Cotesia erionotae (Wilkinson)

Gupta, Ankita, Lokhande, Swapnil A. & Soman, Abhay, 2013, Parasitoids of Hesperiidae from peninsular India with description of a new species of Dolichogenidea (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) parasitic on caterpillar of Borbo cinnara (Wallace) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae), Zootaxa 3701 (2), pp. 277-290 : 283

Cotesia erionotae (Wilkinson) from host Udaspes folus (Cramer)

( Figs. 14, 15 & 16 )

The collection of the gregarious larval braconid parasitoid Cotesia erionotae (Wilkinson) from host Udaspes folus (Cramer) from Maharashtra and Karnataka States marks an extension in its distributional range from Kerala to Maharashtra and Karnataka in peninsular India.

Brief diagnosis: Head and mesosoma black. Scape and pedicel yellow brown, flagellomeres dark brown. Fore and mid coxa red testaceous. First metasomal tergite deep red-black; second tergite brown with yellow infuscation in the middle, apex of hind femur and apical half of hind tibia darkened, stigma and wing veins brown. Propodeum with well marked median longitudinal carina. Oblique carinae run upwards on each side of median carina and join to a strong transverse basal carina.

Specimens examined: Six females. Hebbal, Bangalore, Karnataka, India; 13.04°N 77.59°E, sept. 2012, bred from caterpillar of U. folus ( Lepidoptera : Hesperiidae ), coll. Ankita Gupta, NBAII/Brac/Micro/ Cotesia /erio/22912 A–E. Five females and males, Powai, IIT-Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India; 19.12°N 72.91°E, elevation 50 m (160 ft), 22.ix.2012, bred from caterpillar of U. folus ( Lepidoptera : Hesperiidae ) on host plant Hedychium coronarium J. Koenig , coll. Swapnil Lokhande & Abhay Soman. All specimens deposited in NBAII.

Figures

FIGURES 14 – 16. 14. Cotesia erionotae (Wilkinson), female in profile view. 5. Infected caterpillar of Udaspes folus (Cramer). 16. Adult butterfly of U. folus.