Psyllaephagus trioziphagus (Howard)

Noyes, John Stuart, 2023, ENCYRTIDAE OF COSTA RICA (HYMENOPTERA: CHALCIDOIDEA), 4 Subfamily Encyrtinae: tribes Arrhenophagini, Habrolepidini, Cerapterocerini, Cheiloneurini, Trechnitini, Cercobelini, Polaszekiini, Protyndarichoidini, Gahaniellini and Syrphophagini (part), mainly primary parasitoids and hyperparasitoids of Coccoidea and Psylloidea (Hemiptera), Taxonomic Monographs on Neotropical Hymenoptera (Oxford, England) 2 (11), pp. 1-921 : 588-589

Psyllaephagus trioziphagus (Howard)

(Figs 1536-1546; Hab. E 227, G 228)

Encyrtus trioziphagus Howard, 1885:14 . Syntype E, USA, USNM, examined.

Psyllaephagus trioziphagus (Howard) ; Ashmead, 1900:383.

Female (length about 1.0- 1.5mm): head and dorsum of thorax metallic green, usually with scutellum coppery or with a slight purple sheen; antenna (Figs 1539, 1541) with scape mostly dark brown or black; flagellum brown, occasionally orange-brown; tegula dark brown; mesoscutum metallic blue green, scutellum metallic blue or green, mixed coppery, often quite strongly so; femora mostly dark brown; tibiae mostly yellow, fore and mid tibia each with a narrow, subbasal, brown band, hind tibia varying from mostly yellow with a narrow, subbasal brown band to mostly brown with only apices yellow; head (Figs 1537, 1538) about 2-3X as wide as frontovertex and about 2.5-3.1X width of mouth; frontovertex with indistinct, shallow piliferous punctures, hardly larger than eye facet; ocelli forming an angle of about 85-110°, posterior ocellus about equidistant from eye and occipital margin or a little closer to eye margin; scrobes shallow, separated from anterior ocellus by about 2X length of torulus; antenna (Figs 1539, 1541) with scape about 2.8- 4.2X as long as broad; pedicel longer than F1, funicle with F1-F5 longer than broad, F6 quadrate; clava with segments subequal, with an apical truncation that is nearly 0.5X as long as clava; mouth margin slightly emarginate, straight; mandible with one tooth and a broad truncation; mesoscutum (Fig. 1536) with slightly deeper, reticulate sculpture than that on scutellum; fore wing (Fig. 1546) about 2.4X as long as broad, marginal vein (Fig. 1540) about 2X as long as broad, costal cell with only a single line of setae dorsally, linea calva closed; Gt3 with a distinct, strongly reticulate area anteromedially; hypopygium (Fig. 1542); ovipositor (Fig. 1543) hidden or hardly exserted, second valvifer with about 12-14 subapical setae. Male (length about 0.8- 1.2mm): similar to female but frontovertex less variable, about 0.5X head width, and different structure of antenna (Fig. 1545) and genitalia (Fig, 1544); posterior ocellus about equidistant from eye and occipital margin; aedeagus about 0.75X as long as mid tibia.

DISTRIBUTION. Canada, USA, Mexico, Cuba , Jamaica, Costa Rica, Panama and Brazil (see Noyes & Hanson, 1996), also Mexico (Trjapitzin et al., 2008).

HOSTS. Recorded as a parasitoid of nymphs of Trioza diospyri (Ashmead) ( Hemiptera : Triozidae ) in the USA ( Howard, 1885). It has been recorded from Costa Rica as a solitary parasitoid of the nymphs of Trioza sp. near maritima Tuthill ( Hemiptera : Triozidae ) forming galls on the leaves of Avicennia germinans (L.) Stearn ( Lamiales : Avicenniaceae ), and of Mastigimas Enderlein ( Hemiptera : Calophyidae ) on Cedrela odorata L. ( Sapindales : Meliaceae ), and from Cuba as a parasitoid of Mastigimas ernsti (Schwarz) ( Hemiptera : Calophyidae ) ( Noyes & Hanson, 1996).

