material in NHMUK.

COMMENTS. Through the kindness of Daniel Aquino ( MLP) I have examined digital images of the holotype and paratype females of this species. It is a very characteristic species and the images agree very well with the unique Costa Rican specimen differing only in a few minor details. I therefore I have no hesitation in identifying the specimen from Costa Rica as this species .