Adelencyrtus chionaspidis (Howard)

Adelencyrtus chionaspidis (Howard) View in CoL

( Figs 15-21; Hab. E 3)

Encyrtus chionaspidis Howard View in CoL in Howard & Ashmead, 1896:637. Syntypes E, Sri Lanka, USNM, image examined.

Encyrtus moderatus Howard, 1897:152 View in CoL . Lectotype E, designated by Noyes (1979:144-145), Grenada (WI), NHMUK, examined. syn.nov.

Adelencyrtus chionaspidis (Howard) View in CoL ; Ashmead, 1900:401.

Adelencyrtus femoralis Compere & Annecke, 1961:53 View in CoL . Lectotype E, designated by Noyes, (1979:144-145), India, USNM, not examined. Synonymy with moderatus View in CoL by Noyes (1979:144-145). syn.nov.

Adelencyrtus miyarai Tachikawa, 1963a:131 View in CoL . Holotype E, Japan, KYUN, not examined. Synonymy with moderatus View in CoL by Noyes (1979:144-145). syn.nov.

Adelencyrtus mysorensis Hayat, Alam & Agarwal, 1975:82 View in CoL . Holotype E, India ( Karnataka), BMNH, examined. Synonymy with moderatus View in CoL by Hayat (1981:14). syn.nov.

Adelencyrtus moderatus (Howard) View in CoL ; Noyes, 1979:144-145.

DIAGNOSIS. Female (length about 0.6-1.2mm): head dark brown to black with a distinct metallic lustre; frontovertex with a metallic green or blue-green sheen, generally purple anteriorly above scrobes but coppery purple immediately above scrobes and deep metallic blue between eye and scrobe; scrobes mostly metallic green mixed coppery purple, dorsal part of antennal prominence dark metallic blue; temple, gena and mouth margin with a coppery purple sheen, temple somewhat mixed metallic green; antenna mostly pale yellow, pedicel and occasionally apex of clava slightly dusky; thorax dark brown to black; pronotum with a dull, mixed coppery purple and metallic green sheen; mesoscutum and axilla with a dull, mixed coppery purple and dark blue sheen; tegula dark brown; scutellum with a dull coppery purple sheen, side and apex with a relatively strong metallic green and coppery sheen; mesopleuron with a weak, metallic blue, purple and brassy sheen; legs generally pale yellow to very pale orange, but hind coxa pale brown towards base and hind femur mostly brown; wings hyaline, venation pale yellow; propodeum dark brown with a weak brassy and purple sheen, side with a strong metallic coppery purple and dark blue to green sheen; gaster dark purple-brown, dorsally with a coppery purple sheen mixed slightly brassy and green, Gt1 with a distinct dark metallic blue or green and purple sheen, side and venter with coppery, blue, brassy and green reflections; gonostylus dark brown; head in profile about 1.3X as high as deep, in facial view about 4X as wide as frontovertex, which is narrowest a little behind posterior ocelli; a conspicuous, long setae present on margin behind each posterior ocellus; a short, oval depression adjacent to eye near occipital margin; ocelli forming an angle of about 75°; frontovertex shiny, with relatively deep, polygonally reticulate to imbricate-reticulate sculpture of mesh size mainly subequal eye facet, deepest and more polygonally reticulate in ocellar area; temple and gena with relatively shallow, longitudinally elongate imbricate-reticulate sculpture; scrobes with relatively shallow, irregular sculpture, almost smooth; interantennal prominence and mouth margin with shallow, polygonally reticulate sculpture; scrobes shallow, indistinctly margined, narrowly ∩-shaped; interantennal prominence dorsally rounded; antenna as in Figs 15, 16; scape hardly broadened and flattened, about 3.5X as long as broad; F1-F3 subequal and strongly transverse, F4 subequal or a little larger and transverse, F5-F6 larger, subequal and subquadrate, linear sensilla present only on F4-F6, or F5-F 6 in smaller specimens; clava slightly longer than funicle, sutures parallel, sensory area small, at apex only giving it a pointed or slightly rounded appearance; eye slightly overreaching occipital margin, clothed with very conspicuous setae, each of which is a little longer than diameter of facet; malar sulcus absent; mandible with four teeth; thorax ( Fig. 17) with pronotum hardly exposed behind head, its posterior margin broadly V-shaped and strongly emarginate medially; pronotum and mesoscutum with imbricate-reticulate to polygonally reticulate sculpture that is coarser than in ocellar area, but about as deep; scutellum with fine, longitudinally elongate, polygonally reticulate sculpture that is conspicuously deeper than that on mesoscutum, side and extreme apex completely smooth and shiny; visible part of mesoscutum about 2X as broad as long; scutellum about 1.2X as broad as long, fore wing about 2.7X as long as broad with venation and setation as in Figs 20, 21; costal cell with 3 or 4 dorsal setae at apex; propodeum with 4 or 5 moderately conspicuous setae outside spiracle; gaster with hypopygium reaching about 0.5X to apex; last tergite about as long as mid tibia, with apex narrowly rounded; hypopygium as in Fig. 19; ovipositor ( Fig. 18) slightly exserted, the exserted part about 0.5X length of mid tibial spur or about 0.2X mid tibia. Male (length about 0.7-1.0mm): very similar to female but for structure of antenna and genitalia; antennal funicle with 2 anelliform segments, clava very long, slender and slightly curved, about 8X as long as broad and about as long as head width; fore wing with linea calva not interrupted; genitalia with aedeagus very slender, apex acute, digiti well developed, each about 2X as long as broad and with a single apical hook.

