Microplitis indicus Marsh, 1978

Gupta, Ankita, 2013, Revision of the Indian Microplitis Foerster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Microgastrinae), with description of one new species, Zootaxa 3620 (3), pp. 429-452 : 437-439

IV. Microplitis indicus Marsh, 1978

Plate III—Figs. 8 & 9.

Brief diagnosis. Metasomal tergites 1–3 yellow orange, rest black. Hind coxa of female with a mixture of brown, yellow, and black colouration at extreme base and posterior-lateral sides; hind femur and tibia (except brown coloration at apical 1/3rd) yellow orange; tarsi black except the extreme base of basitarsus pale. Notauli not strongly indicated; scuto-scutellar groove with 8–9 well defined costulae; propodeum strongly rugose with weak indication of median carina in apical half.

Diagnosis. Female. Head, antenna (except brown pedicel), mesosoma, propodeum black; palpi pale yellow; tegulae yellow orange; metasomal terga 1–3 yellow orange, rest black; legs in general orange yellow except tarsi and hind coxa; hind coxa with a mixture of brown, yellow, and black at extreme base and posterior lateral sides; hind femur and tibia (except brown coloration at apical 1/3rd) yellow orange; tarsi black except the extreme base of basitarsus pale. Wings evenly infumated; veins brown; stigma brown with basal yellow spot.

Head punctuate; mesoscutum distinctly punctuate and dull; notauli not strongly indicated; median lobe without longitudinal furrow; scutellum dull, finely punctuate; scutellar groove with 8–9 well defined costulae; mesopleuron punctuate except smooth and nitid area above crenulated sternaulus; propodeum strongly rugose with weak indication of median carina in apical half; 1st metasomal tergum 1.6x as long as wide; parallel side for 2/3rd of length, narrow at apex; finely rugose laterally, smooth apically; ovipositor not exserted; hypopygium not extending beyond apex of metasoma; hind tibial spurs pale yellow and equal in length.

PLATE III. Microplitis indicus Marsh (Figs. 8–9). 8. Female, dorsal view 9. Mesosoma & metasoma, dorsal view.

Host. Helicoverpa assulta (Guenee) ( Lepidoptera : Noctuidae ) (Yu, 2012) and Helicoverpa sp.

Material examined. Four females, Bandrole, Kulu, Himachal Pradesh, July 1964, ex. Helicoverpa sp. infesting tobacco, C.I.B.C.-S.S. collection. Deposited in NBAII, Bangalore, India. Code. NBAII/Bra/Mic/ Microplitis /indi/CIBC-0764.

Distribution. India.

Comments. This species should not be confused with demolitor as it has weak indication of propodeum carina contrary to the strong median carina of propodeum present in the latter. This species was originally identified as Apanteles sp. and later as Microplitis sp. nr. pallidipes Szepligeti. It runs close to M. pallidipes , a south-east Asian species but differs in dark tarsi and antennae, weakly present median longitudinal carina, and less distinct notauli.