Microplitis vitellipedis Li, Tan & Song

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 : 409

Microplitis vitellipedis Li, Tan & Song

Microplitis vitellipedis Li, Tan & Song 2009 ; 225–229. Holotype HAU.

Material examined. 1♂ India, Kerala, Mukkali, no collection date, Sheeba ( DZUC).

Female. Body length 2.2 mm.

Head: Head 2× as wide as long in dorsal view; face transverse, 1.2× as wide as high; vertex slightly micropunctate ( Fig. 21 -B); upper half of the temple densely punctate; ocelli small forming high triangle ( Fig. 21 - B); inner margin of eyes nearly parallel sided, densely setose; POL 0.9× OOL; antennae 1.4× as long as body; first flagellomere as long as second flagellomere, 2.9× as long as wide; second flagellomere 2.5× as long as wide; terminal flagellomere acute, 3.1× as long as wide.

Mesosoma: Mesosoma 1.4× as long as high; mesoscutum unevenly punctate ( Fig. 21 -B); notauli distinctly impressed, densely punctate, meeting posteriorly to form a slightly sunken rugose area ( Fig. 21 -B); medial furrow narrow, distinct; scutellar lunules divided by five carinae; scutellum densely punctate ( Fig. 21 -C); propodeum coarsely reticulate-rugose with percurrent medial longitudinal carina ( Fig. 21 -C); pronotum flat, rugose punctate with upper pronotal groove absent, hind coxa smooth, setose; hind femur 3.8× as long as wide; hind tibia 6.8× as long as wide; outer hind tibial spur 0.4× as long as basitarsus.

Wings: Fore wing 2.8× as long as wide ( Fig. 21 -F); pterostigma 2.6× as long as wide ( Fig. 21 -F); 1-M slightly arched throughout; areolet medium sized, distinctly quadrangular ( Fig. 21 -F); distance from apex of 1-R1 to wing apex equal to vein 1-R1; 1-R1 1.6× as long as pterostigma; margin of vannal lobe convex, setose.

Metasoma: T1 subparallel sided, 1.6–1.8× as long as basal width, finely rugose, slightly depressed base and apical swelling smooth ( Fig. 21 -C & D); suture between T3 and T2 nearly reduced to indistinct depression, without median field; T3 1.3× as long as T 2 in medial line; T3 and following tergites smooth, shining with sparse pilosity ( Fig. 21 -E); hypopygium small.

Colour: Black, antennae yellowish brown but scape mostly yellowish, only a small area anteriorly reddish brown, maxillary and labial palps, tibial spurs and in proximal 2/5 of hind tibia whitish yellow, pterostigma and most veins yellowish brown but basal veins pale brown ( Fig. 21 -F), first discal cell of fore wing and above areolet with pale brown areas, legs rather yellow but hind coxae reddish yellow, hind femur yellowish brown, tip of hind tibia and tarsus greyish brown, T1 dark reddish yellow to brown, laterotergites pale yellow, rest reddish yellow to reddish brown.

Male: Unknown.

Distribution. China (Fujian) and India (Kerala).

Host. Unknown.

Discussion. This species is close to M. chui in having the pronotum coarsely rugose-punctate, propodeum with indistinct anterior transverse carina, face 1.2× as wide as long, T1 sub parallel sided narrowing posteriorly and T2 without distinct median field. It differs from M. chui in the following characters: scutellar lunules divided by five carinae (in M. chui scutellar lunules divided by six carinae), scutellum micropunctured (in M. chui scutellum coarsely rugose), face punctate (in M. chui face rugose), POL 1.1× OOL (in M. chui POL 0.7× OOL), T1 1.7× as long as wide (in M. chui T1 2× as long as wide), fore wing vein 1-R1 1.6× as long as pterostigma (in M. chui 1-R1 2.9× as long as pterostigma).

Comments. We used detailed images taken from examined material and the type specimens of this species could not be examined.

Figures

FIGURE 21. Microplitis vitellipedis Li, Tan & Song, male A) Habitus, lateral view; B) Head & mesosoma (in part), dorsal view; C) Propodeum & tergite 1, dorsal view; D) Mesosoma (in part) & tergite 1, dorsal view; E) Hind leg & metasoma; F) Fore wing.