Platygaster luteipes Buhl , 2008

Anjana, M., Rajmohana, K. & Saleem, U. K. A., 2023, New records and new host associations of genus Platygaster Latreille (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) from India, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 123 (1), pp. 21-26 : 24

1. Platygaster luteipes Buhl, 2008 ( Figure 3A )

Platygaster luteipes Buhl, 2008: 551 , 555. Original description, keyed.

Diagnosis: Body length 1.4 mm. Head evenly rounded, transversely coriaceous. Occiputs reticulate. Antennae 10 segmented.Notaulifaintlyindicated.Mesosomareticulate. Legs pale yellow. Forewings with dense microtrichia. T 2 striate basally, hardly up to half its length.

Distribution: Indonesia ( Buhl 2008); INDIA: Kerala, Ayiroor, Trivandrum; INDIA: Kerala, Braemore Estate, Trivandrum; INDIA: Kerala, Vellayani, Trivandrum; INDIA: Kerala, Venganoor: Trivandrum; Kerala, Palakkal, Malappuram; INDIA: Kerala, Janakikkadu, Kozhikode; INDIA: Kerala, Dhasanaghatta, Wayanad ( Anjana et al., 2016c)

Hosts: The first report of the species from India was by Anjana et al. (2016c) from the globular and robust cecidomyiid galls on mature leaves of Piper nigrum of Piperaceae family The present study is newly reporting P. luteipes from cecidomyiid leaf galls of Strobilanthus heyneanus Nees. ( Acanthaceae ) ( Figure 3C ). Being reported from two host plants, there appears to be no specificity in plant host association for the parasitoid.

Specimens examined: 1f. INDIA: Kerala, Janakikkadu, Kozhikode; host: collected by rearing Strobilanthus leaf galls 14.xi.2012; Coll. UKA Saleem; on card; Reg. No. ZSI/ WGRS /IR.INV.6212.

Figures

Figure 3. Plataster luteipes Buhl (Female). A. Habitus B. Strobilanthus – leaf gall C. Strobilanthus – leaf gall with the inducer Cecidomyiid; D. and E. Platygaster narendrani Ushakumari (Female) D. Habitus E. stem galls of Luffa cylindrical (L.) M. Roem.