Aloencyrtus ugandensis (Compere)

Prinsloo, Rd. L., 2010, On some Afrotropical species of Aloencyrtus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae): parasitoids of soft scales (Hemiptera: Coccidae), Zootaxa 2716, pp. 1-28 : 25

Aloencyrtus ugandensis (Compere)

( Figs 12, 31, 51)

Coccidoxenus ugandensis Compere 1937: 44 .

Trichomasthus ugandensis ; Annecke & Insley 1971: 25.

Aloencyrtus ugandensis ; Prinsloo 1978: 302.

Diagnosis. Compere (1937) provided a fairly detailed description, without any illustrations of A. ugandensis , which is distinguished as follows:

Female. Length: 1.4–2.0 mm. Colour: head and body black, variably suffused with fairly strong bluish-green and purplish reflections, the scutellum with a distinct bluish-green and purple lustre. Shortly protruding gonostyli yellowish. Antenna dominantly brown or blackish-brown. Forewing ( Fig.12) palely infuscated from linea calva to pale cross-band, the disc beyond the band hyaline, densely covered with dark setae. Legs, excluding whitish tarsi, dominantly blackish-brown.

Head in dorsal view 3.3–3.5x as wide as frontovertex, anterior margin of the latter slightly convex, without a median notch; head in fontal view ( Fig. 31) with scrobes confluent above, with a small dorsal interscrobal fovea. Front aspect of head, except genae and temples, with well defined, scattered setigerous pits, the diameter of each only slightly less that that of median ocellus. Antenna ( Fig. 51) with pedicel as long as to a little longer than basal funicle segment, the latter 2.0–2.3 times as long as wide; funicle segments subequal in length, becoming gradually broader apically, II–IV each longer than wide, V quadrate, VI 1.1–1.3x wider than long; club a little broader than distal funicle segment, almost as long as distal three funicle segments combined.

Mesoscutum and axillae with fine, cellulate- reticulate sculpture, that of scutellum distinctly coarser, mostly longitudinally lineolate-reticulate. Forewing ( Fig.12) 2.5x as long as wide; marginal vein about 0.5x length of postmarginal, the latter about 0.5x as long as stigmal vein; fine setae confined to cross-band clearly discernible.

Gaster distinctly shorter than thorax; ovipositor about 1.4x as long as middle tibia; gonostyli elongate, 0.7x as long as middle tibial spur, protruding shortly caudally.

Male. Unknown.

Remarks. Several non-type female specimens from the same series as the types, are at hand.

Aloencyrtus ugandensis can be grouped with A. obscuratus , A. angustifrons , A. diaphorocerus and A. delottoi from which it is separated by a combination of characters as detailed in the foregoing key.

Known distribution. Uganda.

Material examined. UGANDA. 20.ix.1935 and 29.xi.1935, T . H.C. Taylor, ex Ceroplastes destructor (8 ♀; T 3153 ) .