Parasaphodes townsendi (Ashmead)

Mitroiu, Mircea-Dan, 2017, Revision of world Austroterobiinae and Parasaphodinae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae), parasitoids of giant scales (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Monophlebidae), Zootaxa 4301 (1), pp. 1-63 : 59-62

Parasaphodes townsendi (Ashmead)

( Figs 155–166 )

Parasaphes townsendi Ashmead, 1905: 404 ; syntypes in USNM, examined.

Parasaphodes townsendi ( Ashmead, 1905) ; new combination by Bouček 1988: 346.

Diagnosis. Both sexes: clypeal margin subtruncate; genae long and not strongly converging towards mouth ( Fig. 159 ); scape short, not nearly reaching lower margin of median ocellus ( Fig. 159 ); anterior corners of pronotal collar carinate ( Fig. 160 ); axillae strongly advanced ( Fig. 163 ); propodeum with median carina defined only anteriorly, splitting in two in the middle of propodeum, median area with several additional interconnected carinae, the interspaces smooth ( Fig. 165 ); gaster virtually sessile, petiole small, strongly transverse, with two lateral flanges and some longitudinal rugae on dorsal side ( Fig. 165 ).

Female: funicular segments long ( Fig. 162 ), F1 length 1.4–1.6× width, F7 length 1.3–1.6× width.

Male: F1 length about 2.8× width.

Parasaphodes townsendi is very similar to P. iceryae (see the remarks on the latter species).

Material examined. Type material. Lectotype ♀ (designated here for nomenclatural stability, deposited in USNM) [both antennae broken beyond pedicel, middle legs missing, tarsus of right hind leg missing; on triangular card]. PHILLIPINES: ‘ Manila PI’, ‘Collector Townsend’, ‘ ♀ Type No 8465 U.S. N.M.’, ‘Lectotype’, ‘ Parasaphes townsendi ♀ ♂ Ashm’ [ Ashmead’s handwriting], ‘ Lectotype ♀ Parasaphodes townsendi (Ashm.) , det. Z. Bouček, 1984’.

Paralectotypes. PHILLIPINES: 2♂ same information as lectotype, ‘Paralectotype’, ‘PLT ♂ Parasaphodes townsendi (Ashm.) , det. Z. Bouček, 1984’ (USNM).

Other material. PHILLIPINES: 2♀ same information as lectotype, ‘ USNM 2037918 ’ ( USNM) ; 2♀ and 2♂ ‘ Icerya aegyptiaca’, ‘Manila 1908’, ‘Compere 15003’, ‘ Parasaphodes townsendi Ashm., Balt. ’58’, ‘USNM 2037918’ (USNM); 2♀ ‘Lipa City, P.I., 25.IV.55, C. Macabasco’, ‘Ex I. seychellarum’, ‘7’, ‘USNM 2037918’ (USNM). MALAYSIA: 1♀ ‘ Malaya. Kuala Lumpur , 26.viii.1924, Parasitic on 1551 164’, ‘B. A. R. Gater, G. H. Corbett’, ‘ Parasaphodes townsendi (Ashm.) ♀, det. Z. Bouček, 1983’ ( BMNH) ; 1♀, same information, ‘ Parasaphodes townsendi (Ashm.) ♂, det. Z. Bouček, 1983’, ‘NHMUK 010198805’ (BMNH).

Redescription. Female. Body length: 0.9–1.1 mm.

Colour. Head blackish-brown, with faint metallic reflections ( Figs 159–161 ). Mesosoma brown ( Figs 163–165 ). Gaster light brown basally, becoming darker towards apex ( Figs 155, 157 ). Eyes red; ocelli pale orange ( Figs 159, 160 ). Antenna ( Fig. 162 ) with scape, pedicel and proximal flagellar segments yellowish-brown, flagellum becoming darker distally. Legs yellowish-brown, except for brown fore coxae and pretarsi ( Fig. 155 ). Wings hyaline, tegula and venation light brown ( Fig. 166 ). Body pilosity whitish, wing pilosity pale brown ( Figs 163, 166 ).

