Revision of the genus Aschitus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) in Europe and Soviet Asia

Abstract

The tribe Microteryini Hoffer, 1955 is proposed a junior synonym of Discodini Hoffer, 1954. The genus Aschitus Mercet is newly defined and a key is provided to females of 20 Palaearctic species. In new limits Aschitus includes the genera Anicetellus Szelényi and Viggiania Trjapitzin as junior synonyms, and 18 speeies are transferred to Aschitus as combs. n., viz. submetallicus Szelenyi from Anicetellus, aeneiventris (Walker), barbarus (Dalman), hemipterus (Nikolskaja), lichtensiae (Howard), matritensis (Mercet), triozae (André), zarina (Walker) from Encyrtus, axius (Trjapitzin), carpathicus (Hoffer) (nom. praeocc., = hofferi nom. n.), ilus (Trjapitzin), itylus (Trjapitzin), narzykulovi (Sharipov), problematicus (Hoffer), sugonjaevi (Trjapitzin) from Microterys, carpathicus (Hoffer), mongolicus (Myartseva) and naiacocci (Trjapitzin) from Paraphaenodiscus. Aschitus balcanicus sp. n. is described from Greece and Yugoslavia. Lectotypes are designated for Encyrtus barbarus Dalman, Metallon usticorne Erdös and Microterys nikolskajae Erdös. Aschitus hofferi nom. n. is proposed as a replacement name for Mícroterys carpathicus Hoffer, 1977.

Revision ofMicroterysThomson (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) of the MNCN including species distributed in Iberian Peninsula

“…M. nikolskajae can be a junior synonym and this needs study of the types of M. nikolskajae. Jensen (1989) states that a number of species currently placed in Microterys or Paraphaenodiscus were congeneric with Aschitus incertus . Th is sentence means that all congeneric genera can be synonymised with one.…”

“…I examined the type of Aschitus incertus and came to the conclusion that species, earlier moved from Microterys to Aschitus by Jensen, must be returned back and molecular study is recommended and molecular studies in its turn is very problematic, as it is almost imposible to make this kind of study on types. Jensen (1989) did not mention A. bicolor A. algiricus (Ferriere 1956) in his studies, however these are good species to be used for distinguishing Microterys and Aschitus species as well.…”

“…As many type species of Microterys were transferred and synonymised at fi rst with the genus Trichomasthus Th omson (Trjapitzin 1964), and later with the genus Aschitus Mercet (Jensen 1989), so in my study I examined also Aschitus and Trichomasthus species housed in MNCN. Th is collection includes 8 types of Microterys and 2 types each of Trichomasthus and Aschitus, which it was also important to re-examine.…”

“…Jensen studied the genera very close related to Microterys -Aschitus (Jensen 1989) and Trichomasthus, together with A. Sharkov (Jensen & Sharkov 1989). He moved several species of Microterys to Aschitus and synonymised some.…”

Two new species of Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) from Bangladesh attackingPulvinaria psidiiMaskell (Homoptera: Coccidae) on guava

“…Their taxonomic history has been controversial with different authors treating them as synonyms or as separate genera. Hoffer (1954), Erdos (1957), Trjapitzin (1973), Prinsloo (1976) and Jensen (1989) may be consulted for information on their identities and relationships.…”