Encarsia ashmeadi (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 : 2129

11. Encarsia ashmeadi (Girault)

( Figures 38–40 )

Coccophagus ashmeadi Girault 1915 [238], p 50, 56. Holotype ♀, Australia, New South Wales, Chindera ( Tweed River ) (QMBA, type no. Hy. 2930, examined).

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

Coccophagus ashmeadi Girault : Dahms 1983, p 59.

Encarsia ashmeadi (Girault) : Viggiani 1985c, p 235. Change of combination.

Redescription (holotype)

Female. Colour: head appearing brown. Body yellow. Antenna yellow and legs yellow.

Morphology: antennal formula 1,1,3,3. Pedicel subequal in length to F1. F1 subequal in length to F2 and F3, respectively. Midlobe of mesoscutum with four setae. Scutellar sensilla widely separated. Distance between anterior pair of scutellar setae slightly greater than between posterior pair. Tarsal formula 5-5-5. Ovipositor shorter than midtibia (0.89) and about 1.3 times as long as clava. Third valvula about 0.40 times as long as second valvifer.

Comments

The type specimen is in very poor condition and apparently has been remounted. Viggiani (1985c, p 235) provides a description of the holotype. However, all wings of the type specimen are missing and hence we cannot confirm the wing characters given by Viggiani. Moreover, the specimen differs considerably from the original description in that the whole body is completely yellow, whereas Girault describes it as similar to E. nigriventris , which has a dark brown gaster. Hence our investigation of the type remains inconclusive and we regard E. ashmeadi as a nomen dubium.

Figures

Figures 38–40. Encarsia ashmeadi (Girault), holotype female. (38) Body of type specimen. (39) Head and antenna. (40) Mesosoma and base of gaster.