Blepyrus insularis (Cameron)

Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Encyrtidae: Tetracnemina

Head and thorax dark metallic violet to aeneous (Figs. 1-3); antenna dark brown. Frontovertex (Fig. 4) at narrowest one-quarter of head width or less, with distinct piliferous / setigerous punctures of a thimble-like appearance. Antenna (Fig. 5) with scape cylindrical, six-segmented funicle, all funicular segmentes wider than long, progressively wider from F1 to F6, club three-segmented. Notauli absent. Fore wing (Fig. 6) with postmarginal vein longer than stigmal vein.

   
Fig. 1. Adult female - dorsal view; Figs. 2, 3. Lateral view
 Fig. 4. Head, frontal view
 Fig. 5. Antenna
 Fig. 6. Fore wing venation

     Adult, dorsal view
   Adult, lateral view

Widely distributed in the Oriental region, including India (Delhi, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal); Sri Lanka; Papua New Guinea; Hawaii; Nigeria (Hayat, 2006).

Parasitic on several mealybugs, such as Ferrisia virgata (Cockerell) and Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green), particularly common on the former (Hayat, 2006).