Encarsia accenta Schmidt and Naumann

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 : 2113-2114

1. Encarsia accenta Schmidt and Naumann

( Figures 5–7 ) Encarsia accenta Schmidt and Naumann in Schmidt et al. 2001, p 371. Holotype ♀,

Australia, South Australia, Renmark, 4 January 1997 (P. De Barro), ex Bemisia tabaci on Atriplex rhagodioides F. Muell. (5 Atriplex amnicola Paul G. Wilson )

( Chenopodiaceae ) (ANIC, examined).

Diagnosis

Female. Colour: head yellow, with transverse brown band between eyes in frontal view, sometimes head largely brown with vertex and lower head lighter. Mesosoma light brown, scutellum lighter and propodeum darker than rest of mesosoma. Metasoma largely pale yellow to white, at base with sharply defined narrow dark brown band, T4 laterally and T5 with complete narrow dark brown band anteriorly. Antenna yellow with scape, pedicel, and apical segments darker. Fore wing hyaline. Legs yellow.

Morphology: stemmaticum with rugose-reticulate surface sculpture. Antennal formula 1,1,4,2. Pedicel longer than F1 (1.26–1.30). F1 2.16–2.50 times as long as its maximum width, slightly shorter than F2 (0.83–0.93) and F3 (0.82–0.88). Flagellomeres with the following numbers of sensilla: F1: 0, F2: 1, F3: 2, F4: 3, F5: 3, F6: 3. Midlobe of mesoscutum with eight setae, arranged symmetrically, side lobes with three setae each. Mesoscutal midlobe, axillae, and scutellum with rather fine but distinctive reticulation, cells with distinct internal striations. Scutellar sensilla widely separated (approximately seven times the maximum width of a sensillum). Distance between anterior pair of scutellar setae greater than between posterior pair. Fore wing 2.4 times as long as width of disc. Marginal fringe 0.26–0.29 times as long as width of disc. Submarginal vein with two setae, marginal vein anteriorly with seven to nine setae. Basal cell with seven or eight setae. Tarsal formula 5-5-5. Apical spur of midtibia distinctly shorter than half the length of the corresponding basitarsus (0.27–0.36). Tergites laterally with the following numbers of setae: T1: 2, T2: 2–3, T3: 2, T4: 2, T5: 3, T6: 3, T7 with four setae. Ovipositor subequal in length to midtibia (0.99–1.04). Third valvula 0.32–0.34 times as long as second valvifer.

Male. Overall colour of mesosoma brown. Mesoscutal midlobe, side lobes, and scutellum lighter. Metasoma predominantly brown. Legs yellow except coxae brown and hind femur slightly darkened. Antennae yellow with pedicel darkened. Head predominantly brown, top of head lighter. Apical two segments of antenna fused and sensilla partly overlapping.

Species group placement. E. inaron group.

Distribution. Australia: New South Wales, South Australia.

Host. Aleyrodidae : Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) .

Additional material examined

New South Wales: 1♀, Barrrington Tops, nr Moppy Lookout, 11 February 1984 (I. D. Naumann) ( ANIC) . 1♀, 100 km S by E Broken Hill (32 ° 519S, 141 ° 379E), 3–13 October

Figures

Figures 5–7. Encarsia accenta Schmidt and Naumann, female. (5) Mesosoma and gaster. (6) Antenna. (7) Fore wing.