Coccophagus zebratus Howard

Hayat, Mohammad, 2012, Records and descriptions of some Aphelinidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) from India, Zootaxa 3521, pp. 39-50 : 45-47

Coccophagus zebratus Howard

( Figs 12–15 )

Redescription. Female. Length, 0.84 mm (excluding exserted part of ovipositor, 0.07 mm). Head white; frontovertex pale brownish yellow; malar sulcus black; occiput brown. Mandible in apical half reddish brown. Antenna ( Fig. 14 ) with radical and scape white, scape with dark brown streaks along distal half of ventral margin on inner surface and in distal two-thirds to three-fourths on outer surface; pedicel dark brown with white dorsal surface; F1, F2 and clava dark brown; F3 pale yellow to white. Mesosoma ( Fig. 12 ) white, except as follows: pronotum with a dark brown transverse streak anterior to collar and a black spot at each posterolateral corner; mid lobe of the mesoscutum with a brown patch in anterior half, and two pale brown oblique streaks on sides beginning from posterior margin; each side lobe with a pale brown streak; axilla mostly dark brown; scutellum with two dark brown rectangular patches in posterior two-thirds; propodeum dark brown. Fore wing hyaline with very light infuscation on disc ( Fig. 15 ). Hind wing hyaline. Legs, including coxae, white; mid and hind tibiae in about basal third pale brown; mid and hind basitarsi, and last segments of all tarsi brown. Metasoma ( Fig. 12 ) white, with transverse, dark brown bands on each of TI–TV; TVI dark brown with white lateral areas; TVII dark brown with lateral areas and apex white; ovipositor sheaths dark brown.

Head ( Fig. 13 ). Head flattened, in frontal view, 1.4× as broad as high; frontovertex width, at level of anterior ocellus, 0.52× head width; frontovertex with moderately long black setae; malar space and clypeus with hyaline setae; eyes setose, setae hyaline, and each seta shorter than a facet. Antenna as in Fig. 14 ; F1 slightly shorter than pedicel and F2; clava subequal in length to funicle. Relative measurements —frontal width of head, 32.5; frontal height of head, 23; frontovertex width, 17; eye height, 17; malar space, 8; antennal scape length, 9.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 12 ). Setae as follows: pronotal collar with 6 or 7 + 6 or 7 setae, in addition to several setae anteriorly on disc, and a long seta at each posterolateral corner; mid lobe of mesoscutum with 42 setae; each side lobe with 3 setae; each axilla with 3 setae; scutellum with 6 setae; propodeum with 2 setae on each side distal to spiracle. Fore wing ( Fig. 15 ) 3.26× as long as broad; venation about 0.7× wing length; costal cell slightly shorter than marginal vein (20:21.5); postmarginal vein about one-third length of stigmal vein. Hind wing 6.6× as long as broad; marginal fringe 0.58× wing width. Relative measurements —mesosoma length, 34; mesoscutum length, 13; scutellum length, 8.5; propodeum median length, 5; fore wing length (width), 62 (19); hind wing length (width), 56.5 (8.5); marginal fringe length, 5.

Metasoma. Metasoma, measured on card, 1.35× as long as mesosoma, but after clearing and mounting on slide ( Fig. 12 ), measures 1.85× as long as mesosoma; exserted part of ovipositor sheaths 0.15× gaster length; setae on tergites as follows: TI–TIII each with 2+2; TIV with 4+4; TV with 6+1+1+6; TVI with 2+1+1+2, the seta adjacent to each cercal plate longest; TVII with several setae of which 4 in posterior line nearly twice as long as other setae; ovipositor with second valvifer 2.63× as long as third valvula. Relative measurements —ovipositor length, 40; third valvula length, 11; mid tibia length, 17.5; mid basitarsus length, 5.25; mid tibial spur length, 5.

Male. Unknown.

Material examined. INDIA: KERALA: Calicut, IISR Campus, 1 female (on slide under 4 coverslips), 7.i.2012, Coll. FR Khan ( ZDAMU).

Host. Unknown for Indian specimen. Aclerda distorta Green ( Hemiptera : Aclerdidae ) in Sri Lanka ( Howard, 1907).

Distribution. Sri Lanka; India: Kerala (present record).

Comments. Coccophagus zebratus and C. planus ( Sugonjaev 1969) were placed in a separate species group, the zebratus -group, by Hayat (1992). These two species are very similar in body colour and other structural characters, but C. zebratus differs from C. planus in having F3 pale yellow to white, whereas in C. planus F3 is blackish similar to F1, F2 and the clava.

Figures

FIGURES 12 – 15. Coccophagus zebratus Howard, female: 12, mesosoma and metasoma; 13, head, frontal; 14, antenna; 15, fore wing.