Psyllaephagus gyces Noyes & Hanson, 1996

Noyes, John Stuart, 2023, 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), Taxonomic Monographs on Neotropical Hymenoptera (Oxford, England) 2 (11), pp. 1-921 : 607-608

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 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).