Microplitis longwangshana Xu & He

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 : 396-397

Microplitis longwangshana Xu & He

Microplitis longwangshana Xu & He 2000a: 196 ; Chen & Song 2004:225 Holotype ZUH.

Female. Body length 2.8 mm.

Head: Face 1.1× as wide as long in anterior view ( Fig. 12 -B); clypeal margin straight ( Fig. 12 -B); eyes 2.1× as wide as long in dorsal view; frons rugulose; vertex, lateral temples and occiput smooth associated with small micropunctures; POL 0.8× OOL; ocelli forming an obtuse angle; antennae longer than the body ( Fig. 12 -A); scape 2× as long as wide; first flagellomere 4× as long as wide; second flagellomere 8× as long as wide.

Mesosoma: Mesosoma 1.4× as long as high; mesoscutum slightly rugose ( Fig. 12 -C); notauli faintly indicated; medial furrow absent; scutellar lunules wide medially, divided by five carinae ( Fig. 12 -C); area lateral to scutellar lunules flat; dorsal scutellum punctate; propodeum with percurrent medial longitudinal carina, reticulate-rugose, transverse carina present medially ( Fig. 12 -D); lateral pronotum with oblique crenulate furrow; hind coxa smooth; hind femur 3.9× as long as wide; hind tibial spur 0.3× as long as basitarsus.

Wings: Fore wing 2.7× as long as wide; pterostigma 3.1× as long as wide; areolet quadrangular; 1-R1 as long as pterostigma; 1CU1 0.4× as long as 2CU1; 1-M straight; margin of vannal lobe convex, setose.

Metasoma: T1 2.1× as long as wide, rugose, parallel sided, slightly narrowed apically with rounded apical end ( Fig. 12 -D & E); T2 smooth with median field ( Fig. 12 -E); medial length of T3 as long as T2 ( Fig. 12 -E); T2–T7 smooth associated with transverse row of setae posteriorly ( Fig. 12 -E); ovipositor 0.3× as long as hind basitarsus.

Colour: Body black, palps pale yellow, mesosoma black but tegula reddish yellow ( Fig. 12 -C), hind coxa black only apically reddish yellow, fore and mid legs including coxa reddish yellow, hind leg reddish yellow but basal, apical tibia and tarsus dark, metasoma black, latero tergites of T1–T2 reddish yellow ( Fig. 12 -E), wings hyaline, pterostigma dark with a yellow spot in basal 1/3 ( Fig. 12 -F).

Male: Same as female except, body length 3.3 mm, pterostigma with light area basally.

Distribution. China (Zhejiang).

Host. Unknown.

Discussion. This species is closely related to M. chui in having the absence of medial furrow on mesoscutum, distinct medial longitudinal carina on propodeum and T1 without medial longitudinal groove. It differs in the following characters, T1 narrowing posteriorly (in M. chui T1 sub-parallel sided), scutellum micropunctured (in M. chui scutellum coarsely rugose), T2 with distinct median field (in M. chui T2 without median field), face punctate (in M. chui face rugose).

Comments. Type material could not be directly examined, but images of the holotype taken by Dr. Tang Pu (ZUH) were used to compare with the new species described in this paper.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Microplitis longwangshana Xu & He, female, holotype A) Habitus, lateral view; B) Head, anterior view; C) Head (in part) & mesosoma, dorsal view; D) Propodeum & tergite 1, dorso-lateral view; E) Metasoma, dorsal view; F) Fore wing.