Paracentrobia (Paracentrobia)

Rakitov, Roman & Triapitsyn, Serguei V., 2013, Egg parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae and Trichogrammatidae) of the gall-making leafhopper Scenergates viridis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from Uzbekistan, with taxonomic notes on the Palaearctic species of Aphelinoidea, Zootaxa 3683 (5), pp. 538-548 : 544

Paracentrobia (Paracentrobia) sp.

( Figs. 18–24 )

Paracentrobia sp.: Rakitov & Appel 2012: 12 (host association, natural history information).

Material examined. UZBEKISTAN, Bukhara Province, Kagan District, Ecocenter “Dzheyran”, 39°34’27’’N 64°42’57’’E, 227 m, 4–16.viii.2011, R. Rakitov (from eggs of Scenergates viridis on Alhagi maurorum ) [1 Ƥ, 1 3 on slides, and 4 Ƥ, 1 3 on points, UCRC].

Taxonomic notes. These specimens almost certainly represent a new species that somewhat extends the currently recognized morphological limits of Paracentrobia Howard (Jeremiah George, UCRC, personal communication). They are not described here because the taxonomy of the genus is currently in disarray, hampering proper diagnosis. However, the following brief account of selected diagnostic features can be helpful for its recognition. Female ( Fig. 21 ): body length about 730 µm (measurements taken from dry-mounted specimens); frontovertex and occiput orange, eyes and ocelli reddish, face yellow to light brown, malar space brown, antenna pale with some brown, mesosoma mostly brown, gaster and legs mostly yellow; antenna ( Fig. 18 ) with scape about 4.3× as long as wide, F1 a little wider than long and with a single mps, F2 tightly appressed to F1, very short and thus difficult to see, without mps, clava 3.1–3.3× as long as wide, with numerous mps; fore wing ( Fig. 19 ) about 1.7× as long as wide, disc mostly hyaline except for a small dark spot behind stigmal vein, marginal setae very short; hind wing about 10× as long as wide, disc hyaline and with 3 rows of setae, longest marginal seta about equal to maximum wing width; ovipositor occupies about 0.6 length of gaster, barely exserted beyond its apex ( Fig. 20 ), and about 1.8× length of metatibia. Male: similar to female but body length 730–790 µm (measurements taken from dry specimens); mesosoma mostly orange with brown laterally, gaster with brownish spots laterally; antenna ( Fig. 22 ) with clava about 2.0× as long as wide; fore wing ( Fig. 23 ) 1.8–1.9× as long as wide; genitalia as in Fig. 24 .

Host. Scenergates viridis (Vilbaste) ( Hemiptera : Cicadellidae ) ( Rakitov & Appel 2012).

Biology. Unknown. The oviposition behavior is most probably similar to that of A. sariq .

Figures

FIGURES 18 – 24. Paracentrobia sp. 18 – 21. Female: 18. Antenna. 19. Fore wing. 20. Body. 21. Live specimen. 22 – 24. Male: 22. Antenna. 23. Fore wing. 24. Genitalia.