Aloencyrtus delottoi (Annecke)

Prinsloo, Rd. L., 2010, On some Afrotropical species of Aloencyrtus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae): parasitoids of soft scales (Hemiptera: Coccidae), Zootaxa 2716, pp. 1-28 : 12-13

Aloencyrtus delottoi (Annecke)

( Figs 13, 32, 52)

Coccidoxenus delottoi Annecke 1964: 403 .

Trichomasthus delottoi ; Annecke & Insley 1971: 25.

Aloencyrtus delottoi ; Prinsloo 1978: 301.

Diagnosis. Aloencyrtus delottoi was described and illustrated in detail by Annecke (1964). It is distinguished as follows:

Female. Length: 2.2 mm. Colour: entirely black, front aspect of head with fairly strong blue-green and dark purple reflections, the scutellum with a blue-green tinge. Antenna mostly blackish-brown. Forewing ( Fig. 13) palely infuscated from base of linea calva to cross-band, the latter poorly defined, hardly discernible, the disc beyond the band hyaline with dark discal setae. Legs, including middle tibial spur, mostly blackish-brown except tarsi pale.

Head in dorsal view almost 4x as wide as frontovertex, anterior margin of the latter medially slightly concave, without a median notch; head in frontal view ( Fig. 32) with scrobes distinctly V-shaped with a shallow, dorsal median fovea. Frontovertex with small, scattered pits, their diameter clearly less than that of median ocellus, the face more densely covered with larger setigerous pits, the diameter of each about the same as that of median ocellus; genae and temples not pitted. Antenna ( Fig. 52) with pedicel slightly shorter than basal funicle segment, the latter about 3x as long as broad; funicle segments becoming progressively shorter and broader towards apex, II– V each longer than wide, VI quadrate; club distinctly broader than funicle, a little shorter than distal three funicle segments combined.

Sculpture of mesoscutum and axillae finely cellulate-reticulate, that of scutellum a little coarser, mostly longitudinally lineolate- reticulate. Forewing ( Fig. 13) 2.5x as long as broad; marginal vein slightly shorter than postmarginal the latter about 0.3x length of stigmal; cross-band of fine white setae poorly defined.

Gaster plainly shorter than thorax; ovipositor subequal in length to middle tibia; gonostyli protruding slightly caudally, triangular in shape, 0.5x as long as middle tibial spur.

Male. As described in detail by Annecke (1964).

Remarks. Aloencyrtus delotttoi , known only from its Kenyan type series, is readily distinguished from A. obscuratus , A. ugandensis , A. diaphorocerus and A. angustifrons , with which it can be grouped, by the pale crossband of the forewing which is poorly developed and barely discernible ( Fig. 13) apposed to being well developed as in the other four species ( Figs 10, 11, 12, 14).

Known distribution. Kenya.

Type material examined. ♀ holotype, ♂ allotype, 2 ♀, 2 ♂ paratypes as follows: KENYA. Kiambu, xii.1960, G. de Lotto, ex. Saissetia opulenta De Lotto on Croton sp. ( T 384).