A molecular phylogeny of Coccophaginae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Aphelinidae)

Coccophaginae are minute parasitic wasps found world-wide. They primarily attack the sessile nymphs of Sternorrhyncha, including Aleyrodidae (whiteflies) and Diaspididae (armoured scale insects). The Coccophaginae are the largest subfamily of the Chalcidoidea family Aphelinidae with over 700 described species.

Encarsia is the largest genus of Coccophaginae and of the family Aphelinidae, currently containing almost 400 described species.
Species of the genus have been of particular interest to economic entomologists because several of them have been
used, or are currently being used, successfully for pest control.

Some Encarsia species appear to be extremely host-specific, probably the most important trait for an acceptable and effective agent. They are also of considerable biological interest in that most species for which the biology is known display heteronomous biologies, with males developing as hyperparasitoids on females of their own or other species.

Slide mount of a female specimen of Encarsia whittieri Girault.

Project collaborators

Dr Andrew Polaszek, Entomology Department, Natural History Museum Cromwell Road London SW7 5BD, UK.

Dr Paolo A. Pedata, Maurilia Monti, Istituto CNR per la Protezione delle Piante Sezione di Portici Via Università 133 80055 Portici (Napoli), Italy.

References

Schmidt, S., De Barro, P. & Jamieson, L. (2011) Parasitoids of the Australian citrus whitefly, Orchamoplatus citri (Takahashi) (Hemiptera, Aleyrodidae), with description of a new Eretmocerus species (Hymenoptera, Aphelinidae). Zootaxa 2873: 27–34.

Schmidt, S. & Polaszek, A. (2007). The Australian species of Encarsia Förster (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea: Aphelinidae), parasitoids of whiteflies (Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae) and armoured scale insects (Hemiptera, Coccoidea: Diaspididae). Journal of Natural History 41(33-36): 2099–2265. DOI: 10.1080/00222930701550766

Schmidt, S. & Polaszek, A. (2007). Encarsia or Encarsiella? – redefining generic limits based on morphological and molecular evidence (Hymenoptera, Aphelinidae). Systematic Entomology 32: 81-94. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3113.2006.00364.x

Schmidt, S., Driver, F. & De Barro, P. (2006) The phylogenetic characteristics of three different 28S rRNA gene regions in Encarsia (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Aphelinidae). Organisms, Diversity & Evolution 6: 127-139. DOI: 10.1016/j.ode.2005.07.002

Schmidt, S., Naumann, I.D. & P. De Barro (2001). Encarsia species (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) of Australia and the Pacific Islands attacking Bemisia tabaci and Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) - A pictorial key and descriptions of four new species. Bulletin of Entomological Research 91: 369-387.

Schmidt, S. (2001) Encarsia Online - Encarsia species of Australia and the Pacific Islands attacking Bemisia tabaci and Trialeurodes vaporariorum. CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, Australia.