Psyllaephagus garuga S. Singh

Singh, Sudhir & Singh, Karan Pal, 2011, Description of two new species of Psyllaephagus Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) parasitizing Phacopteron lentiginosum Buckton (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), a leaf gall-former of Garuga pinnata Roxburgh (Burseraceae), Zootaxa 2885, pp. 33-43 : 38-42

Psyllaephagus garuga S. Singh , sp. nov.

( Figs 9–21 , 34 )

Diagnosis. Females resemble P. phacopteron females in color except head and mesonotum more greenish-blue and antenna completely dark brown; scutellum with smaller and fewer punctations; ovipositor sheaths dark brown. Metasoma shorter than that of P. phacopteron . Males similar to P. phacopteron males except metasoma shorter than mesosoma; body with slight bluish tinge and middle coxae dark brown except distal quarter yellowish (basal half dark and apical half yellowish in P. phacopteron ), sculpture of mesoscutum is comparatively stronger and larger, but punctations on scutellum smaller and fewer; body color with slight bluish tinge.

Description. FEMALE. Length 2.23–2.61 mm (2.465 ± 0.165 mm, n=17; holotype 2.58 mm), excluding exserted part of ovipositor sheaths which are negligibly visible dorsally.

Color/Sculpture. Head metallic bluish-green with golden reflections and translucent white setae. Frontovertex bluish-green with irregular punctations at ocellar region where about one-quarter to one-third diameter of median ocellus, but area of frontovertex between dorsal margin of scrobe and median ocellus with larger, about half diameter of median ocellus; scrobal area blue with reticulate-rugose sculpture; parascrobal area, antennal prominence and area below prominence bluish-green with prominent golden reflections, reticulate and with flat, silvery white setae; malar and area below prominence reticulate-punctuate, the punctations widely separated. Malar sulcus prominent. Antenna dark brown with dark setae. Palpi honey yellow colored.

Mesosoma greenish-blue with purple reflections, reticulately punctuate, setae translucent white or pale; side of mesonotum, especially tip of scutellum, prominently metallic green; scutellum with deeper sculpture than mesoscutum; prepectus with base centrally dark brown and with wide, pale outer rim; tegula honey pale with brownish tinge. Metanotum and propodeum dark brown without any metallic reflections. Mesopleuron brown with purple to light bluish-green reflections, golden anteriorly, reticulately sculptured. Legs pale honey in color with mid and hind coxae dark brown.

Metasoma dark brown with purple reflections, but ventrally and laterally also with golden reflections; ovipositor sheath brown.

Structure. Head in frontal view ( Fig. 10 ) round, 1.2x (886: 716) as wide as long; 3.38x (886: 262) as wide as frontovertex at level of median ocellus level; inner margins of eyes almost straight, diverging; eye 2.12x (508: 239) as high as wide; scrobes shallow, merging dorsally, distance between torulus and median ocellus 2x length of scrobe length; torulus with center in line with lower margin of eyes, 1.97x (134: 68) as high as wide; distance between toruli 1.22x, distance between torulus and mouth margin equal to, and distance between torulus and eye 0.83x as long as height of torulus (= 164: 133: 112: 133); distance between torulus and median ocellus 2.7x (363: 1.33) the distance between torulus and mouth margin. Head in dorsal view ( Fig. 11 ) with anterior and occipital margins concave, but not as deep as in P. phacopteron (cf. Figs 4 , 11 ); 2.13x (886: 416) as wide as long; ocelli in a right-angled triangle, POL 2.5x, OCL as long as, and OOL 0.35x as long as median ocellus diameter (143: 58: 20: 56), respectively. Head in profile with malar space one-third head height; eye 1.34x (416: 309) as high as wide. Antenna ( Fig. 12 ) with scape expanded ventrally, 2.13x (356: 167) as long as wide; pedicel conical, 1.77x (94: 53) as long as wide; funicle segments all longer than wide, F3 the longest, F1 1.9x (88: 46) as long as wide and 4x as long as scape; F2 1.92x (98: 51), F3 1.8x (103: 57), F4 1.57x (94: 60), F5 1.38x (95: 68), and F6 1.33x (92: 69) as long as wide; club 3x (218: 72) as long as wide, longer than preceding two funicle segments combined.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 13 ) 1.34x (1185: 880) as long as wide (measured across mesopleura), slightly narrower than head (880: 886); pronotum a narrow strip 11x (681: 62) as wide as long; mesoscutum convex, 1.46x as wide as long (852: 582) and half as long as mesosoma, with posterior margin slightly curved mesally; axillae narrowly separated; scutellum convex, 1.1x (518: 468) as long as wide, shorter than mesoscutum (518: 582); propodeum a narrow strip, about 20x as wide as long, with basal one-third hidden under projected scutellum. Fore wing 2.3x (2079: 901) as long as wide; venation ( Fig. 14 ) with marginal vein as long as wide (59), stigmal vein 1.25x as long as postmarginal vein (143: 114). Hind wing 2.94x (1525: 518) as long as wide, 1.56x (1525: 977) as long as venation. Middle tibial spur shorter than basitarsus.

