A NEW SPECIES OF METAPHYCUS MERCET (HYMENOPTERA: ENCYRTIDAE) FROM CHINA, PARASITOID OF PARASAISSETIA NIGRA (NIETNER) (HOMOPTERA: COCCOIDEA)

摘要

Metaphycus parasaissetiae sp. n., belonging to M. zebratus species group, is described from China. Photomicrographs are provided to illustrate morphological characters of the species. Metaphycus parasaissetiae is an important parasitoid of the Nigra Scale, Parasaissetia nigra (Nietner). The Nigra Scale, Parasaissetia nigra (Nietner) is a well-known plant sap-sucking scale insect in family Coccidae (Homoptera: Coccoidea) (Ben-Dov, 1978; OEPP/EPPO, 2002). It is now a serious insect pest of Hevea brasiliensis (Brazilian rubber tree, Euphorbiaceae), an economically important plant in southern China, Yunnan Province (Duan et al., 2005; Guan et al., 2005). For example, in Xishuangbanna, about 40666.7 hectares of H. brasiliensis plantations are severely damaged following heavy infestation by P. nigra (Duan et al., 2005). A recent investigation of the natural enemies of this pest revealed an unde-scribed species belonging to genus Metaphycus Mercet (1921) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) played an important rolein regulating numbers of P. nigra in this area (Guan et al., 2005). The Metaphycus species is described here in order to provide the taxonomic basis for further research into its potential role as biological control agents of P. nigra.