Stenomesius japonicus (Ashmead, 1904)

Youssef, Rawa Muhsen, Abo Kaf, Nabil Hasan & Aboud, Rafeek, 2022, Stenomesius japonicus (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae): a new parasitoid of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in Syria, Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 8 (2), pp. 219-227 : 221-222

Stenomesius japonicus (Ashmead, 1904)

Sympiesomorpha japonica Ashmead, 1904:163 , Holotype ♀, USNM, Japan.

Material examined: 200♀♀, 200♂♂, Syria , Latakia province , 20♀♀, 10♂♂, Bet Yashowt (35°19′01″N, 36°07′49″E) , 50♀♀, 10♂♂, Alaamronie (35°47′N, 35°31′E) , 150♀♀, 75♂♂, Snouber Jableh (35°53′12″N, 35°28′31″E); Tartus province , 50♀♀, 35♂♂, Hrison (35°55′N, 35°08′E), in May to August of the years 2019 to 2021, ex Tuta absoluta on Tomato, leg.: R. Muhsen Youssef .

Diagnostic morphological characters. Female, Body length 1–1.5 mm.

Colour: Face yellow; vertex black; scape yellow, pedicel and flagellum dark brown; antenna 9- segmented with two anelli, four funiculars, and three clavomeres; funiculars subequal in length; mandibles, gena, pronotum, mesoscutum, and axillae yellow, mesoscutellum black; propodeum yellow, with carina blackish brown ( Fig. 2); wings hyaline, legs yellow, gaster yellowish with apex, lateral margins, lateral sides dark brown, and with dark brown spot on median part, ovipositor dark brown ( Fig. 2).

Head. Frons and vertex smooth and shiny, malar sulcus present and straight, fronto-facial suture absent, antenna inserted at above the lower eye margins and on the middle distance between anterior ocellus and lower clypeus margin, scape exceeding level of vertex.

Mesosoma. Axillae and scutellum shiny, pronotum without transverse carina; mesoscutellum with sublateral grooves; propodeum smooth with a double X- or H-shaped carinae; mesoscutellum with one pair of setae; sublateral grooves meeting each other medially on posterior margin; forewing hyaline and speculum absent; stigma hyaline, with three setae or more on submarginal vein, cubital vein straight, length of postmarginal vein very long, more than two times the length of stigmal vein.

Legs. Yellow, tibial spurs short, with tarsus 4 tarsomeres, claws yellow.

Metasoma. Petiole short, gaster elongate and longer than mesosoma; ovipositor black brown, and exserted beyond apex of gaster.

Male. Body length is 0.5 mm, head black; antenna 9-segmented with two anelli, four funiculars, and two clavomeres; mesosoma 2.5× as long as gaster.

Note on biology: Host-parasitoid association between T. absoluta ( Fig. 2) and S. japonicus , is recorded for the first time from Syria . Adults of T. absoluta and S. japonicus started to emerge from the infested leaves during 2019, 2020 and 2021. 300 specimens of T. absoluta and 119 specimens of S. japonicus have been obtained in 2019; 350 adults of T. absoluta and 116 specimens of S. japonicus emerged in 2020 and finally, 400 adults of T. absoluta and 165 specimens of S. japonicus emerged in 2021. The larval parasitism rate was determined to be 35% of the larval population. Stenomesius japonicus was the only parasitoid emerged from our samples.