Oviposition mechanisms in the whitefly parasitoids Encarsia transvena and Eretmocerus mundus

The ovipositors of two whitefly parasitoids, Encarsia transvena and Eretmoc erus mundus were examined using scanning and transmission electron microsco py. That of Encarsia is straight, has an apparently hard and sharply pointe d upper valve, and appears well-suited to penetrating a hard substrate. Tha t of Eretmocerus is curved, thick-walled, but has a blunt and apparently fl exible tip. These features correlate well with what is known of the mode of oviposition and host feeding in the two taxa, with Encarsia and Eretmoceru s ovipositing internally and externally respectively.