Microplitis demolitor Wilkinson

Gupta, Ankita, 2013, Revision of the Indian Microplitis Foerster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Microgastrinae), with description of one new species, Zootaxa 3620 (3), pp. 429-452 : 435-437

III. Microplitis demolitor Wilkinson

Plate II—Figs. 5, 6 & 7.

Brief diagnosis. Propodeum with clear median longitudinal carina surrounded by coarse rugosity with large reticulations and distinct raised transverse carinae; basal first four antennal segments yellowish brown, funicle segments 5–6 dark brown, remainder black; metasoma with mixture of yellow, brown and black colouration; T1 about 2x as long as wide, dark brown, laterotergites yellow testaceous; T2 and T3 yellow-orange brown, T4–T7 black. T1 parallel sided on basal 2/3rd; apical 1/3rd converging to rounded apex; posterior half longitudinal striate rugose; apical half smooth with apex nitid.

PLATE II. Microplitis demolitor Wilkinson (Figs. 5–7). 5. Female, dorsal view 6. Metasoma 7. Mesosoma.

Diagnosis (Female). Scape and pedicel dark brown; basal first four antennal segments yellowish brown; F5–F6 dark brown, remainder black; palpi dirty yellow. Head and mesosoma black; tegulae red testaceous. Metasoma with T1 dark brown; laterotergites yellow testaceous; T2 and T3 yellow-orange brown, T4–T7 black. Fore and mid legs yellow orange; hind legs with coxae and trochanters yellow orange; hind femur yellow orange with apex black; hind tibia with extreme base pale testaceous; basitarsus black; tarsi 2–4 yellowish brown.

Mesoscutum distinctly punctuate and dull; notauli not indicated strongly; median lobe without longitudinal furrow; scutellum dull and rugose without dense pilosity; scutellar groove with 6 well defined wide costulae; mesopleuron medially smooth, shining, without pilosity; anterior, posterior and posterior-lateral sides finely rugose punctate with dense pilosity; propodeum with clear median longitudinal carina surrounded by coarse rugosity and distinct raised transverse carinae; head finely punctuate.

T1 about 2x as long as wide; parallel sided on basal 2/3rd; apical 1/3rd converging to rounded apex; posterior half rugose with longitudinal striations; apical half smooth with apex nitid. T2 without median field.

Male. Similar to female except colouration of scape and pedicel black and antennae dark brown. First tergum a little darker than female.

Comments. This species can be confused with pallidipes Szepligeti , a south-east Asian species, based on yellow orange colour of legs. The latter was redescribed by Wilkinson (1930) based on a single male specimen. However it is very difficult to come to any conclusion regarding pallidipes as female description and type specimen is lacking and the redescribed male lacks standard of the elaborate descriptions of other species. The species pallidipes was also compared with indicus (= indicia) by Marsh (1978) which has fainter tarsi and antenna, distinct notauli and strong median carina of propodeum. Thus demolitor is separated from pallidipes in having less distinct notauli. The Indian demolitor seems to differ little from Australian forms in colouration of antennae and hind legs but this appears to be acceptable looking at the substantial variations in the populations from across the Australian continent as mentioned by Austin & Dangerfield (1993).

Material examined. Two females and two males on card, INDIA, Karnataka, Vijipura, 13–16.vii.2011, sweep net in mango orchard, coll. Ankita Gupta. Specimens deposited in NBAII, Bangalore, India. Code. NBAII/Bra/ Mic/ Microplitis /demo/1311.

Distribution. India and Australia.

Host. Family Noctuiidae— Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) , Helicoverpa punctigera (Wallengren) , Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) , Heliothis virescens (Fabricius) , Pseudoplusia includens (Walker) , Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) , Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) and Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) ), and Family Lymantriidae— Laelia obsoleta (Fabricius) (Yu, 2012) .