Microplitis similis Lyle

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 : 404-406

Microplitis similis Lyle

Microplitis similis Lyle 1921:129 ; Dutt 1921:157; Ayyar 1924:359; Wilkinson 1930:26; Beeson & Chatterjee 1935:132; Beeson 1941:372; Thompson 1953:163. Holotype BMNH.

Materials examined. Types. Cotype ♂, No collection data except 16.iii.1914, Microplitis similis Lyle “Parasitic on Agrotis ipsilon, 1921 -140 ( BMNH).

Other specimens examined. 1♂ Indonesia, N, Sumatra, 14.iv.1992, Tj. Morawa, ex. Spodoptera litura on Soybean, Hvd B 0 2 IIE 22405 Hvd B 92/02, pres by Int. Inst. Ent. BM 1992-1, Microplitis similis Lyle det. A.K. Walker, 1992 ( BMNH); 1♀ India, Bihar, 1962, 49 18761, “ Microplitis similis Lyle, G.E.J. Nixon det. 1963 ( BMNH); India, Kerala, Changanassery, N 09° 46’ 67” E 76° 55’ 00”, 26.i.2013, sweep net, coll. Ranjith ( DZUC).

Female. Body length 1.8 mm (based on examined specimens).

Head: Subcircular, 1.1× as wide as long in anterior view ( Fig. 18 -B); lateral temples slightly visible in anterior view ( Fig. 18 -B); width of face (at widest) 0.5× width of head; face slightly convex, rugulose, glabrous, 1.7× as wide as long ( Fig. 18 -B); lateral temples slightly rugose, pilose; vertex, dorsal occiput slightly rugose, setose ( Fig. 17 -C); occiput concave; frons rugulose setose laterally, area between antennal sockets without distinct carinate longitudinal ridge; eyes setose; POL 1.5× OOL ( Fig. 17 -C); ocelli forming an obtuse triangle; antennae 1.2× as long as body; first flagellomere 1.2× as long as second flagellomere; first and second flagellomere 2.6, 2.2× as long as wide; terminal flagellomere acute, 2.4× as long as wide.

Mesosoma: Mesosoma 1.3× as long as high; mesoscutum rugulose, sparsely setose ( Fig. 17 -C); notauli faintly indicated by slight shallow depression not separated by medial longitudinal carina ( Fig. 17 -C); medial furrow absent; scutellar lunules widest medially divided by six carinae ( Fig. 17 -C); area lateral to scutellar lunules flat; dorsal scutellum convex, with fine punctuation, setose, with marginal carinate groove laterally; propodeum with percurrent medial longitudinal carina and transverse carina at the basal half, rest coarsely rugose ( Fig. 17 -D); lateral pronotum with oblique crenulate furrow; mesopleuron pilose anteriorly, smooth and glabrous posteromedially; epicnemal area setose, with deep crenulate epicnemal furrow reaching to anterior margin of mesopleuron; precoxal groove shallow, crenulate; hind coxa mostly smooth, except for micropunctures with setae; hind femur 3.5× as long as wide; hind tibia 6.7× as long as wide; outer hind tibial spur 0.3× as long as basitarsus.

Wings: Fore wing 2.7× as long as wide ( Fig. 17 -F & Fig. 18 -D); pterostigma 2.3× as long as wide; areolet large, quadrangular ( Fig. 17 -F); 1-M straight; margin of vannal lobe convex and setose ( Fig. 17 -D).

Metasoma: T1 2.1× as long as wide, smooth with medial shallow groove, parallel sided, widest apically and rounded apically ( Fig. 17 -D & E); T2 with median field ( Fig. 17 -B); T2–T7 smooth, with sparse transverse row of fine setae posteriorly ( Fig. 17 -B); ovipositor 0.3× as long as hind basitarsus.

Colour: Body generally black except scape brownish black, flagellomeres brownish, maxillary palps yellow, pterostigma brownish, venation yellowish brown, legs brownish, metasoma mostly reddish brown except T1 brownish.

Male: Same as female except antennae 1.4× as long as body.

Distribution. Bangladesh, India (Bihar and Kerala), Indonesia and Vietnam.

Host. Agrotis ypsilon Linn.

Discussion. This species is close to M. demolitor in having the propodeum coarsely rugose with distinct medial longitudinal carina, scutellum micropunctured, presence of longitudinal carina between antennal sockets and hind coxa smooth basally. It differs from M. demolitor in the following characters: notauli impressed (in M. demolitor notauli faintly indicated), T1 parallel sided with medial longitudinal groove (in M. demolitor T1 sub parallel sided without medial longitudinal groove), T2 with median field (in M. demolitor T2 without median field), face 1.7× as wide as long (in M. demolitor face 1.5× as wide as long), POL 1.5× OOL (in M. demolitor POL 1.5× OOL), fore wing vein 1-M straight (in M. demolitor 1-M slightly arched throughout).

Comments. We could not examine the holotype and the above description is based on the examined material.

Figures

FIGURE 17. Microplitis similis Lyle, A) Habitus, dorsal view, male, cotype; B) Metasoma, dorsal view, specimen from Indonesia; C) Head & mesosoma (in part), dorsal view, specimen from Indonesia; D) Propodeum & tergite 1, dorsal view, specimen from Indonesia; E) Mesosoma (in part), medio & latero tergite 1, specimen from Indonesia; F) Fore wing, specimen from Indonesia.

FIGURE 18. Microplitis similis Lyle, female A) Habitus, lateral view; B) Head, anterior view; C) Propodeum & tergite 1, dorsal view; D) Fore wing & metasoma.