Description of Metaphycus stephaniae sp. nov. (Hymenoptera, Chlacidoidea, Encyrtidae), a parasitoid of Stotzia ephedrae (Newstead) (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Coccidae)

Abstract

A new species belonging to the genus Metaphycus is described. M. stephaniae sp. nov. has been reared from Stotzia ephedrae (Newstead) collected in Israel on Ephedra alte C. A. Mey and on Asparagus aphyllus L. The new species is compared with its closest relatives, M. hodzhevanishvilii and M. zebratus.

Keywords:

• Israel
• Metaphycus hodzhevanishvilii
• Metaphycus zebratus

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my colleague and friend Dr Yair Ben Dov for the material of the new species.