Aloencyrtus coelops (Waterston)

Prinsloo, Rd. L., 2010, On some Afrotropical species of Aloencyrtus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae): parasitoids of soft scales (Hemiptera: Coccidae), Zootaxa 2716, pp. 1-28 : 11-12

Aloencyrtus coelops (Waterston)

( Figs 9, 28, 47)

Coccidoxenus coelops Waterston 1917a: 238 .

Trichomasthus coelops ; Annecke & Insley 1971: 25.

Aloencyrtus coelops ; Prinsloo 1978: 301.

Coccidoxenus ingens Annecke 1964: 400 . Syn. n.

Trichomasthus ingens ; Annecke & Insley 1971: 25.

Aloencyrtus ingens ; Prinsloo 1978: 301.

Diagnosis. Detailed descriptions and illustrations of this very distinctive species were provided by Waterston (1917) and Annecke (1964). It is distinguished as follows:

Female. Length: 2.4–4.4 mm (excluding strongly protruding ovipositor). Colour: black, the head, thoracic dorsum and base of gaster with strong metallic greenish-blue to purple reflections. Antenna, save pale distal ends of scape and pedicel, largely blackish-brown. Forewing from base of linea calva to cross-band of fine white setae either entirely hyaline to palely infuscated, the disc beyond the cross-band hyaline. Legs largely blackish-brown except tarsi whitish. Protruding ovipositor dark basally, fading to yellowish towards apex.

Head usually 3.8–4.1x (3.1x in one paratype of A. ingens ) as wide as frontovertex, anterior margin of the latter approximately straight, without a median notch; head in frontal view ( Fig. 28) with scrobes clearly not confluent dorsally, with a well developed dorsal fovea. Front aspect of head, including genae and temples, densely covered with well developed, small setigerous pits, the diameter of each only a little less than that of median ocellus. Antenna ( Fig. 47) with pedicel a little shorter than basal funicle segment, the latter about 3x as long as wide; funicle segments becoming progressively shorter and broader, I– IV each longer than wide, V quadrate and VI quadrate to a little wider than long; club almost as long as distal three funicle segments combined.

Mesoscutum with fine, transverse cellulate-reticulate sculpture, that of scutellum notably coarser, mostly longitudinally lineolate-reticulate. Forewing ( Fig. 9) relatively narrow, about 2.7x as long as wide; setae confined to cross-band clearly discernible; marginal vein slightly shorter than postmarginal, the latter not quite half as long as stigmal vein.

Gaster longer than head and thorax combined, tapering to an acute apex, the epipygium elongate, unusually long, acutely pointed apically, extending about halfway over the length of protruding gonostyli; ovipositor unusually long, protruding strongly beyond the extended epipygium, almost 3x as long as middle tibia; gonostyli long and slender, 4x as long as middle tibial spur.

Male. As described by Annecke (1964).

Remarks. Aloencyrtus ingens ( Annecke, 1964) is treated here as a new junior subjective synonym of A. coelops (Waterston, 1917) on the basis of a comparison of the holotypes of these two species. Aloencyrtus coelops , which was originally described from Nigeria in West Africa, is one of the most easily recognized species of the genus and there can be no doubt about its synonymy with A. ingens from South Africa. It is here recorded for the first time from Uganda and Eritrea in East Africa, suggesting that this species is widely distributed throughout the Afrotropical region.

Its large size, elongate epipygium and unusually long ovipositor (3x as long as middle tibia) and gonostyli (4x as long as middle tibial spur) readily separate this species from all its congeners, including other species with similar forewing maculation.

Known distribution. South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, Eritrea.

Type material examined. Coccidoxenus coelops Waterston. Card-mounted ♀ holotype with the following label data (in BMNH): “ Type; chalcid from Ceroplastes vuilleti , det. By Prof. Newstead, Dr W.A. Lamborn, ex coccid no.303; Waterston det. Coccidoxenus coelops Wat. (1917) ; B.M. TYPE HYM. 5.1,127”.

Coccidoxenus ingens Annecke. ♀ holotype, ♂ allotype, 7 ♀, 3 ♂ paratypes, as follows: SOUTH AFRICA. Pienaarspoort, ix.1964, D.P. Annecke, ex Ceroplastes africana Green [= Waxiella africana (Green) ] on Acacia karroo (Holotype, allotype, 2 ♀ paratypes; T 692); Pienaarspoort, vii. 1964, C. J. Cilliers; ex Ceroplastes mimosae Signoret (= Waxiella africana ) on Acacia karroo (2 ♂ paratypes; T 692); Naboomspruit, xii.l961, D. P. Annecke; ex Ceroplastes destructor on Melia azedarach (5 ♀, 1 ♂ paratypes).

Additional material. UGANDA. Kampala, H.G. Taylor, 3.x.1935 (8 ♀, 1 ♂) ; ERITREA: Asmara , i. i.1948, G. de Lotto, ex Ceroplastes africanus (= Waxiella africana ) (1 ♂, 1 ♀); 1 card-mounted ♀ of unknown origin, with following label data: “ ex lab. Cult., Sydney – N.S.W., 20.3.1969; ex Gascardia destructor / Pitosporum undulatum ; Aloencyrtus sp. , P. Bonde Jensen det.1988”; all specimens in BMNH .