Microplitis areyongensis Austin & Dangerfield

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 : 383-385

Microplitis areyongensis Austin & Dangerfield

Microplitis areyongensis Austin & Dangerfield 1993: 1112 . Holotype AEIC.

Materials examined. 2♀♀ “ India, Kerala, Nilambur, 11.viii.87 (R-339 & R-340), sweep net, coll. Sumodan” ( DZUC)

Female. Body length 3.2 mm.

Head: Oval in anterior view, lateral temples hidden behind eyes in anterior view ( Fig. 6 -B); width of face (at widest) 0.48× width of head; face finely rugose-punctate, densely pilose, slightly convex, sometimes with small node dorso-medially below antennal sockets ( Fig. 6 -B); clypeus strongly convex, with small irregular punctures; vertex, temple and frons smooth except for micropunctures associated with pilosity; temple medially 0.7× width of eye in lateral view; eyes pilose, inner margins adjacent to antennal sockets straight ( Fig. 6 -B & D); ocelli small, forming acute triangle, POL 0.75× OOL; antennae as long as body, first flagellomere 2.7× as long as wide.

Mesosoma: Mesoscutum wider than head, medial and lateral lobes finely punctate, slightly coarser on medial lobe, medial lobe with medial furrow indicated by row of punctures in posterior half, fading anteriorly ( Fig. 6 -D); notauli impressed, rugulose-crenulate, meeting posteriorly in broad strigose-rugulose field, which is divided medially by longitudinal carina, medial lobe without longitudinal furrow indicated ( Fig. 6 -D); scutellar lunules narrow, divided by seven carinae; dorsal scutellum rugulose punctate, in posterior half bordered laterally by crenulate furrow forming distinct carinate margin ( Fig. 6 -D); propodeum with indistinct transverse carina; lateral pronotum with oblique crenulate furrow, band ventral to furrow smooth, rugulose dorsally and posteriorly, lightly strigose anteriorly ( Fig. 6 -C); mesopleuron finely punctate, pilose in dorsal and anterior parts, rest smooth, shining and glabrous; epicnemial furrow crenulate, reaching to anterior margin of mesopleuron ( Fig. 6 -C); precoxal groove rugose-crenulate, upturned anteriorly, almost meeting epicnemial furrow; mesosternum smooth, sparsely pilose; hind coxa mostly smooth, with fine oblique striae dorsally ( Fig. 6 -E); hind tibia1 spurs 0.3× hind basitarsus; hind tarsal claws small, slightly pectinate.

Wings: Fore wing 2.6× as long as wide ( Fig. 6 -F); pterostigma broad, 2× as long as wide ( Fig. 6 -F); 1-R1 short, 0.54× distance from pterostigma to SR1; 1-M evenly arched throughout; areolet variable, quadrangular to subtriangular ( Fig. 6 -F); 1-CU1 0.45× as long as 2-CU1; hind wing with 2-SC+R short but present; first submarginal cell elongate, 1.6–2.0× as long as basal width.

Metasoma: T1 short, broadening apically, 1.4× as long as wide, with broad medial longitudinal furrow, finely punctate-strigose except for smooth apical margin; T 2 in medial line 0.7× as long as T3, smooth, without median field; T3–T7 smooth, with irregular rows of sparse hairs posteriorly; ovipositor sheaths rounded apically, with small tuft of fused hairs at apex and short fine pilosity behind ( Fig. 6 -E); hypopygium short, with only a few scattered hairs; pointed tuft of fused hairs at apex of ovipositor sheaths indistinct ( Fig. 6 -A & C).

Colour: Body generally dark, head and mesosoma black, metasoma dark brown, sometimes with TI–T3 lighter than posterior metasoma; palps brown; legs red to brown; antennae dark brown; wings hyaline with infuscate patch below pterostigma.

Male: Unknown.

Distribution. Australia, India (Kerala) and Vietnam.

Host. Unknown.

Discussion. This species is very close to M. leucaniae in its coarsely rugose propodeum and the number of carina dividing the scutellar lunules. But it differs from M. leucaniae by the fore wing 2.6× as long as wide, pterostigma 2× as long as wide and T1 with a broad medial longitudinal furrow (in M. leucaniae fore wing 2.16× as long as wide, pterostigma 3.1× as long as wide and T1 without broad medial longitudinal furrow). It also has some similarities with M. abrs (Australian species, examined) by having a smooth head and similar sculpturing pattern on the mesoscutum and scutellum. But M. areyongensis differs in having the anterior mesoscutum punctate, the medial lobe with a medial furrow indicated by punctation and a much broader TI. This species also shows some similarities with M. murrayi (Australian species, examined), but differs in the sculpturing of the vertex, temples, medial lobe of the mesoscutum and T1, and shape of TI.

Comments. We have used images of the holotype taken by Dr David Wahl (AEIC).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Microplitis areyongensis Austin & Dangerfield, female, holotype A) Habitus, lateral view; B) Head, anterior view; C) Head & mesosoma, lateral view; D) Head & mesosoma, dorsal view; E) Metasoma, lateral view; F) Fore wing.