Entedoninae, Eulophidae, Chalcidoidea, Hymenoptera

Figures

Fig. 1: Head, mesosoma and metasoma, dorsal
Fig. 2: Antenna
Fig. 3: Funicle segments and clava of antenna
Fig. 4: Funicle segments
Fig. 5: Head dorsal with vertexal suture
Fig. 6: Mesosoma dorsal with mesoscutum and scutellum
Fig. 7: Fore wing
Fig. 8: Metasoma
Fig. 9: Petiole

Entedonomphale esenini is a larval endoparasitoid of thrips belonging to the family Phlaeothripidae (Tubulifera), but hitherto the host species are unknown. Female: length <1 mm. Body brown, appendages mostly light brown (Fig. 1). On head vertexal suture distinct, angulate; frontal grooves extending to the top of the eye (Fig. 5); malar sulcus split ventrally (Y-shaped). Antenna with scape slender, about 4.0 x as long as wide; 2 funicle segments F1 and F2 subequal, about as long as wide and each with several sensilla; solid clava small, a little longer than funicle, about 1.9 x as long as wide, with several sensilla, but without an apical spicula (Fig. 2, 3, 4). Mesosomaa little shorter than gaster, smooth; midlobe of mesoscutum with 1 pair of setae; anterior margin of scutellum angulate (Fig. 1, 6). Fore wing broadened beyond submarginal vein, about 3.0 x as long as wide; longest marginal setae 0.45 x maximal fore wing width; disc completely hyaline, without a dark spot or band, more or less evenly setose in apical half of fore wing (setae moderately long), bare in basal half (Fig. 7). Hind wing about 6.0 x as long as wide; disc hyaline and with a few scattered setae; longest marginal setae almost equal to hind wing width. Hind coxa smooth. Petiole conspicuous, almost as wide as long (Fig. 9). Ovipositor occupying about 1/2 length of gaster, not exerted; ovipositor length/metatibia length ratio about 1.1:1 (Fig. 8). Male unknown.

The Genus Entedonomphale Girault, 1915
This genus comprises about 14 described species. All known species of Entedonomphale are solitary, internal parasitoids of the larval stages of various Phlaeothripidae (Tubulifera), and have a Palearctic, Nearctic or Australian distribution. All species of this genus have the following features: Body usually brown to dark brown or black; head with a occipital suture usually evident (can be straight or angulate) but sometimes inconspicuous; frontal grooves extending to the top of the eye; malar sulcus split ventrally (Y-shaped) in most species, rarely straight; mandible reduced and without teeth; antennal scape in both sexes often notably expanded in basal half and narrowing distally; flagellum of female antenna with 2 funicle segments and a solid clava without an apical spicula; male flagellum either with a 2-segmented funicle and a 3-segmented (or rarely solid) clava or with a 3-segmented funicle and a solid clava, clava of male antenna with or without an apical spicula; notauli indistinct; midlobe of mesoscutum with 1 or 2 pairs of setae; anterior margin of scutellum usually angulate (projecting forward into mesoscutum) but sometimes sinuate or almost straight; fore wings broadened beyond submarginal vein, stigmal vein often (but not always) relatively far away from wing´s apex; longest marginal setae at most equal to (usually much less than) width of fore wing; metasoma obviously petiolate, petiole at least as long as wide, often notably longer than wide (Schauff 1991; Triapitsyn 2005). Triapitsyn (2005) gave a world taxonomic revision of Entedonomphale and three other related entedonine genera of thrips parasitoids, Loomans & van Lenteren (1995) provided an overview of the described thrips parasitoids and their importance for biological control of thrips pests, under the synonymy Entedonastichus.

Entedonomphale lermontovi differs from Entedonomphale esenini in having the both antennal funicle segments each with 1 sensillum, antennal clava distinctly longer than funicle and about 2.4 x as long as wide, midlobe of mesoscutum with 2 pairs of setae, fore wing about 3.7 x as long as wide, and fore wing disc with slight brown pigmentation behind marginal vein. Whereas E. esenini has the funicle segments each with several sensilla, the clava is only a little longer than funicle and about 1.9 x as long as wide, midlobe of mesoscutum has only 1 pair of setae, the fore wing is about 3.0 x as long as wide, and fore wing disc completely hyaline and without pigmentation.
Entedonomphale and other genera differs from Goetheana by the shape of the antennal funicle segments (in Goetheana funicle segment F1 much smaller than F2, F2 almost fused with clava; in other genera the funicle segments F1 and F2 are subequal), the shape of the fore wing (narrow and recurved below the submarginal vein in Goetheana; species of the genera Entedonomphale, Ceranisus and Thripobius with fore wings broadened beyond submarginal vein), and the length of marginal seta of fore wing (in Goetheana the longest marginal setae much greater than width of fore wing; other genera with longest marginal setae at most equal to width of fore wing, but usually much less than width of fore wing). The chaetotaxy of the fore wing disc differs in the genera: in Goetheana the setae commencing beyond base of marginal vein and scattered in 2 or 3 broken rows toward the apex of the wing, in Entedonomphale the fore wing is evenly setose in apical half and bare in basal half, and in Ceranisus and Thripobius the fore wing is uniformly setose beyond base of marginal vein except for a bare area at posterior margin behind base of marginal vein, which is demarcated anteriorly by a sinuate or straight line of setae. Compared to Entedonomphale, species of Ceranisus and Thripobius have the antennal clava of females distinctly segmented (Thripobius with 3-segmented and Ceranisus with 2-segmented clava), and the apical spicula of clava ist present. Whereas in Entedonomphale the antennal clava of females is unsegmented and without apical spicula.Entedonomphale as well as Thripobius have an inverted Y-shaped malar sutures (in Ceranisus entire and straight).

Life history
Unknown.

Major host genera/species
Unknown.

Biological control
Not frequently observed.

Additional notes
-

Biogeography

Africa. Madagascar.

Bouček Z (1976). Taxonomic studies on some Eulophidae [Hym.] of economic interest mainly from Africa. Entomophaga. 21 (4): 401-414

Gibson, G.A.P., Read, J.D. & Fairchild, R. 1998. Chalcid wasps (Chalcidoidea):  illustrated glossary of positional and morphological terms

Loomans AJM & van Lenteren JC (1995). Biological control of thrips pests: a review on thrips parasitoids, pp. 89-201. In Loomans AJM, van Lenteren JC, Tommasini MG, Maini S & Riudavets J [eds.], Biological control of thrips pests. Wageningen Agricultural University Papers, 95-1. Veenman Drukkers, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Schauff M (1991). The Holarctic genera of Entedoninae (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Contributions of the American Entomological Institute. 26 (4): 1-109

Triapitsyn SV (2005). Revision of Ceranisus and the related thrips-attacking entedonine genera (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) of the world. African Invertebrates. 46: 261-315

Triapitsyn SV, Boyadzhiev PS & Antonov AK (2008). Taxonomic notes on Entedonomphale (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Zootaxa. 1816: 61-64