Microplitis indicus Marsh

Ranjith, A. P., Rajesh, K. M. & Nasser, M., 2015, Taxonomic studies on Oriental Microplitis Foerster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Microgastrinae) with description of two new species from South India, Zootaxa 3963 (3), pp. 369-415 : 393-394

Microplitis indicus Marsh

Microplitis indicus Marsh, 1978: 15 –33; Gupta, 2013: 437 . Holotype USNM.

Female. Body length 2.5 mm.

Brief diagnosis. Head punctate; mesoscutum distinctly punctate, median lobe without longitudinal furrow; notauli not strongly indicated; scutellum dull, finely punctate; scutellar lunules divided by eight –nine carinae; mesopleuron punctate except smooth and nitid area above crenulated precoxal sulcus; propodeum strongly rugose with weak indication of a median carina in apical half; hind tibial spurs equal in length; T 1 1.6 × as long as wide, parallel sided for 2 / 3 of length, narrowing apically, finely rugose laterally, smooth apically; ovipositor not exserted; hypopygium not extending beyond apex of metasoma;

Colour: Head, antenna (except brown pedicel), mesosoma, propodeum black, palps pale yellow, tegulae yellow –orange, T 1 –T 3 yellow orange, rest black, legs in general orange yellow except tarsus and hind coxa, hind coxa with a mixture of brown, yellow, and black at extreme base and posterior lateral sides, hind femur and tibia (except brown coloration at apical 1 / 3) yellow orange; tarsi black except the extreme base of basitarsus pale, wings evenly infuscated, veins brown, pterostigma brown with basal yellow spot.

Male: Unknown.

Distribution. India (Himachal Pradesh).

Host. Helicoverpa assulta (Guenee) and Helicoverpa sp.

Discussion. This species is close to M. ajmerensis in having the absence of medial furrow on mesoscutum, T 1 without medial longitudinal groove, scutellar lunules narrow and propodeum coarsely rugose. It differs from M. ajmerensis in the following characters: propodeum with an indistinct medial longitudinal carina (in M. ajmerensis medial longitudinal carina distinct), T 1 parallel sided (in M. ajmerensis T 1 narrowing posteriorly).

Comments. We could not examine the type specimens.