Record of the genus Arrhenophagoidea Girault ( Hymenoptera : Chalcidoidea : Encyrtidae ) from India , description of a new species from the Andaman Islands

Acknowledgements: The first author (MH) thanks the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, and Dr. V.V. Ramamurthy (Division of Entomology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi), the National co-ordinator of the “Network Project on Insect Biosystematics”, for financial help. He also thanks the Chairman, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, for providing facilities. The second author (KV) is thankful to the Director, National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects, Bengaluru, for encouragement. We thank Dr. S.B. Zeya, Associate Professor, Department of Zoology, A.M.U., for the digital images. Arrhenophagoidea Girault (1915) is a little-known genus, containing five species (Noyes 2013); the type species, A. coloripes Girault (1915) from Australia, and four South African species (A. chaetacmae Annecke & Prinsloo, 1974; A. neseri Prinsloo, 1974; A. rolaspidis Annecke & Prinsloo, 1974; A. sierra Annecke & Prinsloo, 1974). Species of this genus, where hosts are known, are parasitoids of armoured scale insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae). In a recent collection of Encyrtidae (and other Hymenoptera) made by the second author in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, some specimens of the genus Arrhenophagoidea were found. These proved to belong to an undescribed species, and are described here in this paper. It is to be noted that Arrhenophagoidea is recorded here for the first time not only from India but also from the Oriental region.

. Species of this genus, where hosts are known, are parasitoids of armoured scale insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae).
In a recent collection of Encyrtidae (and other Hymenoptera) made by the second author in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, some specimens of the genus Arrhenophagoidea were found.These proved to belong to an undescribed species, and are described here in this paper.It is to be noted that Arrhenophagoidea is recorded here for the first time not only from India but also from the Oriental region.

Methods
Body colour was noted from card mounted specimens prior to mounting the specimens on slides in Canada balsam.Only body lengths are given in millimetres; all other measurements are relative, taken from the divisions of the linear scale of an ocular micrometer placed in the eye piece of a compound microscope.All the measurements were taken at 400× magnification of the microscope.

Abstract:
The genus Arrhenophagoidea Girault (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is recorded for the first time from India and the Oriental region, and a new species, A. andamanica sp.nov. is described from material collected in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India.As the genus is newly recorded from the Oriental region, a brief diagnosis is also given.
Abbreviations: F1, F2, etc. -funicle segment 1, 2, etc.; OOL -minimum distance between a posterior ocellus and the corresponding eye margin; POL -minimum distance between the posterior ocelli; TVII -Tergite 7 of gaster; (YPT) -This abbreviation placed in brackets and used under 'Material examined' section to indicate that the specimens were collected in a yellow pan trap; NBAII -National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects, Bengaluru, India; ZDAMU -Insect Collections, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India.

Diagnosis
Female: Head with occipital margin sharp; frontovertex width at least 0.5× head width; ocellar triangle with apical angle obtuse; head, in frontal view, with frontovertex separated from facial region by a transverse membranous line; mouth margin emarginated at bases of mandibles; antennal torulus separated from mouth margin by the height of a torulus.Mandible with a single, slightly curved and pointed tooth or two blunt teeth, sometimes with indication of a short, receding dorsal truncation.Maxillary palp 2-or 3-segmented; labial palp unsegmented.Antenna with funicle segments (3-6) transverse, usually adpressed with base of clava; clava either solid (= unsegmented) or with 2-3 segments, the septa separating claval segments either complete or incomplete; apex of clava from slightly to distinctly obliquely truncate.Fore wing broad; submarginal vein in proximal half with one or two setae; parastigma with one seta; marginal vein with two setae; stigmal vein with four circular sensilla; otherwise, limits of marginal vein obscured by infuscation.Legs with tarsal formula, 5-5-5.Metasoma subequal in length to mesosoma; ovipositor with third valvula (= gonostylus) in membranous connection with second valvifer.
Male: Similar to female, except for the antenna and genitalia.Antenna with 9-10 segments; funicle segments (5 or 6) usually quadrate to slightly longer than broad; clava either solid or 2-segmented; funicle segments with whorls of long setae.Genitalia with phallobase cylindrical, anteriorly narrowed; parameres absent; digiti long, and each digitus with two short denticles; aedeagus longer than phallobase.[Although males are known for all the five described species, the genitalia were neither described nor illustrated earlier by the authors.] Comments: The genus Arrhenophagoidea is apparently very similar to Arrhenophagus Aurivillius (Annecke & Prinsloo, 1974;Noyes & Hayat 1984), but differs in having the tarsi 5-segmented.In Arrhenophagus, the tarsi are 4-segmented.

Etymology
The species name is derived from the name of the group of islands (Andamans) from where the specimens were collected.
Head (Image 1): Head with frontovertex width 0.55× head width; ocellar triangle with apical angle obtuse; posterior ocellus about half diameter of an ocellus to occipital margin; POL, 24; OOL, 8.5; head, in frontal view, 1.2× as broad as high; antennal torulus with upper margin slightly below lower margin of eye, and each torulus separated from mouth margin by about the height of a torulus; malar space 0.76× eye height; frontovertex with fine, polygonal reticulate sculpture up to transverse membranous line; below this line with obliquely oriented, elongate reticulate sculpture; malar space with lineolate reticulate sculpture; setae on head brown;