Coccophagus scutellaris

About 953000 individuals of the cosmopolitan parasitoid, Coccophagus scutellaris (Dalman) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), were released and evaluated during 2009-2010 for the control of the following soft scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccidae) infesting the following economic crops in Egypt: Ceroplastes rusci on citrus in Beni Seuf, Ceroplastes floridensis Comstock on citrus in Gharbiya, Coccus hesperidum L. on guava in Giza, Pulvinaria floccifera (Westwood) on mango in Sharqiya, Pulvinaria psidii Maskell on mango in Ismailia, Saissetia coffeae (Walker) on olive in Marsa Matruh, and Saissetia oleae (Oliver) on olive in the Northern Coast. The population of C. scutellaris showed a significant correlation with the build up of the population of the soft scale insects population in all of the release sites studied. The maximum rate of parasitism of the other species of parasitoids associated with soft scale insects at the release sites decreased after the release of C. scutellaris

A faunistic study on Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera) of Iran

Abstract: The fauna of some families of Iranian Chalcidoidea is studied. In total, 24 species of six families, Chalcididae (3 species from 3 genera Brachymeria Westwood, Chalcis Fabricius and Dirhinus Dalman), Encyrtidae (7 species from 6 genera Anagyrus Howard, 1896, Copidosoma Ratzeburg, 1844, Diversinervus Silvestri, 1915, Encyrtus Latreille, 1809, Microterys Thomson, 1876 and Syrphophagus Ashmead, 1900), Eupelmidae (8 species from 4 genera Anastatus Motschulsky, Eupelmus Dalman, Eusandalum Ratzeburg and Pentacladia Westwood), Eurytomidae (3 species from 2 genera Eurytoma Illiger and Tetramesa Walker), Mymaridae (single species from the genus Anaphes Haliday) and Perilampidae (2 species from the genus Perilampus Latreille) were collected and identified

Pteroptrix aegyptica Evans and Abd-Rabou, n. sp.

