Scientific name

Neocharitopus orientalis (Agarwal)

Taxonomic position

Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Encyrtidae

Diagnosis

Female: Dorsal side black. Scutellum with elongate reticulate to lineolate-reticulate sculpture contrasting with the reticulate sculpture of mesoscutum. Antenna with six-segmented funicle, F1 transverse, F2 to F5 longer than broad, club three-segmented. Mandibles bidentate. Malar space longer than half length of eye. Forewing with marginal vein not longer than stigmal vein, postmarginal vein slightly longer than stigmal.

 Mesosoma - dorsal view

Male: Similar to female, except antenna ramose / branched.

Commonly collected as a parasitoid of Coccidohystrix insolita (Green) in south India.

Images

Female  Male Female (left) and male (right) - dorsal view
Male, lateral view Male - lateral view

Distribution

India: Karnataka; Tamil Nadu; Uttar Pradesh.

Biology and hosts

Coccidohystrix insolita (Green), ?Chionaspis sp. on Rhynchosia mimosa (Hayat, 2006).

References

  • Hayat, M. 2006. Indian Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea). Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University. 496 p.
  • Noyes, J.S. & Hayat, M. 1984. A review of the genera of Indo-Pacific Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Entomology, 48: 131-395.