Microplitis kewleyi Muesebeck, 1922

Hoecherl, Amelie, Shaw, Mark R., Boudreault, Caroline, Rabl, Dominik, Haszprunar, Gerhard, Raupach, Michael J., Schmidt, Stefan, Baranov, Viktor & Fernandez-Triana, Jose, 2024, Scratching the tip of the iceberg: integrative taxonomy reveals 30 new species records of Microgastrinae (Braconidae) parasitoid wasps for Germany, including new Holarctic distributions, ZooKeys 1188, pp. 305-386 : 305

Microplitis kewleyi Muesebeck, 1922

Material examined.

Germany: Bavaria: Ammergebirge Halblech, Im Laich , gravel bar, 47.606, 10.841, 904 m, Malaise trap, 16.ix.2016, leg. D. Doczkal, J. Voith, ZSM-HYM-33167-F01; Forchheim, Untere Mark bei Willersdorf, 49.739, 10.969, 261 m, Malaise trap, 12.vii.2019, leg. J. Müller, ZSM-HYM-42377-F06; Lkr. Kelheim Abensberg-Sandharlanden, NSG Sandharlandener Heide, 48.845, 11.801, 376 m, Malaise trap, 3.viii.2017, leg. D. Doczkal, J. Voith, ZSM-HYM-33157-E03; Marquartstein, close to Rathaus, 47.759, 12.462, 543 m, Malaise trap, 19.vii.2019, leg. J. Müller, ZSM-HYM-42380-C10; Plattling, Isarmündung, renat. gravel bar, 48.781, 12.906, 317 m, Malaise trap, 25.viii.2021, leg. GBOL3, R. Albrecht, ZSM-HYM-42391-B09; Siegenburg, Bombodrom, 48.76, 11.807, 410 m, Malaise trap, 23.viii.2017, leg. D. Doczkal, J. Voith, ZSM-HYM-42324-C05; Sielstetten, östlich Grafendorfer Forst, 48.578, 11.863, 520 m, Malaise trap, 16.vii.2019, leg. J. Müller, ZSM-HYM-42383-A06; Willersdorf, Untere Mark, 49.733, 10.985, 292 m, Malaise trap, 12.vii.2019, leg. J. Müller, ZSM-HYM-42379-A12 .

Geographical distribution.

NEA, PAL.

NEA- Canada (AB, MB, NB, NL, NS, ON, PE, QC), United States (CA, DC, IA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, WI); PAL*- Germany*.

Molecular data.

BIN: BOLD:AAB8493.

Host information.

Noctuidae : type reared from Euxoa sp.; also Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel, 1766), Euxoa ochrogaster ( Guenée, 1852),? Pseudohermonassa bicarnea ( Guenée, 1852).

Notes.

German specimens were identified by comparison with many specimens in the CNC and by checking the keys and information in Muesebeck (1922). This is the first record of the species outside the Nearctic. A few described species in the Palearctic share some characteristics with M. kewleyi (and other Nearctic species), particularly the short antenna, large pale spot anteriorly on pterostigma, and relatively small body size (e.g., see couplet 21 in Nixon (1970) and Papp (1984b)). However, M. kewleyi can be distinguished from M. spectabilis based on shape of T1 and darker colour of anterior flagellomeres; from M. tristis because wings are not infumated, shorter inner spur of metatibia, and thinner femora; from M. pallidipennis based on shape and sculpture of T2; from M. steinbergi because of thinner metafemur and metatibia; and from M. heterocerus because of a much larger pale spot on pterostigma, different leg colouration and thinner femora. Eight sequences from Germany match 100% with the many sequences from Canada and the USA available in BOLD, and the corresponding BIN is very cohesive (average of 0.03% of bp difference within BIN members) and very apart from any other BIN currently in BOLD (nearest BIN is 5.77% different), therefore confirming also from a molecular perspective the presence of this species in Europe (Germany). There are also two sequences from Bulgaria, two from Pakistan, and one from Tanzania, but those specimens are from different institutions which we were not able to examine, and no photographs were available for them in BOLD either. Therefore, those countries are not recorded for the species here, even if the DNA barcode evidence indicates a reasonable chance that M. kewleyi could also be present there. Two of the hosts associated with this species were recorded by Muesebeck, who had described the wasp species and are therefore considered to be accurate. A third host, Euxoa ochrogaster , is within the same genus as the host of the type and it is also considered to be reliable. Only one host record from the literature is here considered to be questionable, as it comes from a compilation of information without any supporting evidence. This species is illustrated in Fig. 40 .

Figures

Figure 40. Microplitis kewleyi Muesebeck, 1922, female (ZSM-HYM- 33157 - E 03). A lateral view, B dorsal view, C mesosoma, D metasoma, E wing. Length of the specimen: 2.35 mm.