DISTRIBUTION. USA (Florida); Cuba, St Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent, Grenada, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkmenistan, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion, Pakistan, India, Indonesia ( Java), China, Japan, Fiji (see Noyes, 1979 and Noyes, 2019), also recorded below from Jamaica ( new record), Nigeria ( new record) and Costa Rica ( new record),

HOSTS. Reared from Lepidosaphes Shimer on citrus, Aspidiella sacchari (Cockerell) , Aulacaspis takari Takagi. Aulacaspis tegalensis (Zehntner) , Duplachionaspis divergens (Green) , Duplachionaspis graminella (Borchsenius) and Gannaspis glomerata (Green) ( Hemiptera : Diaspidiae) (see Noyes, 2019). Recorded below from Odonaspis ruthae Kotinsky ( new record) ( Hemiptera : Diaspididae ) on Rhynchelytrum roseum (Nees) Stapf & C.E. Hubb ( Poales : Poaceae ). Records from mealybugs are probably erroneous.

BIOCONTROL. Adelencyrtus chionaspidis has been introduced unsuccessfully into Barbados ( Cock, 1985), Uganda ( CIBC, 1971) and India ( CIBC, 1973, 1974) for the control of diaspidid scales pests. In all cases the parasitoid failed to establish, or no further reports have been forthcoming.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.

Type material. Lectotype E of moderatus , GRENADA, Balthazar (windward side), H.S. Smith, ( BM) (18)99-331, “ Encyrtus moderatus How Typ (e)” ( NHMUK). Paratypes of miyarai JAPAN, 2E, Okinawa, Miyako Is., ex Aulacaspis takarai Takagi , 65, 5.i.1962 (T. Miyara).

