Scientific name

Theocolax elegans (Westwood, 1874)

Taxonomic position

Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae: Cerocephalinae

Diagnosis

Head, mesosoma (dorsally), metasoma, and tip of ovipositor blackish brown with mixed purplish violet reflections. Pronotum, sides of propodeum and base of ovipositor yellowish brown. Scape, pedicel, F1 and basal half of F2 yellowish brown; remaining antenna dark brown. Fore and hind coxa yellow; mid coxa and rest of legs brown; hind femur infuscated above with metallic shine on the infuscated region. Antennae clearly situated down on head. Fore wing hyaline, distinct black tuft of setae at junction of sub marginal and marginal vein; brown infuscation in the form of broad vertical band originating near middle of marginal vein up to the end of post marginal vein, infuscation carried further forward beyond the band and merging in to hyaline portion of apical region.

 Female head
 Female forewing
 Female mesosoma

Image

 Female - profile view
 Adult - lateral view

Distribution

India: Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Delhi.

Biology / Hosts

Parasitic on stored grain pests; mainly infesting species of Bruchidae, Dryophthoridae, Anobiidae, Bostrychidae, Curculionidae, and Gelechiidae. Commonly recorded hosts are Callosobruchus chinensis, Rhizopertha dominica, Sitophilus oryzae, and Sitotroga cerealella. For complete list see Universal Chalcidoidea Database.

References

  • Noyes, J.S. 2013. Universal Chalcidoidea Database. World Wide Web electronic publication. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/chalcidoids.
  • Sureshan, P.M. 2012. Checklist of Pteromalidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) of India. ZSI, Western Ghats regional centre, Kozhikode, Kerala. 15pp.
  • Westwood, J.O. 1874. Thesaurus entomologicus Oxoniensis; or, illustrations of new, rare, and interesting insects, for the most part contained in the collection presented to the University of Oxford by the Rev. F.W. Hope. pp.137 Oxford.