Metasoma conical, pointed posteriorly, 1.32x (1202: 909) as long as wide and about as long as mesosoma, with cercal plates situated at middle; hypopygium extending to basal third; ovipositor sheaths not exserted; ovipositor as in Fig. 15 (paratype).

MALE. Length 2.06–2.35 mm (2.157 ± 0.104 mm, n = 10).

Color/Sculpture. Resembles males of P. phacopteron except for differences given here. Head and mesosoma dorsally metallic bluish-green, metasoma dark brown with a little purple reflection; legs yellowish with middle and hind coxae brown. Head in frontal view bright metallic bluish- green; scrobal region bluish-green and prominently reticulately punctuate; antennal prominence with slight golden hue; palpi and legs honey pale. Antenna with radicle and scape pale; inner face of scape with median shorter longitudinal dark brown streak.

Mesosoma dorsally metallic bluish-green except for central area over both mesoscutum and scutellum with reddish bronzy reflections; comparatively more deeply reticulately punctate; legs yellow except hind and basal two-thirds of middle coxae dark brown; wings hyaline.

Structure. Head in frontal view ( Fig. 16 ) rounded, 1.2 x (746: 606) as wide as high; inner margins of eyes smoothly diverging, eye 2x (375: 188) as high as wide; scrobes shallow, short, and not merging dorsally; center of torulus in line with lower margins of eyes; distance between toruli 1.8x, distance from torulus to eye 0.75x, and distance from torulus to mouth margin 1.19x as long as height of torulus (188: 76: 124: 104); distance between torulus and median ocellus about 2x (257: 124) distance between torulus and mouth margin; head height 4.88x distance between torulus and mouth margin. Head in dorsal view 1.92x (746: 315) as wide as frontovertex width at level of median ocellus, both anterior and occipital margins concave; ocelli arranged in obtuse-angled triangle, POL 4x, OOL 0.5x, and OCL 0.9x diameter of median ocellus (= 226: 28: 50: 56). Head in profile with height 2.58x (606: 235) malar space; eye 1.4x (375: 268) as high as wide. Antenna ( Fig. 17 ) with scape 2.58x (266: 103) as long as wide and 4.15x as long as pedicel; pedicel as long as wide (64: 65); funicle segments all longer than wide: F1 1.43x (109: 75), F2 1.43x (125: 87), F3 1.48x (138: 93), F4 1.57x (151: 96), F5 1.7x (147: 86), and F6 1.73x (144: 83) as long as wide; club 3x (245: 80) as long as wide.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 18 ) 1.42x (1047: 733) as long as wide; mesoscutum 1.4x (704: 498) as wide as long; scutellum 1.16x (470: 405) as long as wide. Fore wing 2.28x (1955: 859) as long as wide; marginal vein: stigmal vein: postmarginal vein = 52: 136: 113; hind wing 2.65x (1333: 503) times as long as wide, 1.58x (1333: 844) as long as venation.

