ENCYRTIDAE OF COSTA RICA (HYMENOPTERA: CHALCIDOIDEA), 4 Subfamily Encyrtinae: tribes Arrhenophagini, Habrolepidini, Cerapterocerini, Cheiloneurini, Trechnitini, Cercobelini, Polaszekiini, Protyndarichoidini, Gahaniellini and Syrphophagini (part), mainly primary parasitoids and hyperparasitoids of Coccoidea and Psylloidea (Hemiptera)
Author
Noyes, John Stuart
text
Taxonomic Monographs on Neotropical Hymenoptera
2023
Oxford, England
2023-06-30
2
1
1
921
http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8074943
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.8074943
2754-9844
8074943
BCAD06E8-0AFE-46ED-B7FA-930983CD44C4
Psyllaephagus gyces
Noyes & Hanson
(Figs 1620-1625; Hab. E 241)
Psyllaephagus gyces
Noyes & Hanson, 1996
:126,131-132.
Holotype
E,
Costa Rica
, NHMUK, examined.
Female
(length about
1.2-1.6mm
): head and mesoscutum generally dull metallic green or blue with some violet reflections, scutellum generally dull metallic green with apex slightly brighter; antenna (Fig. 1624) with scape mostly dark brown; flagellum brown; tegula dark brown; femora dark brown; tibiae mostly yellow with bases brownish; head (Fig. 1623) about 2.4X frontovertex
608
Taxonomic Monographs on Neotropical
Hymenoptera, Volume
2
width and 2.6X as wide as mouth opening; frontovertex with piliferous punctures deep and conspicuous, largest clearly smaller than ocellus, but all much larger than eye facet; ocelli forming an angle of about 100°; posterior ocellus equidistant from eye and occipital margin; scrobes fairly deep, but separated from anterior ocellus by at least about 2X length of torulus; antenna (Fig. 1624) with scape about 3.7X as long as broad and slightly shorter than width of frontovertex; pedicel slightly longer than F1; funicle segments longer than broad except for F6 which is quadrate, linear sensilla on all segments; clava with segments becoming gradually shorter towards apex which is narrowly rounded; clypeal margin slightly convex, protuberant; mandible with two acute teeth and a truncation, upper tooth short; mesoscutum generally with a dull metallic violet and blue sheen; scutellum with a dull dark coppery purple and metallic blue sheen; mesoscutum and scutellum with similar polygonally reticulate sculpture, but that on scutellum clearly deeper, more sharply defined and more elongate; scutellum convex; fore wing (Fig. 1622) about 2.4X as long as broad, marginal vein (Fig. 1621) about 1.5X as long as broad; costal cell with only a single line of setae dorsally; linea clava more or less open; gaster without a distinct, strongly reticulate anteromedian area on Gt3; ovipositor (Fig. 1620) about 1.7X as long as mid tibia, slightly exserted, the exserted part about 0.5X as long as mid tibial spur to about as long; second valvifer with about 9 or 10 subapical setae.
Male
: unknown.
DISTRIBUTION.
Mexico
(Trjapitzin et al., 2008),
Costa Rica
(
Noyes & Hanson, 1996
).
HOSTS. Reared from
Triozoida limbata
Enderlein
(
Hemiptera
:
Triozidae
) on guava,
Psidium guajava
L. (
Myrtales
:
Myrtaceae
) (see Trjapitzin et al., 2008).
MATERIAL EXAMINED.
Type material.
Holotype
E:
COSTA RICA
,
Puntarenas
,
Golfito
,
20.iii.1990
(
J.S. Noyes
)
.
Paratypes
:
COSTA RICA
, 2E,
Puntarenas
,
Puerto Jimenez
,
8 32’N
83°19’W
,
10m
,
viii.1991
and
xi.1991
(
P. Hanson
)
.
Holotype
in
NHMUK
,
paratypes
in
INBio
and
NHMUK
.
Non
type
material.
COSTA RICA
, 1E,
Alajuela
,
Aguas Zarcas
,
La Chiles
, café,
iii.1990
(
P. Hanson
); 1E,
Alajuela, PN
Volcán Tenorio,
Est. El Pilón
,
700-800m
, #74622,
28.vii.2003
(
A. Azofeifa
); 2E,
Alajuela
, RF
Arenal
,
Sendero Pilón
,
600m
,
LN 269100
457900,
14.x-3.xii.1998
and
17-18.v.1999
(
G. Carballo
); 1E,
Puntarenas
,
Puerto Jimenez
,
8°32’N
83°21’W
,
10m
, x-xi.1991 (
P. Hanson
). Material in
NHMUK
,
MZUCR
.
COMMENTS. Females of
Psyllaephagus gyces
are very similar to
creusa
, both having deep, conspicuous piliferous punctures on the frontovertex and very similar colouration. Apart from the more extensive brown marking on the hind tibia of
creusa
the two species can be separated on body size, relative size of punctures on the frontovertex, relative position of the ocelli, scutellum sculpture and the ovipositor structure. Females of
gyces
are generally not more than
1.6mm
in length, the piliferous punctures on the frontovertex are much smaller than the diameter of an ocellus, the posterior ocellus is equidistant from the occipital margin and eye, the sculpture of the scutellum is clearly deeper than that on the mesoscutum, the darker, coppery purple colouration of the scutellum is limited to the ridges of the cells and the ovipositor is longer than the mid tibia and also slightly exserted. In
creusa
the females are mostly longer than
1.6mm
, the piliferous punctures on the frontovertex are mostly subequal in diameter to an ocellus, the posterior ocellus is nearer the occipital margin than the eye, the sculpture of the scutellum is hardly deeper than that on the mesoscutum and the darker coppery purple colouration is not limited to the ridges of the cells and the ovipositor is shorter than the mid tibia and hidden. See also comments under
kallichoa
(p. 592),
xepo
(p. 597),
korus
(p. 602) and
phelys
(p. 607).