MATERIAL EXAMINED.

Type material. SyntypeE: ‘N.533a In Nov.8.81’ ‘Type No 2636 U.S. N.M. ’ ‘ Encyrtus trioziphagus Howd. typ’. Syntype in USNM (see Noyes & Hanson, 1996) .

Non type material. COSTA RICA, 1E, Guanacaste, 9km S Santa Cecilia, Est. Pitilla ( ACG), LN 330200 380200, 700km, vi.1995 (C. Moraga, P. Rios); 52E, Guanacaste, Cacao (ACG), 1100 m, MT/YPT, 26.i-24.ii.1996 (J.S. Noyes); 6E, Guanacaste, Est. Cacao (ACG) , ii.2000 (J.S. Noyes); 3E, Guanacaste, Cacao (ACG) , LN 323160 375800, 6-28.ii.1996 (J.S. Noyes); 3E, Guanacaste, Est. Cacao (ACG) , 10°55’N 85°30’W, 1100m, 22.ii.2003 (J.S. Noyes); 12E, Guanacaste, Est. Cacao (ACG) , 10°55’N 85°30’W, 1100m, 19-20.ii.2005 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Guanacaste, Santa Rosa NP , 0-300m, ii.2001 (J.S. Noyes); 6E, Guanacaste, Las Pallas, 6km S Cerro Braun, LN 306300 388700, 800m, 10-24.ii.1996 (J. Ugalde); 3E, Guanacaste, Las Pallas, 6km S Cerro Braun, LN 306300 388700, 800m, iii.1996 (D. Espinoza); 1E, Guanacaste, Las Pallas, 6km S Cerro Braun, LN 306300 388700, 800m, iv.1996 (A. Masis); 1E, Guanacaste, San Cristobal, #51899, 16.v-16.vi.1996 (F.A. Quezada); 2G, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, Sector Catalina, LN 257400 400000, 250m, #54947, 8.i-8.ii.2000 (I. Jiménez); 1G, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, Sect. Catalina, Fila Catalina, LN 257400 400000, 250m, #55151, xii.1999 (I. Jiménez); 7E, Alajuela, Volcán Poas NP, 2500m, 6-28.vi.1996 (S. & J. Peck); 1E, Alajuela, RF Arenal, Stor Colada, LN 269900 456750, 600m, 9.iii-7.iv.2000 (G. Carballo); 1E, Heredia, 6km NE Vara Blanca, 10°11’N 84°07’W, 2000m, 20/ /TN/ALL, iii.2002 (INBio-OET-ALAS); 1E, Heredia, 6km NE Vara Blanca, 10°11’N 84°07’W, 2000m, 20/M/TN, iv.2002 (INBio-OET-ALAS); 1E, Heredia, Santo Domingo, INBio Parque, 1200m (error for 1100m), 19.ii.2001 (J.S. Noyes); 4E, San José, Zurqui de Moravia, 1600m, iii.1992, v.1992 and iv.1995 (P.Hanson). Plus a further 85E, 60G from CANADA, USA, COSTA RICA, MEXICO, PANAMA, JAMAICA and BRAZIL as detailed in Noyes & Hanson (1996). Material in NHMUK, MZUCR and CNC.

COMMENTS. Psyllaephagus trioziphagus is very close to heles and alisanos (see comments under heles , p. 585).

As suggested in Noyes & Hanson (1996), the material included here under trioziphagus may represent a complex of species.At present I prefer to recognise only one until there is good evidence to support the recognition of more. Even within Costa Rica there is some consistent variation between different populations. For instance, specimens from Playa Naranjo (mangrove swamp) have a relatively broader scape, longer funicle segments, a relatively narrower frontovertex and ocelli forming a smaller angle than those collected a few kilometres away at Cacao (950-1100m). Specimens from Canada have the second valvifer of the ovipositor different in shape and the hind wing marginal vein more swollen than material examined from elsewhere.