Encarsia clara (Dodd)

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 : 2153-2154

27. Encarsia clara (Dodd)

( Figures 92–94 )

Coccophagus clarus Dodd 1917, p 352 –353. Holotype ♀, Australia, Northern Territory, Darwin, ex Aspidiotus on Eucalyptus miniatus (Myrtaceae) , 6 July 1915 (G. F. Hill) (QMBA, type no. 3899, examined). Encarsia clara (Dodd) : Viggiani 1985c, p 239 –240. Change of combination.

Redescription (holotype)

Female. Colour: head yellow, vertex brown. Body lemon-yellow, mesopleuron brown. Antenna yellow. Fore wing hyaline. Legs yellow.

Morphology: antennal formula 1,1,3,3. Pedicel longer than F1 (1.67). F1 1.4 times as long as its maximum width, slightly shorter than F2 and F3. F2 subequal in length to F3. Midlobe of mesoscutum with eight visible setae. Scutellar sensilla widely separated (approximately seven times the maximum width of a sensillum). Distance between anterior pair of scutellar setae subequal to distance between posterior pair. Fore wing with small bare area near stigmal vein, 2.3 times as long as width of disc. Marginal fringe about 0.3 times as long as width of disc. Basal cell with one seta. Submarginal vein with one seta, marginal vein anteriorly with six setae. Tarsal formula 5-5-5. Apical spur of midtibia subequal in length to corresponding basitarsus. Ovipositor longer than midtibia (1.3) and twice as long as clava. Third valvula about 0.25 times as long as second valvifer.

Male. Unknown.

Species group placement. Not established.

Distribution. Australia: Northern Territory.

Host. Diaspididae : Aspidiotus sp.

Comments

The species is characterized by the single seta on the submarginal vein in combination with the long midtibial spur and the asetose area in the fore wing near the stigmal vein.

Figures

Figures 92–94. Encarsia clara (Dodd), holotype female. (92) Body of type specimen. (93) Head and antennae. (94) Fore wing.