Astymachus saccharum, Noyes & Higashiura, 2020

Noyes, John S. & Higashiura, Yoshimitsu, 2020, The species of Astymachus Howard (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) ı potentially important parasitoids of Aclerdidae (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) associated with grasses (Poaceae) ı with descriptions of three new species, Journal of Natural History 54 (9), pp. 665-679 : 669-670

3. Astymachus saccharum sp. nov.

( Figures 2a – d )

Astymachus japonicus Howard ; Hayat 2006: 88, 357. Misidentification.

Diagnosis. Female. Length, including ovipositor, 1.30 – 1.76 mm (1.70). Body generally yellow; antenna mostly pale yellow, pedicel dorsally dusky, clava slightly dusky in apical half; fore wing ( Figure 2d ) generally hyaline with only a small, very faint, infuscate area at junction of marginal vein and stigmal veins that does not reach level with apex of stigmal vein and an extremely faint elongate streak parallel to posterior margin proximally; head ( Figure 2a ) about 1.8× as long as eye; palp formula 4 – 3; antenna ( Figure 2b ) with F1 subquadrate, F2 – F4 clearly transverse, F5 – F6 transverse but larger, linear sensilla on F5 F 6; clava partially 2-segmented, suture incomplete; scutellum with about 12 – 15 (15) setae; wings not shortened, fore wing ( Figure 2d ) about 2.8 – 3.1× (3.1×) as long as broad (example shown is of a paratype and is unusually broad for this species) and 3.6 – 3.9× (3.6×) as long as mid tibia, reaching well past cercal plates; marginal vein ( Figure 2c ) not reaching anterior wing margin and about 0.7× as long as stigmal vein; stigmal vein ( Figure 2c ) about 2.9 – 3.4× (3.3×) as long as depth of uncus; discal setae below apex of venation slightly longer than one-half distance between sockets or slightly more than 4× as long as diameter of socket; ovipositor about 2.6 – 2.8× (2.6×) as long as mid tibia or 2.0 – 2.1× (2.0×) gonostylus. Male. Length 0.81 – 1.09 mm. Antenna with funicle segments subequal, subquadrate with F1 and F6 slightly larger, linear sensilla on F5 – F6; aedeagus about 1.2 – 1.4× as long as mid tibia, about 16× as long as broad, slightly wider towards apex.

Biology. Recorded below as a parasitoid of Aclerda takahashii (Hempel) ( Hemiptera : Aclerdidae ) on sugarcane, Saccharum o ffi cinarum Linnaeus ( Poaceae ).

Distribution. Pakistan, India (Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu) and Malaysia.

Material examined

Type material. Holotype ♀: MALAYSIA, Perak, Dindings , ex Aclerda takahashii (Kuw.) on sugarcane, 1976 (G.T. Lim) ‘ Astymachus prob. japonicus ’. Paratypes: INDIA, 4♀, Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore, 1983 No 1, C.I.E. A14759 , ‘ Astymachus japonicus Howard ♀ det. B.R. Subba Rao, 1983 ’; 4♀, 1♂, [Maharashtra] Pravara, Nagar , ex Aclerda takahashii on sugarcane, 12 April 1985, cod P/5, C.I.E. A 19977 (R.B. Jadhav); MALAYSIA, 39♀, 1♂, Perak, Dindings , ex Aclerda takahashii (Kuw.) on sugarcane, 1976 (G.T. Lim) ‘ Astymachus japonicus Howard det. J.S. Noyes 1978 ’. Holotype and paratypes in BMNH.

Non type material. INDIA: 2♀, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow ‘ Astymachus japonicus Howard B . R.S. Rao det. 1981 ’; 2♀, New Delhi, ex Saccharicoccus sacch ari B.R.S. Coll. 1959 ‘ Astymachus japonicus How. B.R. Subba Rao det. 1969 ’ ( BMNH); PAKISTAN, 4♀, 4♂, Karachi, Aclerda takahashii on Arundo donax, October 1970 ( USNM) .

Comments. Astymachus saccharum is the only species of the genus known to have linear sensilla on F5.

This is very likely also the species identified as Astymachus japonicus by Nigam (1984) and Jadhav and Varma (2001).

Figures

Figures 2. Astymachus saccharum sp. nov.: (a) head (holotype); (b) antenna ♀ (holotype); (c) apex of fore wing venation (paratype); (d) fore wing (paratype). Astymachus felix Singh and Hayat: (e) apex of fore wing venation. Astymachus phainae Sugonjaev: (f) fore wing; (g) apex of fore wing venation. Astymachus lasallei sp. nov. (holotype) (h) antenna ♀; (i) head; (j) fore wing; (k) discal setae below marginal vein, enlarged (differential interference contrast); (l) apex of fore wing venation. Asymachus phragmitis Trjapitzin: (m) head; (n) antenna ♀. (Figures e-g courtesy of Mohammad Hayat).