Rhopus atys Noyes & Hayat

Hayat, Mohammad, Zeya, Shahid Bin & Veenakumari, K., 2013, On some brachypterous Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) from India, with description of four new species, Zootaxa 3716 (2), pp. 259-276 : 273-274

Rhopus atys Noyes & Hayat

( Figs 32–34 )

The original description of R. atys was based on macropterous females, but Noyes & Hayat (1994) noted the occurrence of a single brachypterous female. Therefore, a brief description of the brachypterous forms of this species is given here. It is very similar to the macropterous forms in various dimensions of body parts, sculpture of the head and the mesothoracic tergites and setation.

Female. Brachypterous. Length, 0.76–0.86 mm. Head brownish yellow; malar space brown. Antenna with scape brownish yellow to brown; pedicel brown; flagellum dark brown. Mesosoma brownish yellow; pronotum on sides brown; mesoscutum and scutellum yellowish brown; propodeum on sides brown. Wings hyaline. Legs, including coxae, largely pale brown. Gaster in about basal third pale brown, distal two-thirds, and especially TV– TVII dark brown.

Head flattened ( Fig. 32 ); vertex elevated above level of eyes; head, in frontal view, 1.14× as broad as high; frontovertex width about 0.7× head width; eye small, height 0.5× head height; ocellar triangle with apical angle obtuse; POL 1.57× OOL; malar space 0.72× eye height; eye sparsely setose, setae hyaline, and each seta longer than the diameter of a facet. Antenna ( Fig. 33 ) as in macropterous forms; F1–5 small, F6 large; clava 2-segmented and about as long as funicle.

Mesosoma. Sculpture and dimensions of scelerites about same as in macropterous form; pronotum 5.58× as broad as long, and 0.27× mesoscutum length; mesoscutum 1.45× as broad as long; scutellum 0.7× mesoscutum length, and 1.22× as broad as long; scutellum with 3–4 pairs of setae. Fore wing length:width ratios variable; generally about 2.5× as long as broad ( Fig. 34 a), and when laid back, reaches to base of gaster, and at most as long as mid tibia (60:60, slide No. EH.1633), but may be shorter (in one specimen (slide No. EH.1603), 0.82× mid tibia length). Relative measurements (slide, EH.1603, at 400×)—mesosoma length, 90; pronotum length (width), 12 (67); mesoscutum length (width), 44 (64); scutellum length (width), 31 (38); mid tibia length, 57.

Metasoma. Ovipositor 0.75× mid tibia length (43:57).

Male. Unknown.

Material examined. INDIA: KARNATAKA: Bengaluru, Kengeri, 2 females (on slides, EH.1603, EH.1631), 8.viii.2012 (YPT), Coll. K. Veenakumari; Bengaluru, Hebbal, 1 female, macropterous (on slide, EH.1632), 13.viii.2012, 3 females, macropterous (on two slides, EH.1604, EH.1605), 18.viii.2012; 1 female, macropterous (on slide, EH.1634), 21.viii.2012 (PFT), 1 female (on slide, EH.1633), 5.ix.2012 (PFT), Coll. K. Veenakumari; Bengaluru, Attur, 1 female (on slide, EH.1635), 1 female, macropterous (on slide, EH.1636), 18.ix.2012 (PFT), Coll. K. Veenakumari. (4 females in ZDAMU; 6 females in NBAII)

INDIA: JHARKHAND: Hazaribag, Hesla, 1 female (slide, EH.1530), 6.xi.2011, Coll. PT Anwar. (ZDAMU)

Figures

FIGURES 32 – 34. Rhopus atys Noyes & Hayat. Brachypterous female: 32, head frontal; 33, antenna; 34 a, fore wing (slide, EH. 1633); 34 b, fore wing venation (slide, EH. 1603).