Zagrammosoma crowei (Kerrich)

(Fig. 12)

Cirrospilus crowei Kerrich, 1969: 195 . Holotype ♀ [examined]. Locality: Kenya, Ruiru, coll. T. Crowe. Depository: BMNH: NHMUK010838528.

Zagrammosoma crowei; combination by Yefremova, 1995: 52.

Zagrammosoma crowee; misspelling by Yefremova, 2002: 568.

Diagnosis. This is the only species that possesses a dark transverse stripe on the lower and upper face. It also has three transverse stripes on the gaster that are not connected by a longitudinal stripe, which is the norm in other species of Zagrammosoma (in Fig. 12D the gaster has collapsed, and the visible brown longitudinal stripe is the ovipositor). Zagrammosoma crowei has similar body patterns to Z. americanum, Z. multilineatum, Z. occidentale, and Z. talitzkii, however the fore wing is hyaline in Z. crowei, with only the stigmal vein darkened (Fig. 12C), and the other four species all have distinct dark patterns on the fore wings (Figs 4C, 34C, 36C, 40C).

Description. Female - body length 1.1–1.73 mm. Metallic luster on body absent. Scape yellow with black stripe dorsally. Lower face with median stripe absent. Vertex with 2 stripes above compound eye. Gena posteriorly with dark stripes below compound eye. Occiput yellow with 2 dark, vertical stripes. Pronotum with median stripe complete; laterally with 2 dark stripes. Prepectus yellow with dark stripe along dorsal margin. Mesoscutum with median stripe complete. Mesoscutellum with three dark stripes. Propodeum yellow with black median carina, and anterior and posterior margins. Procoxa and mesocoxa yellow. Metacoxa yellow, basally with dark spot. Profemur and mesofemur yellow. Metafemur with uninterrupted stripe dorsally. Fore wing: basal and cubital bands absent; parastigmal band present, at junction of parastigmal and marginal veins only; stigmal band present, extending to apex of stigma; postmarginal band absent. Hind wing hyaline. Gaster yellow, dorsally with three dark, transverse stripes.

Upper ocular sulcus present. Pedicel longer than wide. Funiculars symmetrical: first longer than wide (w:l = 0.54–0.56); second longer than wide (w:l = 0.7–0.75).

Pronotum, in dorsal view, more than twice as wide as long (w:l = 2.16–2.45); 3 pairs of setae along posterior margin. Mesoscutum reticulate; small, scattered setae absent; intermediate setae present. Mesoscutellum wider than long (w:l = 1.2–1.26); submedian grooves present. Hind tibial spur distinctly shorter than basitarsus. Hind basitarsus shorter than second tarsomere (bst:2 nd = 0.83–0.89).

Fore wing l:w = 2.35–2.66. Submarginal vein with 6 setae. Basal fold setose. Cubital fold setose. Admarginal setae present. Uncus originating on stigma by more than own length from stigmal apex.

Male - as female, except: body length 1.02–1.6 mm; occiput with vertical stripes absent; band present, extending to apex of stigma; gaster with one or two broken, transverse stripes.

Remarks. This is the only Afrotropical species, being found in East Africa and Réunion Island. The two transverse stripes across the lower and upper face, from the inner boundary of one compound eye to the other, are very similar to those found in the eulophine Paraolinx Ashmead, however the area between the stripes is white, where they are yellow in Z. crowei . This species was imported into Spain for biological control trials against citrus leaf miner, however, did not successfully reproduce in the lab (Garcia-Marí et al. 2004).

Hosts. Reared from lepidopteran leaf miners, including coffee and citrus leaf miner. See Table 3. Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae, Lyonetiidae .

Distribution. Afrotropic: Kenya, Réunion Island, South Africa, Zimbabwe (Fig. 13).

Type Material Examined. Paratypes: KENYA: Kiambu Co., Ruiru, 1514m, 1°08’48”S, 36°57’55”E: 23.ii.1960, T. J. Crowe, host: Leucoptera meyricki [4♁ 1♀, BMNH: NHMUK10370143, 10370194, 10370212, 10370223, 10370226], 5.i.1960, T. J. Crowe, host: Leucoptera meyricki [1♀, BMNH: NHMUK10370153], 7.ii.1966, D.E. Evans, host: Leucoptera meyricki [1♁ 3♀, BMNH: NHMUK10370127, 10370137, 10370185, 10370193], 8.ix.1960, T. J. Crowe, host: Leucoptera meyricki [1♀, BMNH: NHMUK10370134] .

Additional material examined. ETHIOPIA: Oromia: Koka, 1700m, 8°22’0”N, 39°13’0”E, 28.x.1980, W. M. Amde, host: Phyllocnistis citrella, host plant: Citrus sp. [2♀, ANIC: UCRCENT238221, BMNH: NHMUK10370128]. KENYA: Kiambu Co., Ruiru, 1514m, 1°08’48”S, 36°57’55”E, 14.i.1974, W. M. Mathenge, host: Leucoptera meyricki [1♁, BMNH: NHMUK10370164]. Ruiru, 1514m, 1°08’48”S, 36°57’55”E, 22.x.1965, D.E. Evans, host: leaf miner [2♀, BMNH: NHMUK10370140, 10370141]. REUNION ISLAND: Bassin Plat, 129m, 21°20’0”S, 55°29’40”E, 26.iv.1995, S. Quilici, host: Phyllocnistis citrella, host plant: Citrus sp. [1♁ 2♀, ANIC: UCRCENT238218–238220]. Bassin Plat, 141m, 21°19’58”S, 55°29’44”E, 30.iii.1995, S. Quilici, Citrus, host: Phyllocnistis citrella [1♀, SANC: SANC-HYMC00003070]. SOUTH AFRICA: Limpopo: Vhembe, Levubu, 23°05’4”S, 30°16’57”E, host: Leucoptera coffeella, host plant: Coffee [SANC: SANC-HYMC00003123]. ZIMBABWE: Manicaland: Chipinga Dist., 1076m, 20°11’25”S, 32°37’41”E: 2.i.1975, R. Hill, Suction Trap [1♀, BMNH: NHMUK10370130], 20.vii.1990, host: Leucoptera meyricki [1♀, ANIC: UCRCENT238233], 3.i.1975, R. Hill, Suction Trap [1♀, BMNH: NHMUK10370159].