Pteroptrix aegyptica Evans and Abd­Rabou n. sp. Female (Figs. 1–6). Length: 1.0– 1.2 mm. Diagnosis The female of Pteroptrix aegyptica is most similar to Pteroptrix arabica (Ferriére) described from Parlatoria blanchardi (Targioni Tozzetti) from Saudia Arabia, but differs in having the head brown, the midlobe of the mesoscutum brown with a pale, central triangular­shaped area, F 3 and F 4 antennal segments each slightly wider than long, the marginal fringe 0.9 –1.0x as long as fore wing width, and the male F 3 antennal segment quadrate; whereas the female of P. arabica, has the head yellow, the midlobe of the mesoscutum completely brown, F 3 and F 4 each about 1.25 x as long as wide and the marginal fringe 0.8 x as long as fore wing width, and the male F 3 antennal segment transverse. Description Color (Fig. 1) — Body dark brown except pale yellow triangular­shaped area on mid lobe of mesocutum, side lobes, scutellum and metanotum; legs yellow except for fuscous hind femur and basal two­thirds of middle and hind tibiae; fore wing hyaline (clear) with area under marginal vein to the posterior margin of the forewing, and the distal half of submarginal vein narrowly infuscate. Head with length/width measurements (μm) and length/width ratios of antennal segments (Fig. 3) as follows: radicle 52.5 / 20 = 1.5, scape 135 / 35 = 3.9, pedicel 75 / 42.5 = 1.8, F 1 35 / 37.5 = 0.9, F 2 25 / 35 = 0.7, F 3 37.5 / 40 = 0.9, F 4 37.5 / 40 = 0.9, F 5 70 / 37.5 = 1.9, F 6 100 / 27.5 = 3.6. Mandibles (Fig. 6) with 3 teeth, glossa (Fig. 5) with 1 pair of pegs. Mesosoma (Fig. 1) with 5 setae on midlobe of mesoscutum arranged as 2 + 1 + 2; axillae elongate, each with 1 moderately long seta arising about at the center of the axilla; scutellum with placoid sensillae widely separated by a distance of about 14 x the diameter of 1 sensillum; anterior pair of setae (Sc 1) very short, less than 0.33 x as long as the posterior pair (Sc 2). Fore wing (Fig. 4) — narrow, length 780; maximum width of wing 225; disk length 312.5; longest seta of marginal fringe 212.5; forewing width 0.72 x forewing disk; marginal fringe 0.94 x forewing width; submarginal vein with 1 seta, marginal vein with 3 long setae along the anterior margin, costal cell with one short seta located at about half its length and 2 long setae located at the apex near the base of the marginal vein, 2 basal group setae; disk setae sparse. Legs (Fig. 2) with 4 ­ 4 ­ 4 tarsal formula; spur of middle tibia (70) 1.27 x as long as corresponding basitarsus (55). Gaster very elongate, 2.5 x as long as mesosoma and 1.6 x as long as mesosoma and head combined; ovipositor (317.5) arising at level of base of tergite V, 1.3 x longer than middle tibia (245); valvulae III very short (55), about 0.17 x as long as ovipositor. Male (Fig 7). Similar to female in coloration and structure, but can be easily distinguished from the females by the relative lengths of antennal segments, especially that of the first 3 segments of the funicle (F 1 –F 3). These segments are elongate in the male, with F 1 and F 3 each about 2 x as long as wide, and F 2 is quadrate; whereas in the female, the F 1 and F 3 segments are quadrate and F 2 is transverse. Specimens examined and deposition Holotype female (slide mounted). Egypt, El­Arish (Northern Sinai), 11.x. 1997, S.Abd­Rabou, ex Parlatoria blanchardi (Targioni Tozzetti) [Diaspididae] on Phoenix dactylifera L. [Arecaceae]; deposited in USNM. Paratypes: 1 female in PPRI, and 4 males (slide mounted), same collection data as holotype in USNM and PPRI. Discussion Using Prinsloo and Neser’s (1990) key to the world species of Archenomus Howard (a junior synonym of Pteroptrix), this new species would key out to Pteroptrix arabica (Ferriére) described by Ferriére (1970) from Parlatoria blanchardi from Saudia Arabia, and would be placed in the Pteroptrix bicolor group as defined by Prinsloo and Neser (1990). Unlike most species in this group, the forewings of both P. arabica and P. aegyptica are very narrow with a very long marginal fringe, almost as long as the maximum width of the forewing. Pteroptrix aegyptica was collected from El­Arish (Northern Sinai) which has a moderate temperature and high relative humidity. Its host, Parlatoria blanchardi, attacks the date palm, Phoenix dactylifera, one of the most important crops in Egypt.Published as part of Evans, Gregory A. & Abd-Rabou, Shaaban, 2005, Two new species, and additional records, of aphelinids from Egypt (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), pp. 1-7 in Zootaxa 838 on pages 2-4, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17069

Encarsia perconfusa Evans and Abd-Rabou, n. sp.

