Microplitis Forster 1862
Creators: name: Zhang, Wangzhen
name: Song, Dongbao
name: Chen, Jiahua
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Braconidae
Microplitis

description: Microplitis Förster, 1862   
 Microplitis Förster, 1862: 245 [Type species, by original designation, Microgaster sordipes Nees ab Esenbeck, 1834.] Major references—Nixon, 1970: 3; Mason, 1981: 132; Austin and Dangerfield, 1992: Part 9. ‘Hymenopterorum Catalogus’. (Eds J van der Vecht and R D Shenefelt) pp. 669–812 (Dr W Junk: Gravenhage) 42 [See Shenefelt (1973: 737) for complete bibliography]   
 Dapsilotoma Cameron, 1906: 101 [Type species, by monotypy, Dapsilotomatestaceipes Cameron, 1906] Synonymy by Viereck, 1914: 25.   
 Glabromicroplitis Papp, 1979: 176 [Type species, Glabromicroplitis mahunkai Papp, 1979] Syn. by Austin and Dangerfield, 1992.   
 Diagnosis. Hypopygium usually small, never bearing longitudinal creases along the median line. Ovipositor and sheaths projecting only a little beyond apex of hypopygium; sheaths bearing a few hairs distally. T1 variable from wide to narrow apically and usually sculptured; T2 rarely weakly sculptured and often with a weakly delimited trapezoidal median area; T3 longer than T2, the transverse groove between them poor; remaining tergites almost smooth. Propodeum usually convexly rounded and often with a distinct percurrent medial keel, never with an areola, surface almost completely rugose. Mesoscutum often densely sculptured, sometimes smooth, and with notauli, sometimes strongly defined. Posterior band of scutellum usually smooth and interrupted medially by rugosity. Fore wing always with a D-shaped areolet; 1CU1 much shorter than 2CU1; r short. Hind wing with vannal lobe convex and fringed throughout. Hind coxa small and not longer than T1; hind spurs shorter than half length of basitarsus. Labial palpi 3-jointed, sometimes 4-jointed.   
 Generally, Microplitis Förster (1862) has been recognized with little doubt over its generic limits. The genus and its tropical relatives are the most apomorphic groups among Microgastrinae. A detailed description of the genus is provided in Mason (1981), Austin and Dangerfield (1993), Ranjith et al. (2015).   
 Synonyms and homonyms. Microplitis bicoloratus Chen 2004 is the synonym of Microplitis prodeniae Rao & Kurian 1950: their morphological difference is only slight, with only the ratio of head width to length, the ratio of tergite 1 length to width and the colour slightly different. We consider this to be intra specific variation. Also, the two species are parasitoids of Spodoptera litura (Fabricius 1775).   
 Also, M. bicoloratus Chen 2004 is the junior homonym of M. bicoloratus Xu & He 2003. They can easily distinguished by the following features: Microplitis bicoloratus Chen 2004, 1.T1 almost parallel with a shallow puncture, and T1 1.5 × as long as width, 2. Vein 1-R1 of fore wing 1.0 × as long as stigma, and 3. Vein r almost straight, arising from middle of stigma; Microplitis bicoloratus Xu & He 2003, 1. T1 smooth anterior-medially and rugose posterior-laterally with parallel sides, and its length 2.6 × as long as its width, 2. Vein 1-R1 of fore wing 0.77 × as long as stigma, and 3. Vein r weakly curved, arising distally.   
 As a result, Microplitis bicoloratus Chen 2004 and Microplitis bicoloratus Xu & He 2003 are not considered as homonyms.
description: Published as part of Zhang, Wangzhen, Song, Dongbao & Chen, Jiahua, 2017, Revision of Microplitis species from China with description of a new species, pp. 296-300 in Zootaxa 4231 (2) on page 297, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4231.2.12, http://zenodo.org/record/291237