Clausenia josefi

Clausenia josefi Rosen

Systematic position: Insecta, Holometabola, Hymenoptera, Apocrita, Chalcidoidea, Encyrtidae.

Geographical distribution: Middle East, Mediterranean region.

Morphology: Body about 2-3 mm in length, metallic-black with a bluish hue, eyes very large and greyish, legs mostly yellow. wings with only a single, anterior vein.

Hosts: Planococcus citri, Planococcus ficus and Planococcus vitis Matile-Ferrero.

Life cycle: An internal, solitary arrhenotokous parasitoid that attacks the early host instars. In Israeli vineyards its populations peak in early summer and in autumn. Fecundity is around 70 eggs/female. The calculated threshold of development is at 13,5°C and about 475 day degrees are needed for completing a generation. The optimum temperature for development is around 30°C. In the south of Israel this species, which can live for several weeks, raises 8 annual generations.

Economic importance: A parasitoid of several species of Planococcus, whose controlling effect is unknown.

References

Berlinger, M.J. 1973. Biological studies of Clausenia josefi (Hym., Encyrtidae), a parasite of Planococcus vitis. Entomophaga 18: 279-286.

Berlinger, M.J. 1973. Effect of relative humidity and temperature on the survival of Clausenia josefi (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). Entomologia Experimentalis e Applica 16: 373–379.

Rosen, D. 1965, A new species of Clausenia Ishii (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) from Israel. Proceedings of the Royal Entomological Society of London (B) 34: 61-64.

Website

https://www.google.co.il/search?q=Clausenia+purpurea+image&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjYu4XH7NnZAhVK1RQKHRJWDhsQ7AkISg&biw=1097&bih=552