Prochiloneurus modestus (Timberlake) stat.rev.

(Figs 1204-1206; Hab. E 171)

Achrysopophagus modestus Timberlake, 1924:240-243. Holotype E, USA (California), USNM, examined. Synonymy with dactylopii by Noyes & Triapitsyn (2017:30,33).

Prochiloneurus modestus (Timberlake); Gordh, 1979:936.

DIAGNOSIS. Female (length about 1.00- 1.92mm): head orange, without a dark brown longitudinal stripe on temple and gena; antenna (Fig 1204) with F1-F4 relatively pale, dorsally slightly dusky white, ventrally brown, F5 brown, F6 and clava dark brown, occasionally flagellum almost entirely dark brown; thorax mostly orange, exposed part of mesoscutum entirely dark brown, anteriorly with a mixed brassy and coppery sheen and posteriorly with a blue-green sheen, evenly clothed with translucent silvery setae; mesopleuron uniform orange; fore wing without a line of setae below proximal half of parastigma but with a group of about 3-15 pale setae below distal half; hyaline apex of fore wing about as wide, or slightly wider, than length of marginal vein; fore wing with a distinct subapical band of paler setae; propodeum medially orange, laterally dark brown and strongly metallic around spiracle with about 30-40 dense silvery setae that extend medially and posteriorly from the spiracle; gaster mostly dark brown with a metallic sheen, but at least syntergum pale orange; head about 1.08-1.26X as long as broad and about 3.8-6.1X as wide as frontovertex, head relatively longer and frontovertex narrower in larger individuals; antennal scrobes sharply margined, carinate laterally; scape (Fig. 1204) about 5.5-6.8X as long as broad, widest at about 0.3X along its length, relatively more slender in larger specimens, mesoscutum with fairly uniform, polygonally reticulate sculpture; apical scutellar tuft about 0.5X as long as scutellum; fore wing (Fig. 1206) about 2.78-3.2X as long as broad; line of setae on ventral surface of costal cell of fore wing interrupted above parastigma, sometimes quite narrowly; hypopygium Fig. 1205; exserted part of ovipositor about 0.6X as long as gaster. Male (length 0.92mm): face metallic blue or blue-green with some green areas; scape completely pale yellow; mesoscutum with a dull coppery and brassy sheen in anterior two-thirds or so, posterior one-third metallic blue green, anterior part clothed in dark brown setae, posterior part clothed in translucent silvery setae; hind femur brown with apex narrowly white, tibia mainly brown with apices dirty white; head in profile about 1.8X as high as deep; malar sulcus present and conspicuous; ocelli forming an angle of about 90°; sculpture on mesoscutum more or less with uniform rounded polygonal cells.

DISTRIBUTION. USA (California, Texas, Florida), Mexico (new record), Guatemala (new record) and Costa Rica (new record),

HOSTS. Recorded as hyperparasitoid of Anagyrus yuccae (Coquillett) and Zarhopalus corvinus (Girault) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) both primary parasitoids of Pseudococcus maritimus (Ehrhorn) on grape (Vitis vinifera L.; Vitales: Vitaceae) (Timberlake, 1925; Gordh, 1979). Newly recorded below from Planococcus citri (Risso) on Gardenia “psimonoides” (Gentianales: Rubiaceae) and guava (Psidium guajava L.; Myrtales: Myrtaceae); and Phenacoccus Cockerell on Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asterales: Asteraceae). The record from Pseudaulacaspis cockerelli (Cooley) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) is probably an incorrect host association and requires confirmation.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.

Type material. Paratypes of modestus Timberlake: 2E, “ Fresno Ca Nov. 1, 1919 ” “ex grape mealybug” “ C.P. Clausen No 1002” “ Achrysopophagus modestus Timberlake det Timberlake ”. Material in NHMUK.

