Psyllaephagus thonis Noyes & Hanson, 1996

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 : 598-599

Psyllaephagus thonis Noyes & Hanson

(Figs 1583-1586; Hab. E 236)

Psyllaephagus thonis Noyes & Hanson, 1996 :127,135-136. Holotype E, Costa Rica, NHMUK, examined.

Female (length about 1.7-1.8mm): head with a very weak coppery purple and blue sheen; antenna (Fig. 1583) with scape dark brown, flagellum dark brown; mesoscutum with a very weak coppery purple and brassy sheen, scutellum with a relatively strong coppery purple and dark blue sheen; tegula brown; femora dark brown; tibiae yellow, each with an inconspicuous, narrow, pale brown, subbasal ring; head (Fig. 1585) about 2.5X as wide as frontovertex and 3.4X as wide as mouth opening; frontovertex with shallow piliferous punctures, hardly larger than an eye facet that are virtually indistinguishable from the relatively deep, polygonally reticulate sculpture; ocelli forming an angle of about 105°; posterior ocellus about equidistant from eye and occipital margins; scrobes shallow, separated from anterior ocellus by about 1.5X length of torulus; antenna (Fig. 1583) with scape about 4.8X as long as broad and slightly shorter than width of frontovertex; pedicel slightly longer than F1; funicle with F1-F4 longer than broad, F5 quadrate, F6 transverse, linear sensilla on all segments; clava with segments becoming gradually shorter towards apex, sensory area at apex enlarged and extending about 0.4X along ventral surface; clypeal margin slightly convex and protuberant; mandible with one tooth and a broad truncation; mesoscutum with slightly shallower sculpture than that on scutellum; scutellum convex; fore wing (Fig. 1586) about 2.3X as long as broad, marginal vein (Fig. 1584) more or less punctiform; costal cell with only a single line of setae dorsally, linea calva closed; Gt3 without a distinct, strongly reticulate area anteromedially; ovipositor slightly longer than mid tibia and hidden, second valvifer with about 16-19 subapical setae. Male: unknown.

DISTRIBUTION. Costa Rica ( Noyes & Hanson, 1996).

HOSTS. Unknown.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.

Type material. HolotypeE: COSTA RICA, San José , Ciudad Colon, 800m, ii.1990 (L. Fournier). Holotype in NHMUK.

Non type material. COSTA RICA, 1E, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, Sector Catalina, LN 257400 400000, 250m, #54947, 8.i-8.ii.2000 (I. Jiménez); 1E, Guanacaste, ZP Nozara, Fila Maravilla, 800m, #66663, 24.xi- 21.xii.2001 (I. Jiménez). Material in MZUCR and NHMUK .

COMMENTS. Females of Psyllaephagus thonis are similar to those of alexion and ufens , all three having a generally similar colouration, elongate antennal segments, similar-sized piliferous punctures on the frontovertex, punctiform marginal vein, partially closed linea calva and hidden

ovipositor (see comments under ufens , p. 583 and alexion , p. 599).