Psyllaephagus

Psyllaephagus is a genus of chalcid wasps.^[3] It was named and circumscribed by William Harris Ashmead in 1900.^[1] As of 2019^[update], Psyllaephagus contains approximately 245 species.^[3] They are found worldwide: Australia has 100 described species; the Palaearctic region has about 57 species, India has about 20, and Africa about 30.^[3]

Psyllaephagus
Female P. cornwallensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Encyrtidae
Subfamily:	Encyrtinae
Genus:	Psyllaephagus Ashmead, 1900[1]
Type species
Encyrtus pachypsllae Howard, 1885
Synonyms[2][3]
Anagyropsis Girault, 1917[4] Anisodromus Riek, 1962[5] Calluniphilus Erdős, 1961[6] Calocerineloides Girault, 1913[7] Epanagyrus Girault, 1915[8] Kaszabicyrtus Szelènyi [hu], 1971 Mercetia Bakkendorf, 1965 Metaprionomitus Mercet, 1921[9] Mirocerus Ashmead, 1904[10] Neanagyrus Girault, 1915[8] Ooencyrtus (Ooencyrtoides) Hoffer, 1963 Propsyllaephagus Ev. Blanchard in De Santis, 1964 Psyllencyrtus Tachikawa, 1955 Shakespearia Girault, 1928[11]

Description

Female

Body length 0.8–3.0 mm, usually between 1.2 and 2.0 mm; usually metallic green or blue-green in colour; mandible usually with two teeth and a large straight dorsal truncation; Antenna 11-segmented; funicle 6-segmented; clava often 3-segmented; fore-wing fully developed, often hyaline, rarely with a smoky spot under marginal vein and stigmal vein; marginal vein usually punctiform (submarginal vein only meeting margin at the point where stigmal vein branches) or slightly longer than wide; marginal and postmarginal veins are both usually shorter than stigmal vein; mesopleuron in side view clearly separated from base of metasoma by propodeum; mid-tibia spur usually shorter than basitarsus; hypopygium very rarely reaching apex of metasoma; ovipositor usually hidden, but may be slightly to strongly exserted at gastral apex.^[12][13]

Male

Similar to female except for antennae and genitalia: the funicle varies from whiplike with long setae to flattened with short setae; clava entire.^[12]

Biology and biological control

Most of the Psyllaephagus species are primary parasitoids of psylloids (Hemiptera: Psylloidea). Three species from Australia have been successfully utilized for biological control of psylloids: Psyllaephagus pilosus was introduced and released in California and European countries for the purpose of controlling Ctenarytaina eucalypti; Psyllaephagus bliteus was introduced and released in California to regulate Glycaspis brimblecombei; and Psyllaephagus yaseeni was introduced into Hawaii and south-east Asia in order to manage Heteropsylla cubana.^[12]