Encarsia obliqua Schmidt and Polaszek

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 : 2204-2206

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1080/00222930701550766
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/5D3887DF-FFE2-8F34-EA03-FA30FEE9FC96
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Encarsia obliqua Schmidt and Polaszek
status

Treatment

62. Encarsia obliqua Schmidt and Polaszek

( Figures 196–198 View Figures 196–198 ) Encarsia obliqua Schmidt and Polaszek 2007, p 89 –90. Holotype ♀, Papua New Guinea,

Central District, Aroa ptn [plantation], 11 August 1959 (F. J. Simmonds and J. J. H.

Szent-Ivany), C.I.E. coll. no. 16778, suspected parasitoid of aleyrodid damaging fronds of coconut (BMNH, examined).

Diagnosis

Female. Colour: head yellow, vertex partly brown and occiput with brown spot. Mesosoma yellow except mesoscutal midlobe anteriorly and axilla brown. Posterior margin of mesoscutal midlobe and anterior margin of scutellum medially dark brown. Metasoma brown except petiole yellow. Antenna yellow, clava brown. Fore wing hyaline. Legs yellow.

Morphology: maxillary palp two-segmented. Antennal formula 1,1,4,2. F1–F3 cylindrical, F4 slightly and F5–F6 strongly widening towards apex, F6 obliquely truncate, sulcus between F5 and F6 oblique, F6 with sensory area. Pedicel subequal in length to F1. F1 1.44–1.60 times as long as broad, distinctly shorter than F2 (0.52–0.60) and F3 (0.59– 0.70). F2 longer than F3 (1.09–1.13). Flagellomeres with the following numbers of longitudinal sensilla: F1: 0, F2: 4, F3: 4, F4: 5, F4: 6–7, F5: 8, F6: 6. F1–F5 apically with papillar sensilla. Mid lobe of mesoscutum with about 60 setae, evenly reticulate, side lobes with three setae each. Posterior pair and lateral setae of mesoscutal midlobe larger than remaining setae of mesoscutum. Scutellar sensilla separated by approximately three times the width of a sensillum. Distance between anterior pair of scutellar setae smaller than distance between posterior pair, anterior pair located on the same level as scutellar sensilla. Fore wing 2.1–2.2 times as long as width of disc. Basal cell with seven to eight setae. Longest setae of marginal fringe slightly longer than one-tenth the width of disc. Submarginal vein with four to five setae, marginal vein anteriorly with 10–11 setae. Apical spur of midtibia longer than half the length of the corresponding basitarsus (0.72–0.85). Basitarsus of mid leg ventrally with stout setae with distinct bases. Tergites on each side with the following numbers of setae: T1: 1, T2: 3, T3: 4, T4: 5, T5: 3, T6: 3, T7 with four setae. Ovipositor longer than mid tibia (1.19–1.30). Third valvula very narrow and 0.50– 0.59 times as long as second valvifer.

Male. Unknown.

Species group placement. E. noyesi group.

Distribution. Australia: Queensland. Papua New Guinea: Central District.

Host. Aleyrodidae : Aleurodicus destructor Mackie.

Additional material examined

Queensland: 1♀, Thursday Island , 1933 (H. J. Hockings), ex Aleurodicus destructor (BMNH) ; 1♀, Heathlands dump (11 ° 459S, 142 ° 359E), 18 August to 17 September 1992 (P. Zborowski, L. Miller), Malaise # 2, open forest ( ANIC) .

Comments

Encarsia obliqua is one of the few known Encarsia species with an obliquely truncate clava and an oblique sulcus between F5 and F6, characters which are characteristic for members of the E. noyesi View in CoL species group. Until recently it was included in Encarsiella ( Schmidt and Polaszek 2007) View in CoL .