Philoplitis keralensis Ranjith & Fernandez-Triana

Ranjith, A. P., Fernandez-Triana, J., Veena, T., Priyadarsanan, D. R. & Nasser, M., 2019, Four new species of Philoplitis Nixon (Braconidae, Microgastrinae) with an updated key and illustrations of all described species, ZooKeys 841, pp. 125-150 : 133-136

Philoplitis keralensis Ranjith & Fernandez-Triana sp. n. Figs 6, 7, 8, 16B

Holotype.

Female, INDIA (DZUC). Holotype locality: Kerala, Kozhikode, Janakikkadu, 31.v.2013, T Veena leg.

Paratype.

One male, same data than holotype, except 21.v.2013, AP Ranjith leg.

Diagnosis.

Philoplitis keralensis sp. n. is similar to P. trifoveatus sp. n., but it can be distinguished from the latter by having different ratios of fore wing veins 2RS/2M 1.13 × (1.30 × in P. trifoveatus sp. n.), eyes dark brown (eyes dark yellow in P. trifoveatus sp. n.), and fore wing with a small, brownish patch beneath vein 1-CU1 (without small brownish patch beneath 1-CU1 in P. trifoveatus sp. n.).

Description.

Head distinctly rugoso-punctate. Frons transversely striate. Occipital carina strongly defined and crenulated. Area centrally between posterior ocelli and occipital carina mostly coarsely sculptured, with only small, shiny spot right above the occipital carina. Antennae longer than body length, L of F2 3.09 × its W, L of F15 1.94 × its W. Mesosoma mostly covered with silver setae. Anteromesoscutum rugose near notauli, punctate laterally. Notauli impressed, and with impressed surface postero-laterally above the tegula. Scutellar disc coarsely rugose, apex pointing downward in lateral view. Scutellar disc L/W ratio 1.27 ×, and its L 0.90 × that of anteromesoscutum. Mesopleuron mostly rugoso-punctate, but with medial smooth area centrally. Metapleuron rugose. Propodeum rugose, with complete medial longitudinal carina. Fore wing ratios: r/3RSa: 1.60 ×; r/r-m: 2.11 ×; r/2RS: 0.66 ×; 3RSa/2M: 0.47 ×; 2RS/2M: 1.13 ×; r-m/2M: 0.35 ×; r/(r-2M): 0.46 ×; height of second submarginal cell/(r-2M): 0.37 ×. Tarsal claws with two teeth and with arolium subequal to claw length. Metafemur L 3.72 × its maximum width, inner spur of metatibia 0.52 × L of first metatarsomere. T1 rugose, smooth apically, T1 with shallow, median longitudinal groove extending half of tergite length, T1 L 2.42 × its W at posterior margin. T2 smooth, broad, with middle zone outlined by shallow convergent grooves that form a transversely striated triangle, with carinae markedly divergent, smooth, T2 medial L 0.36 × its W at posterior margin. T3+ smooth.

Colour.

Head and mesosoma black, scape and pedicel reddish brown, flagellomeres brown, ocelli brown, profemur mostly brown, yellow basally and apically, protibiae and protarsomeres dark brown, mesofemur and metatibia black, mesotarsomeres yellowish brown, hind leg dark brown, metatibial spurs yellowish brown, wing veins and pterostigma brown, except for junction of veins 2CU1, m-cu and 3CU1 which is white, fore wing vein 1SR-M white, with a brownish cloud beneath pterostigma that extends to the posterior margin of the wing, small brownish patch beneath 1-CU1, fore wing faintly infuscated apically. T1 apically and T2 entirely yellow. Laterotergites 1-3 yellowish-white.

Male.

Same as female.

Host.

Gregarious parasitoid of an unidentified lepidopteran larva (Fig. 8).

Distribution.

India (Kerala).

Etymology.

This new species is named after the Indian state where type locality is found.