Non type material. USA, 1E, Texas, Jeff Davis Co., Davis Mts St, Pk, 5000’ (= 1527m), 17-18.vii.1982 (G.A.P. Gibson); 3E, Texas, Brewster Co., Big Bend NP, 23-28.vi.1982 (G.A. P. Gibson); 1E, Texas, Kent Co., 5 ml. w. Hunt, 1-2.vii.1982 (G.A.P. Gibson); 1E, Texas, Brewster Co., Big Bend NP, 9-16.vii.1982 (G.A. P. Gibson); 1E, Texas, Brewster Co., Big Bend NP, 14.vii.1982 (G.A.P. Gibson); 1E, Texas, Culberson Co., Guadelupe Springs, 5200’ (= 1588m); 20-22.vii.1982 (G.A.P. Gibson); 3E, Texas, Hidalgo Co., Bentsen-Rio Grande SP, 2-6.iv.1989 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Texas, Zapata Co., Falcon Lake SP, 3.iv.1989 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Florida, Polk Co., Haines Co., G.C., on Gardenia, 92-079-28, 24.ix.1992 (H.W. Browning); 2E, Florida, Polk Co., Haines C., G. C., ex Planococcus citri on Gardenia, 9207912 and 9207915; 24.ix.1992 (H.W. Browning); 3E, Florida, Polk Auburndale, 132 Lakeview Dr, ex Pseudococcidae on Gardenia psiminoides, 03030003, 93030006 and 93030012, 16.vi.1993 (H.W. Browning); 1E, Florida, Osceola, Kissimmee, Pseudaulacaspis cockerelli, 30.v.1992 (G. Buckingham). BAHAMAS, 1E. G. Bahama Is., Freeport, Whit. Farm, ex Planococcus citri on guava, 92-560-29, 31.iv.1992 (H.W.B. & J.L.K.). MEXICO, 2E, 1G, Veracruz, La Tinaja, Phenacoccus / Parthenium hysterophorus, iv.1979 (F.D. Bennett); 1E, Nuevo Léon, Cadereyta Jimenez, San Juan, 2.ix.1983 (M.A. Rodriguez). GUATEMALA, 2E, Zacapa, San Lorenzo, 750m, xi.1986 (M. Sharkey). COSTA RICA, 1E, Guanacaste, Santa Rosa NP, H10, 26.iv-18.v.1987 (D. Janzen, I.D. Gauld); 1E, Guanacaste, Santa Rosa NP, Hacienda 3-0, 17-27.iv.1985 (D. Janzen, I.D. Gauld); 2E, Guanacaste, Santa Rosa NP, H30, 21.ii-14.iii.1987 (D. Janzen, I.D. Gauld); 2E, Guanacaste, Santa Rosa NP, H30, iii.1987 (D. Janzen, I.D. Gauld); 2E, Guanacaste, Santa Rosa NP, H30, 4-25.iv.1987 (D. Janzen, I.D. Gauld); 2E, Guanacaste, Santa Rosa NP, H30, 26.iv-16.v.1987 (D. Janzen, I.D. Gauld); 2E, Guanacaste, Guanacaste NP (error for Santa Rosa NP), near HQ, MT/YPT, 2-20.iii.1990 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Guanacaste, Guanacaste NP (error for Santa Rosa NP), 7km E. of HQ, “small house”, 9-10.iii.1990 (J.S. Noyes); 2E, Guanacaste, PN Santa Rosa, 10°51’N 85°37’W, 300m, 24.ii.2009 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Santa Cruz, Vista del Mar, Torre Cocesna, LN 357490 235430, 970m, #61247, xii.2000 - i.2001 (Y. Cárdenas); 3E, Guanacaste, Santa Cruz, PN Marino Las Baulas, LN 258040 332690, 0m, #59488, 16.viii.2000 (Y. Cárdenas). Material in MZUCR NHMUK, UCR, TAMU, USNM, MLP.

COMMENTS. Achrysopophagus modestus Timberlake was erroneously synonymised with Prochiloneurus dactylopii (Howard) by Noyes & Triapitsyn (2018). The two species are very close but can be separated reliably using the characters given in the key and respective diagnoses.

Prochiloneurus narendrani, known only from Puerto Rico and Dominica (new record), is very close to modestus. Females differ in the body being generally orange-brown, the subapical tuft of setae being only about 0.2X as long as the scutellum, the fore wing lacking the group of pale setae below the distal half of the parastigma, but a remote group of about 10 pale setae below the proximal half and only about 6 or 7 setae silvery setae in vicinity of propodeal spiracle. Males of narendrani differ in having the scape about 4X as long as broad and the flagellum brown.