Non type material. USA, 1E, Florida, Palm Beach Co., Cana Point, ex Aspidiotus sacchari on sugarcane, 26.v.1987 (F.D. Bennet); 1E, Florida, TREC Homestead, ex Odonaspis ruthae on Rhynchelytrum roseum , 87-81, 7.xi.1987 (F.D. Bennet, A. Rueda). JAMAICA, Pt. Maria, Bellfield siding, off Leucaena leucocephala , 28.vi.2988 (D. Hollis). ST VINCENT, 24E, various localities and dates, 4-13.vii.1976 (J.S. Noyes). TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, 7E, Trinidad, Orange Grove, ex Aspidiella sacchari on sugarcane, CIE A.6100, i.1973 (F.D. Bennett); 4G, Trinidad, Curepe, CIBC lab grounds, Moericke trap, 13-27.vi.1974 (M.N. Beg); 44E, Trinidad, various localities and dates, 23.vi-4.viii.1976 (J.S. Noyes); 6E, Trinidad, St George, St Augustine, various dates viii-ix.1976 (F.D. Bennett); 2E, Tobago, St Patrick, Mount Irvine Bay, coastal grassland, 19.viii.1976 (J.S. Noyes). 1E, Tobago, St John, Bloody Bay, 20.vii.1976 (J.S. Noyes). COSTA RICA, 11E, Guanacaste, Santa Rosa NP , various localities and dates 14.ix.1985 - 21.ii.1987 (D. Janzen, I.D. Gauld); 1E, Guanacaste, 9km S Santa Cecilia, Estac. Pitilla, vi.1989 (I.D. Gauld); 1E, Guanacaste, Guanacaste NP (error for Santa Rosa NP ), near HQ, 1-10.iii.1990 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Guanacaste, 9km S. Santa Cecilia, 700m, LN 329950 380450, vi.1994 ( P. Rios); 1E, Guanacaste, Est. Pitilla , 650m, 11.ii.1995 (L. Masner); 2E, Guanacaste, Pitilla ( ACG), MT/YPT, 24.i-27.ii.1996 ( J.S. Noyes); 1E, Guanacaste, Maritza ( ACG), LN 326500 372600, 600m, 23.iv-11.v.1996 (D. Briceño); 2E, Guanacaste, Murcielago ( ACG) , 75m, MT, 24.i-4.ii.1996 (J. Ugalde); 1E, Guanacaste, 13km E. Filadelfia, Hda El Viejo, v-vi.1989 (M. Garcia ); 1E, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, Est. Palo Verde, LN 259050 388400, 10m, #60224, xi.2000 ( I. Jiménez); 2E, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, Sector Palo Verde , 150m E Estacion, LN 260952 385020, 0-50m, 4-14. ix.1999 and 2-12.xii.1999 ( I. Jiménez); 2E, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, Sect. Palo Verde, Estacion , LN 385020 260952, 0-50m, #57055, 10-18.vii.2000 ( I. Jiménez); 1E, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, Sector Palo Verde, Estr E. Campo Aterr , LN 260952 385020, 10m, #53260, viii-ix.1999 ( I. Jiménez); 1E, Alajuela, Reserva Rincon Forestal, East. Caribe, 10°53’N 85°18’W GoogleMaps , 400m, 19-20.ii.2003 ( J.S. Noyes); 1E, Alajuela, PN Arenal, Sendero Pilón , 10°27’N 84°43’W GoogleMaps , 600m, 26.ii.2003 ( J.S. Noyes); 1E, Alajuela, Peñas Blancas, 9.vi.1987 ( E. Cruz); 1E, Heredia, La Selva BS , 50m, ii.1991 ( J.S. Noyes); 1E, Heredia, La Selva Biol. Sta, 3km S Pto Viejo, 10°26’N 84°01’W, on leaves of Alchornea costaricensis Pax & Hoffe , 21.vii.1992 ( H.A. Hespenheide); 1E, Heredia, OTS La Selva, M. 01.399, 17.vii.1995 ( ALAS); 1E, Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva , 10°26’N 84°01’W, x.1995 ( OET / INBio); 1E, Heredia , 16km SSE La Virgen, 10°16’N 85°05’W GoogleMaps , 1050- 1150m, 11/M/NOTN, 9-ii-21.iv.2001 ( INBio / OET – ALAS); 1E, Heredia, Santo Domingo , INBio Parque, LN 217300 526200, 1100m, TM, #67118, 11.ii-18.iii.2002 (R. Zuñiga); 1E, Heredia, Santo Domingo, INBio Parque, LN 217300 526200, 1100m, iii.2002 ( J.Azofeifa, J.S. Noyes); 1E, San José, San Pedro, Tigra Cacao, iii-iv.1990 ( P. Hanson); 1E, San José, San Antonio de Escazu , 1300m, i.1999 ( W. Eberhard, P. Hanson); 2E, San José, Ciudad Colón, xii.1989 - i.1990 ( L. Fournier); 2E, Puntarenas, Res. Priv. Karen Mogensen , 9°52’N 85°03’W GoogleMaps , 305m, 14-15.ii.2005 ( J.S. Noyes); 5E, Puntarenas, Manuel Antonio, 23-26.viii.1986 (L. Masner); 3E, Puntarenas, Golfito, off bamboo with coccids ( JC 161 ), 21.ii.1984 (error for 1990) ( J.S. Noyes); 2E, Puntarenas, Golfo Dulce , 24km W Piedras Blancas, 8°46’N 83°24’W GoogleMaps , 200m, vi-vii.1989 and i-iii.1991 ( P. Hanson, I.D. Gauld); 3E, Puntarenas, RF Golfo Dulce , 3km SW Rincon , 10m, x.1991 and i.1992 ( P. Hanson); 1E, Puntarenas, Pen. Osa , 5km N Puerto Jimenez , 8°33’N 83°21’W GoogleMaps , 10m, i-ii.1991 ( P. Hanson, C. Godoy); 2E, Puntarenas, Pen. Osa . Puerto Jimenez , 10m, ii.1992 and ii-iii.1993 ( P. Hanson); 2E, Puntarenas, PN Corcovado, Rio Rincon , 3km NE Los Patos, 18°33’N 83°30’W GoogleMaps , 50m, 1-9.iii.2000 ( J. Azofeifa); 4E, Puntarenas, Est. Agujas , El Tigre, LS 529600 277800 , 30-34m, 19.vii.2000 and 25.iv.2001 (J. Azofeifa); 1E, Limón, 16km W Guapiles, iii-iv.1990 ( P. Hanson); 1E, Limón, RB Hitoy Cerere, Send. Bobócara , LN 184250 641800, 300m, #53498, 8.viii-10.x.1999 G. Carballo ). NIGERIA, 1E, Abia St. , ex scales on Zingiber officinale , sp. 5 IIE 22163, 1991 . MADAGASCAR, 5E, Tamatave, Perinet, 27.iv-3.v.1983 ( J.S. Noyes. M.C. Day); 1E, Tulear, Fort Dauphin , 5.v.1983 ( J.S. Noyes; M.C. Day); 3E, Tulear, Berenty, 12 km NW Amboasary, 5-15.v.1983 ( J.S. Noyes, M.C. Day); 2E, Tulear, Bereboka, 60km NE Morondava, 18-23.v.1983 ( J.S. Noyes, M.C. Day) . MAURITIUS, 2E, Reduit, Tamarin, ex Aulacaspis tegalensis , 28.v.1968 ( CIE A.2500) . INDIA, 19E, Maharashtra, Kolhapur, No 6 ex scale,1979-1980, CIE A.12003; 2E, 2G, Tamil Nadu, Madura, Sugars, Pandiarajapuram, ex Aspidiella sacchari on sugarcane, CIE A.17509, 28.x.1985 (R. Jayanthi). Material in MZUCR, CNC and NHMUK .

COMMENTS. The possible synonymy of Adelencyrtus moderatus (Howard) with Encyrtus chionaspidis Howard was suggested to me in litt. by Prof. M. Hayat (Aligarh Muslim University) in 2019. I have been able to confirm this synonymy recently by examination of a high-resolution image of a syntype housed in the USNM collections kindly provided by Dr M. Gates ( United States Department of Agriculture).