Scientific name

Coccophagus cowperi Girault

Taxonomic position

Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Aphelinidae: Coccophaginae

Diagnosis

Female: Length about 1.0 mm. Body dark brown; distal 0.66x of scutellum, metanotum medially and apex of TVII of gaster, yellow to white; antenna brown; wings hyaline, fore wing at most with a slight yellow tinge; legs with all coxae and hind femora dark brown.

Images

   Adult - dorsal, lateral view

Distribution

India: Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu (Hayat, 1998 & Noyes, 2013).

Hosts / Biology

Ceroplastes actiniformis, C. floridensis, C. cajani, Chloropulvinaria sp., Coccus hesperidum, Coccus viridis, Filippia folicularis, F. oleae, Parasaissetia nigra, Pulvinaria aligarhensis, P. elongata, P. mesembryanthemi, Saissetia sp., S. coffeae, S. hemisphaerica, S. miranda, S. oleae (Noyes, 2013).

References

  • Hayat, M. 1998. Aphelinidae of India (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea): A taxonomic revision. Memoirs on Entomology, International, 13: 166-167.
  • Noyes, J.S. 2012. Universal Chalcidoidea Database. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.nhm.ac.uk/entomology/chalcidoids/index.html (accessed 03rd May, 2013).