Aloencyrtus saissetiae (Compere)

Prinsloo, Rd. L., 2010, On some Afrotropical species of Aloencyrtus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae): parasitoids of soft scales (Hemiptera: Coccidae), Zootaxa 2716, pp. 1-28 : 23-24

Aloencyrtus saissetiae (Compere)

( Figs 8 27, 46)

Microterys saissetiae Compere 1939: 17 ; 1940: 420.

Aloencyrtus saissetiae ; Prinsloo 1978: 302; 1981: 102.

Diagnosis. Aloencyrtus saissetiae was originally briefly described in a key to African species of Microterys by Compere (1939) and later described and illustrated in detail by Compere (1940). This distinctive and well known species is distinguished as follows:

Female. Length: 1.3–1.7 mm. Colour: head and thorax uniformly brownish-yellow to almost orange, the mesoscutum darker with weak to strong purple and green reflections, the apex of scutellum with a similar tinge in some specimens; gaster blackish with a metallic tinge. Antenna concolorous with head save club blackish in contrast. Forewing ( Fig. 8) strongly infuscated from base of linea calva to hyaline cross-band, the disc beyond the band equally strongly darkened. Legs concolorous with thorax.

Head about 3x as wide as frontovertex, anterior margin of the latter deeply notched in the middle; head in frontal view ( Fig. 27) with scrobes distinctly inverted V-shaped; frontovertex from occipital margin to upper limits of scrobes with minute scattered punctations, the face and genae without punctations. Antenna ( Fig. 46) with pedicel almost 2x as long as basal funicle segment; funicle segments subequal in length, becoming progressively broader, usually with segments I–III each a little longer than wide, IV quadrate, V and VI wider than long; club as long as the apical three funicle segments combined.

Thorax with sculpture of mesoscutum, axillae and scutellum with similarly shaped cellulate-reticulate sculpture, the cells small, mostly hexagonal in shape, those on scutellum and axillae with margins thickened, lending these areas a coarse, granular appearance in contrast to the somewhat polished mesoscutum. Forewing ( Fig. 8) about 2.3x as long as broad; marginal vein almost 1.5x as long as postmarginal, the latter a little more than half as long as stigmal vein; refractive setae confined to hyaline cross band fine but clearly discernible.

Gaster short, almost as long as thorax in dry specimens; ovipositor about 1.4x as long as middle tibia, gonostyli short, triangular in shape, about 0.6x as long as middle tibial spur, protruding slightly caudally.

Male. As described by Compere (1940).

Remarks. Aloencyrtus saissetiae is easily distinguished from its congeners in the female by its distinctive colour. In addition, it is readily separated from all other species with similar forewing maculation by several characters, of which antennal shape, in which the pedicel is almost 2x as long as basal funicle segment, and the weakly convex scutellum with characteristic granular sculpture are the most obvious.

Aloencyrtus saissetiae was first described by Compere (1939) from material originating from Uganda and imported into California, USA for the biological control of Saissetia oleae ( Compere 1940) . It failed to establish in the USA and was subsequently also introduced to Israel, but information about its establishment is not available ( Noyes & Hayat 1994). Other extra-limital records include DeSantis (1980), who lists A. saissetiae from Brazil.

Aloencyrtus saissetiae appears to be wide spread in the Afrotropical region and has been recorded from West and East Africa in addition to a large number of southern African localities, as indicated by the study material at hand.

Known distribution. South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Kenya, Ivory Coast;? Brazil.

Material examined. SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape: Stellenbosch, viii.1979, S. Neser, Lab. culture ex Coccus hesperidum on Nerium oleander (2 ♀, 14 ♂; T 5775); Jeffreys Bay, i.1979, S. Neser, ex Cryptinglisia lounsburyi Cockerell on Pelargonium vitifolium (6 ♀, 4 ♂; T 5546); same data except with Octococcus pentziae (Hall) on Metalasia sp. (1 ♀, 3 ♂; T 5956) and ex Saissetia sp. on Solanum ? quadrangulare (7 ♀, 7 ♂; T 5548); Jeffreys Bay, v.1980, S. Neser, ex Coccus anneckei De Lotto on Solanum quadrangulare (8 ♀, 15 ♂; T 6188); Eastern Cape: Patensie, S. Neser, i.1980, ex Saissetia prob. oleae on Celtis africana (3 ♀, 10 ♂; T 6092); Port Alfred, xi.1979, S. Neser, ex Saissetia ? oleae on Solanum quadrangulare (9 ♀, 4 ♂; T 6121); Gauteng: Pretoria, v.1979, S. Neser, ex Saissetia ? jocunda De Lotto on Celtis africana (6 ♀, 4 ♂; T 5770); North West: Rustenburg, iii.1979, S. Neser, ex Saissetia ? chimanimanae Hodgson (9 ♀, 9 ♂; T 5627); Mpumalanga: Selonsrivier, i.1993, G.L. Prinsloo, ex soft scale insects on Maytenus sp. (4 ♀, 4 ♂; T 6993); KwaZulu-Natal: St. Winifred, xi.1970, H.P. Insley, ex Ceroplastes sp. on Chaetacme aristata (3 ♀, 2 ♂; T 3667); Park Rynie, i. 1972, G.L. Prinsloo, ex Saissetia somereni on Croton sylvaticus (1 ♀, 1 ♂; T 4171). ZIMBABWE: Figtree, x.1965, D.P. Annecke, ex Ceroplastes sp. on garden shrub (1 ♀); Harare, v. 1983, A. Watsham, by sweeping (2 ♀); same data except Chishawasha, x.1982 and v.1984 (4 ♀; in BMNH). MALAWI: Mtumthama, vii-ix.1983, J. Feehan (1 ♀; in BMNH). KENYA: Nairobi, 1982, C.F. Dewhurst (1 ♀; in BMNH); IVORY COAST: Sassandra, 26.ii-1.iii.1984, M. Matthews (1 ♀; in BMNH). USA: California: Riverside, i.1938, H. Compere, Lab. Culture ex Saissetia oleae (6 ♀); same data except vi.1939, G. Finney (10 ♀; T 1545). ISRAEL: Gan Efrahim, v.1980 (15 ♀, 3 ♂).