Microplitis bicoloratus 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 : 385-387

Microplitis bicoloratus Xu & He

Microplitis bicoloratus Xu & He 2003: 724 –728. Holotype ZUH.

Materials examined. 1♀ “ India, Kerala, Agali, 12.xii.87 (R-368) sweep net, coll. T.C.Narendran” ( DZUC).

Female. Body length 2.7 mm.

Head: Head in dorsal view not broadening behind eyes, 2.2× as wide as long ( Fig. 7 -B); antennal sockets and frons rugose, vertex with punctation and sculpture; upper temple with fine punctation and sculpture; ocelli small, forming an obtuse triangle; POL 0.7× OOL; eyes large, 1.8× as high as broad; inner margin of eyes parallel ( Fig. 7 - B); face 1.2× as wide as high with rugosity; clypeus with superficial punctation ( Fig. 7 -B); antennae thin, hairy, longer than body ( Fig. 7 -A); scape 1.8× as long as wide, first flagellomere 4× as long as wide, distal flagellomeres gradually shortened; penultimate flagellomere 2.3× as long as wide.

Mesosoma: Mesosoma 1.6× as long as high; pronotum with rugose-puncture; mesoscutum rugose-punctate, outer margins of lateral lobes punctate and with a wide, deep median longitudinal crenulate furrow ( Fig. 7 -C); notauli well developed, represented by coarsely crenulate furrows meeting posteriorly to form a wide and deep crenulated field ( Fig. 7 -C); scutellar lunules divided by three carinae ( Fig. 7 -C); dorsal scutellum coarsely rugose, bordered laterally by crenulate furrow forming distinct carinate margin ( Fig. 7 -C); mesopleuron with crenulate precoxal sulcus; upper part of mesopleuron smooth, rest rugose; propodeum scrobiculate with strong mediolongitudinal carina ( Fig. 7 -D); hind coxa sculptured laterally, apex hardly reaching anterior edge of T1; hind femur 3.5× as long as wide; hind tibial spurs almost equal; hind claw normal without teeth or small spines.

Wings: Fore wing 2.7× as long wide ( Fig. 7 -F); pterostigma 2.6× as long as wide ( Fig. 7 -F); 1-R1 1.2× as long as its distance from apex of radial cell, 0.77× as long as pterostigma; r slightly curved; areolet rectangular; first discal cell 1.2× as long as high; 1-CU1 0.38× as long as 2-CU1; 1-M slightly curved, 1.8× as long as m-cu; submarginal cell of hind wing 1.8× as long as basal width.

Metasoma: T1 smooth anterior-medially, parallel sided, 2.6× as long as its maximum width ( Fig. 7 -E); T2 smooth with a delimited median field, as wide as T3 ( Fig. 7 -E); hypopygium long, sclerotized; ovipositor sheath long, its hairy part 0.5× as long as hind tibia.

Colour: Body black, antenna black except scape reddish yellow, tip of mandible yellowish brown, rest black, palpi yellowish white, tegula black, sternites 1–3 yellowish black, rest partly black, coxa black, all spurs yellowish white, fore and mid legs reddish yellow, wings subhyaline, pale to infuscate, pterostigma blackish with a dark spot beneath pterostigma, venation brown ( Fig. 7 -F).

Male: Body 2.3–2.7 mm long; antenna thick, scape blackish, penultimate flagellomere 2.8× as long as wide, remaining flagellomeres similar to female.

Distribution. China (Fujian and Zhejiang) and India (Kerala). Host. Unknown.

Discussion. This species has similarities with M. maculipennis in having impressed notauli, and a parallel sided T1. But it differs from the above species by having T1 2.6× as long as wide, dorsal scutellum coarsely rugose, medial furrow present on T1, and the propodeum reticulate-rugose (in M. maculipennis T1 2.4× as long as wide, dorsal scutellum rugulose-punctate, medial furrow absent and propodeum coarsely 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 7. Microplitis bicoloratus Xu & He female, female, holotype A) Habitus, lateral view; B) Head, anterior view; C) Mesosoma, dorsal view; D) Propodeum & tergite 1 & 2, dorsal view; E) Metasoma, dorsal view; F) Fore wing.