Encyrtoscelio Dodd (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) From India

: Members of Genus Encyrtoscelio Dodd are rather relatively small with a limited distribution globally. They can be easily identified from other genera by the unique shape of the head, with a frontal ledge protruding between the eyes. The genus is not common in collections. Taxonomic studies on a small sample size of Encyrtoscelio collected from different parts of India revealed a total of 6 species, of which four species, E. circumeo sp.nov., E. latus sp.nov. , E. malabarensis sp. nov. and E. nigrum sp.nov. are new to science, while E. mediterraneus Caleca and E. mirissimus Dodd form the first reports from India. The goal of this paper is to provide adequate clarity to species concepts of Indian Encyrtoscelio. All of the species are illustrated, and a key to species is included. © 2014 Association for Advancement of Entomology

Encyrtoscelio can be easily identified from the rest of Scelioninae by a set of distinct charactershead and body often with coriaceous sculpture, a transverse, arched and carinate frontal ledge projecting forward between the eyes (Fig. 4), subtriangular head in lateral view (Fig. 10) much elongated beak-like protruded mandibles (Fig. 18).Pronotum rugose; mesopleura transversely carinate and foveolate anteriorly and rugose posteriorly; netrion absent; metapleuron rugose throughout, not hairy.Uupcurved marginal cilia towards the posterior apical margin of the forewings (Fig. 6) in macropterous females.The majority of females and all males are micropterous.Both micropterous and macropterous females are found in the same species (Caleca & Bin, 1995).
Data on hosts and biology of these egg parasitoids are scanty.However Caleca & Bin 1995, reports from France Cydnus aterrimus Förster (Heteroptera: Cydnidae) as the host of Encyrtoscelio cydni Caleca.Le (1986Le ( , 2000) ) described three species from Vietnam, however the species cannot be identified accurately based on the descriptions.The institute of Hanoi is not willing to mail their specimens and the authors are not in a position to visit Hanoi to personally examine them.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The present study is based on specimens collected through Malaise Trap, Yellow Pan Trap, Pit Fall Trap and Sweep Net from various localities in India.Specimens were studied under a Leica M 205A stereomicroscope.Images were taken using Leica DFC 500 camera and processed using extended focus montage LAS software.The holotypes and other material examined are deposited at the Western Ghat Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Kozhikode, Kerala (ZSI, WGRC).Terminology followed is based on Miko et al., 2007 and(Caleca &Bin, 1995).Holotype: : Length= 0.98mm.

ABBREVIATIONS
Body black, except the following: A1-A7 brownish yellow, rest of antennal segments brownish black; mandibular shaft yellowish brown; teeth of mandible ferruginous brown; legs yellowish brown, coxae brownish black; eyes greyish; wings hyaline.
Metasoma: Dorsal tergites coriaceously sculptured, about as wide as long; T1 and T2 about same length.
Metasoma: Dorsal tergites coriaceously sculptured, about as wide as long; T1 and T2 about same length.

Male: Unknown
Host: Unknown Body black, except the following: A1-A7 brownish yellow, rest of antennal segments brown; mandibular shaft yellowish brown; teeth of mandible chestnut brown; legs brown yellow, coxae brownish black; eyes greyish silvery; wings hyaline.
Mesosoma: MW: ML= 43: 38, sculpturing same as that on head, with fine hairy punctures; mesoscutellum protruding beyond metascuteum half of its length (lateral view); wings fully developed, not extending beyond metasomal tip; pm, m and stg veins absent.
Metasoma: Dorsal tergites coriaceously sculptured, about as wide as long; T1 and T2 about same length.

Male: Unknown
Host: Unknown Etymology: Named after, Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary, the locality from where the holotype was collected.
Discussion: This new species keys to couplet no.

Fig
Fig. 20 Encyrtoscelio mediterraneus Caleca Dorsal profile Johnson 1996 in his world revision of Paratelenomus found characters in Le 1986 insufficient to distinguish taxa, the three Vietnamese species, Encyrtoscelio maro Kozlov & Le, Encyrtoscelio odorata Kozlov & Le and Encyrtoscelio minatoris Kozlov & Le are here by categorised as status unknown.This paper presents the species concepts of Indian Encyrtoscelio with adequate clarity.