Encarsia perconfusa Evans and Abd­Rabou, n. sp. Female (Figs. 8–11). Length: 0.9 mm. Diagnosis Encarsia perconfusa is very similar to Encarsia confusa Hayat, described from Aleurolobus sp. in India (Hayat, 1989), but differs by having the ovipositor distinctly shorter (0.82 x) than the length of the midtibia, the maximum width of the forewing longer than the length of the forewing disk and with 10–11 long basal setae below the submarginal vien, and the F 3 antennal segment slightly longer than F 2; whereas in E. confusa, the ovipositor is subequal to the length of the midtibia, the maximum width of forewing is as long as the forewing disk and with 7–8 shorter basal setae below the submarginal vein, and with F 3 is slightly shorter than F 2. Description Color: Body yellow, head with dark brown transverse line above the clypeus, antennae and legs yellow with F 6 fuscous; wings hyaline (clear). Head with the following length/width measurements (μm) and length/width ratios of antennal segments (Fig. 10): radicle 52.5 / 15 = 3.5; scape 145 / 30 = 4.8; pedicel 50 / 32.5 = 1.5, F 1 45 / 22.5 = 2.0, F 2 51.7 / 22.5 = 2.3, F 3 62.5 / 25 = 2.5, F 4 62.5 / 30 = 2.1, F 5 62.5 / 32.5 = 1.9, F 6 60 / 32.5 = 1.8. Number of linear sensillae on F 1 –F 6: 0, 1, 1, 3, 3, 3, respectively. Mandible with 3 teeth and glossa with 2 pairs of pegs. Mesosoma (Fig 8) midlobe of mesoscutum with many small hexagonally shaped cells and with 4 pairs of setae arranged as 4 + 2 + 2, axillae with many small, elongate cells and with one relatively long seta arising from the anterior third and extending to the basal third of the axilla; scutellum with many hexagonal cells, anterior pair of setae (Sc 1) shorter than posterior pair (Sc 2), placoid sensillae separated by distance of 5.7 x the diameter of one sensillum. Each hexagonal cell on mesosoma with short intercellar lines as in Encarsia luteola Howard. Forewing (Fig. 11) length 700.0; forewing disk 257.5; maximum width of forewing 330.0; longest seta of marginal fringe 72.5; forewing width 1.3 x forewing disk; marginal fringe 0.2 x forewing width; forewing uniformly setose, basal group with 10–11 long setae, marginal vein with 10 setae along its anterior margin and 2 pterostigmal setae present at its base. Legs (Fig. 9) tibia of middle leg (252.5) with apical spur 0.6 x as long as corresponding basitarsus; tarsal formula 5 ­ 5 ­ 5. Gaster elongate with narrow reticulate band at the base; ovipositor (205) arising at the level of tergite IV and 0.81 x as long as tibia II; valvulae III (55) moderately long, 0.3 x as long as ovipositor. Male unknown. Specimen examined and deposition Holotype female (slide mounted), Egypt: Aswan, i. 2003, S. Abd­Rabou, ex. Tetraleurodes leguminicola Bink­Moenen on Acacia tortilis (Forsk.) Hayne; deposited in USNM. Etymology This species is named for its similarity to Encarsia confusa Hayat which was named as such because it could be easily confused with Encarsia transvena (Timberlake), a junior synonym of E. sophia (Girault and Dodd); the prefix “per” is added to its name which means “very”. Discussion This species is tentatively placed in the Encarsia lahorensis species group, which was first designated by Viggiani and Mazzone (1979). Later, Hayat (1989) broadened the concept of this species group to include species that have more than two pairs of setae on the mesoscutum. Encarsia perconfusa differs from most of the other species currently placed in this group by having the midtibial spur much shorter than the corresponding basitarsus and more than two pairs of setae on the mesoscutum. Hayat (1998) suggested that E. confusa may be a synonym of Encarsia galilea Rivnay, described from Bemisia afer (Priesner and Hosny) in Israel. Of the species of Encarsia known from Egypt, E. perconfusa is most similar to Encarsia protransvena Viggiani, but can be distinguished from that species by having the placoid sensillae of the scutellum widely separated; whereas in E. protransvena, the placoid sensillae are closely placed, separated by a distance of less than the diameter of one sensillum. Its whitefly host, Tetraleurodes leguminicola, attacks sunt (Acacia spp.), a tree widely distributed throughout Upper Egypt where it is used for lumber. Additional records In addition, the following aphelinids were reared from the following hosts in Egypt: 1) Encarsia perniciosi (Tower), reared from Lepidosaphes pallida (Maskell) on mango (Mangifera indica L.), Sharquia, Egypt, I. 2003, S. Abd­Rabou. 2) Marietta leopardina Motschulsky, a hyperparasite, emerged from Saissetia coffeae (Walker) on olive (Olea sp.), Northern Coast of Egypt, 1.vii. 1997, S. Abd­Rabou; from Chrysomphalus dictyospermi (Morgan) on Ficus retusa ssp. nitida (Th.) Miq., Qalyubiya, ix. 2002, S. Abd­Rabou; from Aonidiella citrina (Coquillett) on rose (Rosa sp.), South Sinai, i. 2000. S. Abd­Rabou; from Parlatoria ziziphi (Lucas) on Citrus sp., Giza, vi. 1999, S. Abd­Rabou; and from Aonidiella aurantii (Maskell) on Ficus retusa ssp. nitida, Isna Qena, v. 2001, S. Abd­Rabou.Published as part of Evans, Gregory A. & Abd-Rabou, Shaaban, 2005, Two new species, and additional records, of aphelinids from Egypt (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), pp. 1-7 in Zootaxa 838 on pages 4-6, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17069

Two new species, and additional records, of aphelinids from Egypt (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae)

Evans, Gregory A., Abd-Rabou, Shaaban (2005): Two new species, and additional records, of aphelinids from Egypt (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae). Zootaxa 838: 1-7, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17069