Praleurocerus viridis (Agarwal)

Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Encyrtidae

Dorsal side more or less fully black, except occipital margin of head and orbital margins of eyes lighter, yellowish, tarsi of legs paler, infuscate. Head hypognathous, in front view distinctly broader than long. Scutellum with a distinct, thin apical flange. Antenna (Fig.1) stout, pedicel only slightly shorter than F1, flagellum broadened and flattened with funicular segments distinctly transverse, club unsegmented. Fore wing (Fig.2) with postmarginal vein absent, infuscate with a hyaline band beyond venation.

 Fig.1. Antenna in female
 Fig.2. Forewing in female

This is the only species of the genus known at present from India and is commonly collected in association with Rastrococcus iceryoides (Green).

     Female - dorsal view
     Female - lateral view
   Male - Ddrsal and lateral view

India: Assam, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh. Sri Lanka. Bangladesh (Hayat, 2006).

An endoparasitoid of mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae). Recorded hosts include Rastrococcus iceryoides (Green) on mango and other hosts, Nipaecoccus viridis (Newstead), coccids on citrus, etc. Hayat (2006) has listed the associated host insects and plants.