Homalopoda cristata Howard, 1894

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 : 60-61

Homalopoda cristata Howard

( Figs 89-95; Hab. E 15)

Homalopoda cristata Howard in Riley et al., 1894:91-92. Lectotype E, designated by Noyes (1979:157), St. Vincent (W.I.), NHMUK, examined.

Caenohomalopoda longiscapus Gupta & Poorani, 2008:59-62 . Holotype E, India (Karnataka), NCPM, not examined. Synonymy with Homalopoda cristata by Hayat (2012:167).

DIAGNOSIS. Female (length about 1.1-2.4mm): frontovertex with a very conspicuous line of dense, translucent, silvery setae between eye and scrobe extending to position of malar sulcus; scape and flagellum dark brown ( Fig. 90); fore femur dark brown, tibia dark brown with apex orange-brown; mid femur dark brown, tibia dark brown, apex orange; fore wing ( Fig. 93) with a pair of subapical hyaline areas; paired hyaline spots at apex of venation separated by about 2X length of marginal vein; a well-defined hyaline spot present in middle of wing below marginal vein; head ( Fig. 89) about 3.5-4.8X as wide as frontovertex, larger specimens with a narrower frontovertex; occipital margin with a scale-like seta behind posterior ocellus; mandible with 4 teeth, two lowermost teeth longest; a very conspicuous line of silvery setae adjacent to eye above scrobe; scape about 5.1X as long as broad; funicle segments subcylindrical ( Fig. 90), F1 at most about 1.2X as long as pedicel, all at least about 2X as long as broad, in larger specimens up to 3X as long as broad, linear sensilla present only on F2-F4; flagellum slightly shorter than head width in smaller specimens, slightly longer in large specimens; apex of scutellum with a single pair of bristle-like setae ( Fig. 91), occasionally these setae very slightly broadened and scale-like, but never strongly so and never more than one pair; costal cell of fore wing ventrally with 3 lines of setae proximally, a single line of setae in distal half; postmarginal vein much shorter than stigmal vein (Fig, 92); linea calva interrupted by up to 6 setae; hind tibia without a subbasal constriction; hypopygium as in Fig. 95; ovipositor as in Fig, 94. Male: unknown.

Male. Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION. Some records may refer to other similar species of the genus, but H. cristata has been recorded from Cuba , Haiti, Puerto Rico, St Vincent & Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Panama, India (Karnataka) and Sri Lanka (see Noyes, 2019), also newly recorded below from Costa Rica (new record). Probably accidentally introduced into India and Sri Lanka.

HOSTS. Recorded as a parasitoid of Odonaspis secreta (Cockerell) in Sri Lanka ( Howard & Ashmead, 1896) and from Duplaspidiotus tesseratus (Grandpré & Charmoy) in India (Karnataka) ( Fry, 1989) ( Hemiptera : Diaspididae ). Also recorded as a parasitoid of Ceroplastes giganteus Dozier ( Hemiptera : Coccidae ) on Ficus rubricosta Warb. ( Rosales : Moraceae ) in Puerto Rico ( Dozier, 1937) but this host requires confirmation.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.

Type material. Lectotype of cristata: ST VINCENT & GRENADINES, “Leeward side St. Vincent , W.I. H. H. Smith 242” “ W. Indies 99-331”, “Omalopoda n.g. cristata, How. ” ( NHMUK).

Non type material. ST VINCENT & GRENADINES, 1E, St Vincent, Leeward side, 228 Reg. No 99-331 (H.H. Smith); 1E, St George, Kingstown, wasteground, 4.vii.1976 (J.S. Noyes); TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, 11E, Trinidad, Curepe, Sta Margarita Circ. Rd. , various dates, 10.iii-23.vi.1974 (F.D. Bennett); 3E, Trinidad, St George, St Augustine, Malaise trap, 15.vii-13.viii.1976 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Trinidad, St George, St Augustine, light trap, iv.1977 (F.D. Bennett); COSTA RICA, 1E, Guanacaste, Santa Rosa NP, SE 6C, 25.iv-16.v.1987 (D. Janzen, I.D. Gauld); 2E, Guanacaste, Maritza ( ACG), 700m, MT/YPT, 20.i-24. ii.1996 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Guanacaste, Nandayure, Finca Agua Fria, canopy fog, xi.2001 (W. Porras); 1E, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, Cerro Guayacán, LN 388500 259750, 100m, #57963, 11.vii-10.viii.2000 (I. Jiménez); 1E, Puntarenas, Golfito, Est. Agujas, 300m, LS 526650 276750, canopy fog, #61183, 15.iii.2000 (A. Solis); 1E, Limón, Res. Biol. Hitoy Cerere, 9°40’N 83°02’W, 100m, 22-23.ii.2015 (J.S. Noyes). INDIA, 5E, Karnataka, CIBC Bangalore, ex Duplaspidiotus tesseratus , 20.iii.1982; 1E, Karnataka, Vasanthapura, ex Duplaspiditous tesseratus on Ficus bengalensis, CIE 14454, 9.ix.1982. Material in MZUCR and NHMUK.