Encarsia taitae (Kieffer), 2025

Kresslein, Robert L., Polaszek, Andrew, Burks, Roger A., Mottern, Jason L., Lahey, Zachary & Heraty, John M., 2025, Nomenclatural spring cleaning: tidying Aphelinidae of taxa that do not spark joy, and a new species of Prococcobius Hayat (Aphelinidae: Coccophaginae), Journal of Natural History 59 (9 - 12), pp. 609-653 : 617-618

Encarsia taitae (Kieffer) comb. n. nom. dub.

Allomymar taitae Kieffer, 1913: 30 . Type data British East Africa [ KENYA]: Voï : Taita hills 600 m, 2.ii.1912 . Syntype. Type deposition: MNHN Type not found .

Diagnosis

Translation and reinterpretation from Kieffer 1913. Male – Body yellow-brown, antennae and legs lighter; multiporous plate sensilla brown. Mandibles absent, replaced with hairy lobes. Antenna 7-segmented, inserted near mouth; scape longer than pedicel and Fu 1; pedicel conical and half as long as wide; flagellar segments conical, almost 3 -times as long as wide, each with 4 multiporous plate sensilla extending from the base to just beyond the apex of the segment; seventh flagellar segment formed of two fused segments and twice as long as the sixth, with two sets of multiplate porous sensilla. Body large and short; head wider than tall, eyes subcircular and setose, occiput with transverse strip; mesosoma as long as broad with reticulate sculpture anteriorly. Fore wing gradually widening from base to apex, with marginal fringe a third the length of the maximum width of the wing; wing disc setose with row of setae around edge; marginal vein as long as submarginal vein, and longer than half the length of the fore wing; stigmal vein short and oblique. Hindwing widest at hamuli then narrowing gradually to a point, with marginal fringe longer than maximum width. Tarsal formula 5-5-5 with segments shortening apically. Metasoma sessile, with equal proportions to the mesosoma; apex rounded; cerci bearing 3 long setae. Length 0.6 mm.

Kenya (originally published as British East Africa): Voï , Uganda Railway station, at the foot of the Taita Hills, 600 m elevation, 2 March 1912, St. No 60. (estimated coordinates: 3° 23 ʹ 37”S, 38°34 ʹ 06”E).

Comments

While Kieffer originally placed the genus in Mymaridae, Hayat (in Huber 2005) suggested that it was potentially a male Encarsia . Allomymar is also treated as Aphelinidae by Noyes (2019). We have reviewed the species description of Allomymar taitae Kieffer, 1913 and agree with Hayat’s assessment, finding that Allomymar is a junior synonym of Encarsia .

Previous investigations of the genus did not formally synonymise Allomymar with Encarsia due to the interpretation in Kieffer’s description of ‘verticille d’arêtes’ on the apex of the antenna as whorls of setae, as in some species of Cales ( Chalcidoidea : Calesidae ), and some males of Encyrtidae ),which is inconsistent with the antennae found in male Encarsia .However, assessment of Kieffer’s work clarified his use of ‘arêtes’ to refer to ridges/keels/carinae. In this case, we believe that it refers to the multiporous plate sensilla of certain antennomeres. Additionally, while the original species description indicates that the type specimen is a female, the segmentation of the antenna and the relatively high number of multiporous plate sensilla is consistent with the appearance of antennae in male Coccophaginae .

The type depository for Encarsia taitae ( Kieffer, 1913) is not stated explicitly; however, it might be deposited at MNHN where some of the Kieffer types are stored in vials of ethanol stored together in larger jars also containing ethanol (Polaszek, pers. comm.). It is possible that researchers looking for what they believed to be a card-mounted or slide-mounted type specimen may have overlooked types stored in this manner. Until the type material can be examined, we place Encarsia taitae as a nomen dubium as its species identity cannot be assessed from the species description alone.