Scientific name

Prochiloneurus albifuniculus (Hayat et al.)

Taxonomic position

Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Encyrtidae

Diagnosis

Female: Body with most of head and pronotum except for a brown median patch yellowish. Thorax largely yellowish, except mesoscutum with posterior one-third to one-half dark brownish. Scutellum with a subapical brush of loosely arranged, dark brown bristles. Ovipositor sheath yellowish. Antennal scape flattened and expanded beneath, not more than 2.5x as long as broad. Infuscated area of forewing with a distinct, club-shaped hyaline transverse streak.

 Head and thorax

Images

     Female - dorsal view
  Female - lateral view

Distribution

India: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh. Eritrea. South Africa (Hayat, 2006).

Hosts / Biology

A common hyperparasitoid of primary parasitoids of mealybugs such as Coccidohystrix insolita (Green), Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley, Nipaecoccus spp., etc. Hayat (2006) has provided a list of host insects / plants associated with P. albifuniculus.

Reference

  • Hayat, M. 2006. Indian Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea). Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. vii+496 p.