Sculpture. Head smooth ( Figs 159–161 ). Mesosoma with pronotum and mesoscutum smooth to finely coriaceous; axillae and mesoscutellum smooth ( Figs 163, 164 ); propodeum variable, but usually with median carina defined only anteriorly, splitting in two in the middle of propodeum, and median area with several additional interconnected carinae, the interspaces smooth ( Fig. 165 ); prepectus and metapleuron smooth; almost entire mesopleuron alutaceous ( Fig. 164 ). Gaster smooth.

Structure. Head. Clypeal margin subtruncate. Genae short and strongly converging towards mouth ( Fig. 159 ). Scape short, not nearly reaching lower margin of median ocellus ( Fig. 159 ). Head width 2.1–2.2× length in dorsal view (38:17) and about 1.3× height in frontal view (38:29). POL 1.0–1.1× OOL (8:7). Eye height 1.2× length (17:14) and 1.5× malar space (17:11). Scape length about half eye height (9:17) and 1.3–1.6× length of pedicel (9.0:5.5). Head width 0.6–0.7× length of pedicel plus flagellum. F1 width 1.4–1.6× length; F5 width 1.3–1.6× length; clava length 2.8–3.2× width.

Mesosoma. Anterior corners of pronotal collar carinate ( Fig. 160 ). Axillae strongly advanced ( Fig. 163 ). Mesosoma length 1.3–1.4× width (46:33), width about 0.9× height (33:35). Mesoscutum width about 1.9× length (33:17). Mesoscutellum length about equal to width (19:19). Propodeum length about half mesoscutellum length (10:19). Dorsellum about 0.3× propodeum length (3:10). Fore wing length about 2.4× width (90:38). MV length 5.4–6.5× SV (26:4); MV 5.2–5.4× PV (26:5).

Metasoma. Petiole small, strongly transverse, with two lateral flanges and some longitudinal rugae on dorsal side ( Fig. 165 ). Gaster ( Figs 155, 157 ) short ovate in dorsal view, length 1.9–2.1× width (45:21) and shorter than to subequal in length to mesosoma, with apex sometimes more or less truncated due to retraction of tergites; hypopygium more or less exserted, tip upturned.

Male. Similar to female, but differs mainly as follows. Body length: 0.7–0.8 mm. Flagellar segments longer and thinner. F1 length about 2.8× width. Gaster length 1.1–1.2× width, posterior part truncated due to strong retraction of tergites ( Fig. 156 ).

Distribution. Philippines ( Ashmead 1905); Malaysia (new record).

Biology. According to Ashmead (1905), the specimens were reared “from a coccid” (p. 405). Bouček (1988) stated that the species was reared from Icerya purchasi Maskell and I. seychellarum (Westwood) , without giving any references. As the above label records show, P. townsendi was reared from I. aegyptiaca (Douglas) and I. seychellarum , without any mention of I. purchasi , which can be regarded as a doubtful record.

Remarks. In 1984 Z. Bouček labelled a female as lectotype ( Figs 155, 157, 158 ), but the designation was not formally published; this is done in the present revision. According to Ashmead (1905), the species was described “from 5 female and 3 male specimens” (p. 405). From the collection of USNM I examined one female (designated as lectotype) and two males (paralectotypes, Fig. 156 ); an additional female from the same type series is missing from the point. An additional two females (one with both antennae broken, the other without head) bearing the same labels as the type material, except for a type label, were listed as “other material”. For additional comments see P. iceryae .

Figures

FIGURES 155 – 158. Parasaphodes townsendi: 155, lectotype ♀, habitus, lateral view; 156, paralectotype ♂, habitus, lateral view; 157, lectotype ♀, habitus, dorsal view; 158, original labels.

FIGURES 159 – 166. Parasaphodes townsendi: 159, lectotype ♀, head, frontal view; 160, lectotype ♀, head, dorsal view; 161, ♀, Manila, head, lateral view; 162, ♀, Lipa, antenna; 163, lectotype ♀, mesosoma, dorsal view; 164, lectotype ♀, mesosoma, lateral view; 165, ♀, Manila, propodeum, dorsal view; 166, ♀, Manila, fore wing.