Encarsia thoreauini (Girault)

Schmidt, Stefan & Polaszek, Andrew, 2007, The Australian species of Encarsia Förster (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea: Aphelinidae), parasitoids of whiteflies (Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha, Aleyrodidae) and armoured scale insects (Hemiptera, Coccoidea: Diaspididae), Journal of Natural History 41 (33 - 36), pp. 2099-2265 : 2246-2248

89. Encarsia thoreauini (Girault)

( Figures 283–285 )

Coccophagus thoreauini Girault 1915, p 50 –51. Holotype ♀, Australia, New South Wales, Tweed Heads, Tweed River , 3 May 1914 (A. P. Dodd) (QMBA, type no. Hy. 2931, examined).

Prospaltella thoreauini (Girault) : Compere 1931, p 11. Change of combination.

Encarsia thoreauini (Girault) : Viggiani 1985c, p 252. Change of combination.

Coccophagus thoreauini Girault : Dahms 1986, p 587.

Redescription

Female. Colour: head yellow with incomplete transverse brown band between eyes. Mesosoma yellow except mesoscutal side lobe with brown spot, midlobe anteriorly and axilla partly brown. Gaster yellow with transverse brown spot near base and a larger brown spot centrally. Antenna yellow. Fore wing hyaline. Legs yellow.

Morphology [measurements of holotype in square brackets]: stemmaticum with rugose surface sculpture. Antennal formula 1,1,3,3. Pedicel longer than F1 (1.18–1.25) [1.2]. F1 2.00–2.22 [2.12] times as long as its maximum width, shorter than F2 (0.77– 0.95) [0.77] and F3 (0.77–0.85) [0.77]. F2 subequal in length to F3. Flagellomeres with the following numbers of sensilla: F1: 0, F2: 1–2, F3: 2, F4: 2–3, F5: 3, F6: 3. Midlobe of mesoscutum with about 8–10 [8] setae, side lobes with three setae each. Scutellar sensilla widely separated, approximately seven times the maximum width of a sensillum. Distance between anterior pair of scutellar setae greater than between posterior pair. Fore wing 2.2–2.3 [2.3] times as long as width of disc. Marginal fringe 0.19–0.22 [0.22] times as long as width of disc. Basal cell with 5–10 [6–7] setae. Submarginal vein with two setae, marginal vein anteriorly with seven to nine [seven] setae. Tarsal formula 5- 5-5. Apical spur of midtibia distinctly shorter than corresponding basitarsus (0.46–0.58) [0.57]. Tergites laterally with the following numbers of setae: T1: 0, T2: 1, T3: 1, T4: 1, T5: 2, T6: 3, T7 with four setae. Ovipositor slightly shorter than midtibia (0.88–0.91) [0.88] and 1.16–1.41 [1.16] times as long as clava. Third valvula 0.35–0.37 [0.35] times as long as second valvifer.

Male. Unknown.

Species group placement. Not established.

Distribution. Australia: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia.

Host. Aleyrodidae : Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) . Additional material examined

Queensland: 3♀, Bunya Mountains, 22 February 1997 (P. De Barro), ex soft-bodied whitefly nymphs on Phyllanthus sp. (Euphorbiaceae) (ANIC). South Australia: 1♀, Oraparinna Creek, Dingly Dell Camp, near water, 4–10 November 1987 (I. Naumann and J. Cardale), Malaise trap/ethanol (ANIC); 1♀ Wilpena Pound Camp, 5–10 November 1987 (I. Naumann and J. Cardale), Malaise trap/ethanol (ANIC). Western Australia: 1♀, Kununurra, 2 July 1997 (P. De Barro), ex Bemisia tabaci on Adansonia gregorii F. Muell. (Bombacaceae) (ZSMG); 1♀, Keep River National Park, 4 May 2000 (P. De Barro), ex whitefly on Cochlospermum fraseri heteronemum (F. Muell.) Poppend. (Cochlospermaceae) (BMNH).

Figures

Figures 283–285. Encarsia thoreauini (Girault), female. (283) Mesosoma and gaster. (284) Antenna. (285) Fore wing.