Original description

Girault, A.A. 1917. Descriptiones Hymenopterorum Chalcidoidicarum Variorum cum Observationibus, III:3-4.

Synonyms

Testudicida nigricoxae De Santis, Emersonella trimaculata Azevedo & Silva.

Diagnosis

Malar sulcus missing; occipital margin rounded off; pronotum reduced and transverse pronotal carina missing; thoracic dorsum moderately convex; scutellum as long as wide; propodeum with two distinct and very large anterolateral foveae. Similar to janzeni, but without a transverse carina along posterior margin of pronotum, and with male antenna different: scape not with a narrow “neck” apically, and with flagellum more stout and with setae less erect.

Distribution

Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Panama, Saint Vincent, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay, USA.

Biology

Parasite in eggs of Chelymorpha alternans, C. cassidea (F.), C. variabilis Boh., C. indigesta Boh., Stolas angulata (Germ.), Stolas sp., Zatrephina meticulosa (Spaeth) on Ipomoea pescaprae (Convolvulaceae), (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). De Santis (1983) also included a record from eggs of ”chinche verde” on Nezara viridula (L.). Azevedo et al. (2000) include additional biological information on this species (as Emersonella trimaculata): host age influence on percent parasitism and sex ratio, duration of developing stages.

Depository of primary type

Lectotype female in United States National Museum of Natural History (USNM), Washington, D.C., USA.