Microplitis murkyi Gupta

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 : 402-403

Microplitis murkyi Gupta

Microplitis murkyi Gupta 2013 ; 433–435. Holotype NBAII.

Female. Body length 2.8 mm.

Head: Head setose; 1.1× as wide as long and not broadening behind eye in dorsal view; vertex and upper temple densely punctate; face and eyes densely setose; eyes 1.8× as long as wide; eye 2.7× as long as malar space; height of clypeus: inter tentorial distance: tentorio ocular distance 3.5:9:3.5; antennae longer than the body; first flagellomere 1× as long as second flagellomere; first and second flagellomere 3.2, 3.4× as long as wide; terminal flagellomere acute, 2.3× as long as wide.

Mesosoma: Mesosoma 1.7× as long as high; mesoscutum setose and rugose-punctate; notauli not visible clearly and without median furrow; scutellar lunules divided by six carinae; scutellum shagreened with micropunctures basally; propodeum coarsely reticulate-rugose with distinct, percurrent medial longitudinal carina surrounded reticulations, reticulations much clearer medially; transverse carinae distinct; mesopleuron medially smooth, shining, without setae; anterior, posterior and lateral sides finely punctate, densely setose; hind coxa not reaching beyond T1; hind tibial spur 0.36× as long as basitarsus.

Wings: Areolet large, approximately triangular; first discal cell 1.3× as wide as high; 1-CU1: 2-CU1: m-cu 4.5:15:9.5; hind wing margin of vannal lobe convex and hairy.

Metasoma: T1 1.85× as long as its maximum width, strongly reticulate-rugose with median longitudinal furrow in the basal half; T1 widest pre-apically and slightly narrowed at apex, evenly rugulose except for base and apical swelling smooth; T2 nearly trapezoid, smooth, with median field with slanting lateral margins; medial length of T3 1.2× as long as T2; T3 and rest smooth, shiny, sparsely setose; ovipositor slightly exserted, not visible in dorsal view.

Colour: Head, antennae (including scape and pedicel), mesosoma and coxae black, tegulae yellow orange, hind legs with femur yellow orange, fore and mid legs mostly yellow orange, fore and mid tibia yellow orange with black infuscation, trochanters yellow orange, femur yellow orange (black at apical and basal tip), tibia pilose with dirty yellow orange colouration, black infuscation at apical 1/3 and in sub basal region; hind tibial spurs pale yellow and equally long, wings infuscate, venation brown, pterostigma and veins uniformly dark brown, pterostigma with faint basal pale area, T1 of metasoma black and laterotergites brown, lateral sides of T2 brown.

Male: Similar to female.

Distribution. India (Karnataka).

Host. Unknown.

Discussion. This species is close to M. demolitor in having the T1 parallel sided, scutellum micropunctured, terminal flagellomere acute and scutellar lunules narrow. It differs from M. demolitor in the following characters: T1 without medial longitudinal groove (in M. demolitor T1 with medial longitudinal groove), propodeum reticulate-rugose (in M. demolitor propodeum coarsely rugose), antennae black (in M. demolitor antennal segments 1–4 yellowish brown, F5 and F6 dark brown, remaining segments black), T1 coarsely rugose except apically (in M. demolitor T1 basally rugose with longitudinal striation, smooth apically).

Comments. We could not examine the type specimens.