Metasoma shorter than mesosoma (891: 1087); last sternite ( Fig. 19 ) 1.68x (362: 215) as wide as long. Genitalia as in Fig. 20 (allotype).

Material examined. Holotype female (NFIC-FRI) labeled “ INDIA, Uttarakhand, Dehradun, Karva Paani, coll. 18.xii.2009, Sudhir Singh ex. Phacopteron lentiginosum Buckt. (morph-2) (Homoptera), on Garuga pinnata . Labeled in red, Acc. No. NFIC-FRI-21902. Paratypes: (34Ƥ, 333): 27Ƥ, 273 card mounted; 1Ƥwith antennae, wings and legs removed and mounted on a slide under three cover slips, remaining intact body mounted on a card (measurements and photographs were taken from this specimen); 3Ƥ, one completely dissected and mounted under eight cover slips (ovipositor shown in Fig. 15 from this specimen), one without metasoma, and one complete, but all three mounted on one slide; 13 completely dissected and mounted under six cover slips on a slide (allotype, measurements and photographs of body parts taken from this specimen); 23, one completely dissected and one with only genital plate and genitalia, with all parts mounted under nine cover slips on one slide and remainder of second male (allotype) card mounted; other data same as for holotype. 3Ƥ and 33: India, Uttarakhand, Dehradun, Shimla Bypass, coll. 30.xi.2008, KP Singh ex. Phacopteron lentiginosum Buckt. on Garuga pinnata . All labeled in green, Acc. No. NFIC-FRI-21902.

Etymology. Named after the genus of the host tree.

Distribution. Known and likely distribution similar to P. phacopteron .

Host: Leaf gall forming psyllid, Phacopteron lentiginosum Buckt. (Morph-2) ( Figs 32, 33 ) (Homoptera), on Garuga pinnata .

Variation. There is very little variation among females and males except for body coloration which is slightly variable from deep purple to golden greenish-blue; body size also varies as described. As mentioned for P. phacopteron , color of the legs and number of pegs on the middle tibia and tarsi are also variable.

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 15. Psyllaephagus garuga S. Singh, sp. nov., Ƥ: 9, body in dorsal view; 10, head in frontal view; 11, head in dorsal view; 12, antenna; 13, mesosoma in dorsal view; 14, part of fore wing showing venation; 15, ovipositor.

FIGURES 16 – 24. 16 – 20, Psyllaephagus garuga S. Singh, sp. nov., ♂: 16, head in frontal view; 17, antenna; 18, mesosoma in dorsal view; 19, last sternum; 20, genitalia. 21 – 24, Psyllaephagus phacopteron S. Singh, sp. nov., ♂: 21, antenna; 22, last sternum; 23, genitalia; 24, posterior part of genitalia enlarged.

FIGURES 25 – 34. 25, leaf galls of Phacopteron lentiginosum (morph- 1) on Garuga pinnata; 26, same, some galls enlarged; 27, adult of Phacopteron lentiginosum (morph- 1); 28, mummified nymph of Phacopteron lentiginosum (morph- 1); 29, Psyllaephagus phacopteron S. Singh, sp. nov., Ƥ; 30, bunch of leaf galls of Phacopteron lentiginosum (morph- 2) on Garuga pinnata; 31, same some galls enlarged; 32, adult of Phacopteron lentiginosum (morph- 2); 33, mummified nymph of Phacopteron lentiginosum (morph- 2); 34, Psyllaephagus garuga S. Singh, sp. nov., Ƥ.

FIGURES 1 – 8. Psyllaephagus phacopteron S. Singh, sp. nov., Ƥ: 1, body in dorsal view; 2, body in lateral view; 3, head in frontal view; 4, head in dorsal view; 5, antenna; 6, mesosoma in dorsal view; 7, part of fore wing showing venation; 8, ovipositor.