Encarsia
The closest relatives to Encarsia appear to be Coccophagus and Dirphys. However, the phylogeny of the Coccophaginae is by no means resolved. Preliminary results suggest that Coccophagus is almost certainly both polyphyletic and paraphyetic with respect to several other coccophagine genera. Encarsia, as defined here, can be separated from Coccophagus best by the latter having a minimum of six (and often more) setae on the scutellum (four in Encarsia). Dirphys can be separated from Encarsia by the apparent division of the mesoscutal side lobe (entire in Encarsia) (Polaszek & Hayat, 1992), but this character requires re-examination and re-evaluation
Colour. Variable from completely pale to partly brown and (particularly males) completely brown to dark brown or black; pale colours in life often yellow, but range from very pale yellow to dark yellow and orange. Wings hyaline or with dark infuscation behind marginal vein, very rarely with two cross bands.
Morphology. Head in frontal view usually wider than long. Eyes bare or setose. Mandibles normally with three teeth or two teeth and a truncation which may be separated by a distinct gap. Maxillary palp one-, rarely two-segmented. Labial palp one-segmented. Female antenna (excluding radicle and anellus) with eight segments, apical two or three segments often forming a distinct clava which is usuallyapically rounded and not distinctly spindle-shaped. In some species (E. noyesi species group, E. obliqua), suture between F5 and F6 at least slightly oblique, and F6 with sensory area, either conically shaped or obliquely truncate. Anellus usually small and often indistinct. Male antenna eight- or often seven-segmented. Pronotum medially with membranous incision. Mesoscutal midlobe with 0–28, usually 2–12, setae, very rarely with more (up to about 100) setae, these often arranged in bilateral symmetry, in particular if midlobe with small or moderate number of setae. Each mesoscutal side lobe with 1–5, usually 2–3 setae. Axillae small to large, longer than wide. Scutellum wider than long and usually with more or less distinct median furrow indicated by absent, weak, or longitudinal sculpture, rarely whole scutellum with distinctly reticulate sculpture; anterior and posterior margins convex, with two pairs of setae and one pair of placoid sensilla. Fore wing with distinct marginal fringe of very variable length from about one-tenth up to distinctly longer than maximal width of the disc. Submarginal vein shorter than marginal vein, normally with two setae, rarely with only one or more (5–6) setae. Anterior margin of marginal vein with a variable number of setae (often 6–8). Stigmal vein very short, always less than one-quarter of the length of the marginal vein. Stigmal vein often with a distinct constriction, distinctly angled with marginal vein, sometimes without constriction and hardly angled with marginal vein, often inconspicuous anteriorly and apically, with four sensilla. Postmarginal vein absent. Fore wing disc sparsely to densely setose, in some species with bare or sparsely setose area near anterior margin proximal of stigmal vein. Linea calva absent. Basal cell usually with less than ten setae, rarely without setae or with a larger number of setae (up to about twenty-eight). Legs with tarsi of fore and hind legs five-segmented; tarsi of mid leg five- (most species) or four-segmented. Basitarsus of mid and hind legs sometimes ventrally with stout, peg-like setae. Gaster (¼ metasoma without petiole) with seven tergites (T1–T7); length of tergite 7 (T7) very variable, ranging from distinctly wider than long to longer than wide; apex of T7 always membranous and pale/translucent; T1 usually without setae, T2–T4 usually with 1–5 setae on each side, T5–T6 usually each with two setae on each side (occasionally more) and T7 with four setae (occasionally six). Male genitalia usually with the phallobase several times as long as wide, with a truncate or rounded apex and without digiti;aedeagus generally longer than phallobase.
The presence of the following character states is required for a positive diagnosis of Encarsia (females): fore and hind tarsi five-segmented; antenna eight-segmented (excluding radicle); scutellum with two pairs of setae; marginal vein longer than submarginal vein; postmarginal vein absent; stigmal vein very short, always less than one-quarter of the length of the marginal vein. (Schmidt & Polaszek, 2007)