Microplitis Foerster
Creators: name: Ranjith, A. P.
name: Rajesh, K. M.
name: Nasser, M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Braconidae
Microplitis

description: Key to the Oriental species of Microplitis Foerster
1. Notauli absent, if present, then indicated only by indentations at anterior margin of mesoscutum or by pair of depressions postero-medially (Figs 10 -A & F); medial and lateral lobes of mesoscutum (apart from notauli) smooth or virtually so, though often with micropunctures associated with pilosity; medial furrow of mesoscutum often absent, if present then slightly indented and never sculptured............................................................................ 2
- Notauli present, smooth to crenulate, impressed, percurrent and meeting posteriorly (Figs 3 -C, 4-C, 6-D, 7-C, 8-C, 9-C, 12-C, 13-D, 15-C, 17-C, 20-C & 22-C); medial and lateral lobes of mesoscutum (apart from notauli) sculptured at least in part; medial furrow of mesoscutum present, distinct and usually sculptured............................................ 6
2. Propodeum strongly rugose with weak indication of median carina; T1 1.6× as long as its maximum width; scutellar lunules divided by 8–9 well defined carinae................................................... Microplitis indicus Marsh
- Propodeum with distinct median longitudinal carina surrounded by coarse rugosity; T1 more than 1.6× as long as its maximum width; scutellar lunules divided by fewer than eight carinae.................................................... 3
3. Transverse carinae on propodeum absent or indistinct; wings infuscated or hyaline.................................. 4
- Transverse carinae on propodeum distinct; wings hyaline...................................................... 5
4. Wings infuscated, pterostigma uniformly dark brown; T1 1.7× as long as wide, parallel sided, slightly narrowed at apex with apical swelling, finely rugose punctate in posterior half except apical patch; median length of T3 more than T2......................................................................................... Microplitis manila e Ashmead
- Wings hyaline (Fig. 5 -D), pterostigma brown with faint patch basally; T1 2× as long as wide, dilated at apex and converging towards tip (Fig. 5 -C); median length of T3 less than T2 other characters different..... Microplitis ajmerensis Rao & Kurian
5. Propodeum with clear median longitudinal carina surrounded by coarse rugosity with large reticulations (Figs 10 -A & E); distinctly raised transverse carinae; T1 2.1× as long as maximum width; posterior half striate rugose, apical half smooth with apex nitid; T2 without defined median field (Fig. 10 -A).................................. Microplitis demolitor Wilkinson
- Propodeum coarsely reticulate-rugose with distinct medial longitudinal carina surrounded by coarse rugosity with dense mesh of reticulations; transverse carinae indistinct; T1 1.85× as long as its maximum width, strongly reticulate rugose (except apical tip), reticulations larger pre-apically; T2 with median field.................................. Microplitis murkyi Gupta
6. T1 more than 2× as long as wide; widest basally, parallel sided................................................. 7
- T1 equal to or less than 2× as long as wide, sub-parallel sided................................................. 11
7. T1 2.5–3.3× as long as its apical width; notauli excavate, crenulate and coarsely sculptured (Fig. 13 -C & D); metapleuron coarsely reticulate-rugose; scutellar lunules divided by four carinae (Fig. 13 -D); dorsal scutellum very coarsely rugulose-punctate and pilose (Fig. 13 -D); propodeum with two faces meeting sharply at about 90°, coarsely rugose (Fig. 13 -E); medial longitudinal carina indistinct.................................................... Microplitis maculipennis (Szépligeti)
- Above characters partly or completely different or in different combination; propodeum with distinct medial longitudinal carina; number of carinae dividing scutellar lunules variable.................................................... 8
8. Scutellar lunules divided by three carinae (Fig. 7 -C); dorsal scutellum coarsely rugose (Fig. 7 -C); propodeum reticulate-rugose (Fig. 7 -D); T1 2.6× as long as wide, smooth antero-medially, rugose postero-laterally (Fig. 7 -D)................................................................................................... Microplitis bicoloratus Xu & He
- Scutellar lunules divided by five or six carinae; dorsal scutellum slightly rugose or smooth with fine micropunctures; propodeum rugose; T1 2–2.1× as long as wide, rugose............................................................. 9
9. Face 1.7× as wide as high; area between antennal sockets without distinct carinate longitudinal ridge; mesoscutum without medial furrow (Fig. 17 -C); scutellar lunules divided by six carinae Figs 17 -C & D, 18-C); hind femur 3.5× as long as wide; hind tibia 6.7× as long as wide......................................................... Microplitis similis Lyle
- Face 1.2× as wide as high; area between antennal sockets with distinct carinate longitudinal ridge; mesoscutum with medial furrow; scutellar lunules divided by five carinae other characters variable........................................ 10
10. Mesosoma 1.7× as long as high; scape reddish yellow (Fig. 15 -B); first subdiscal cell 1.1× as long as high; hind coxa reddish black (Fig. 15 -A); T1 smooth anteriorly, remainder reticulate-rugose (Fig. 15 -D)........... Microplitis marshalli Kokujev
- Mesosoma 1.4× as long as high; scape black (Fig. 22 -B); first subdiscal cell 1.3× as long as high; hind coxa black (Fig. 22 -F); T1 entirely coarsely rugose (Fig. 22 -D)............................................... Microplitis zhaoi Xu & He
11. Propodeum coarsely rugose (Fig. 8 -D); scutellum rugose or rugulose (Figs 3 -C, 4-C & 8-C)......................... 12
- Propodeum coarsely reticulo-rugose (Figs 9 -C, 12-D & 21-C); scutellum rugose, evenly or unevenly punctate (Figs 9 -C, 12-C & 21-C)........................................................................................... 18
12. Scutellar lunules divided by more than five carinae (Figs 3 -C & 4-C)............................................ 13
- Scutellar lunules divided by five carinae (Figs 6 -D & 11-C)................................................... 17
13. T1 2× as long as wide; scutellar lunules divided by seven carinae; T2 and T3 reddish brown, T2 dark brown at median field, median field without slanting margins; T3 with a mix of red, brown and black, darker laterally (Fig. 16 -A); median length of T3 greater than T2; ovipositor exserted, visible in dorsal view (Fig. 16 -A)............. Microplitis prodeniae Rao & Kurian
- T1 less than 2× as long as wide; other characters partly or completely different or in different combination..............14
14. T1 1.25× as long as wide, black and rugose (Figs 19 -B & 20-E); median length of T2 nearly equal to T3 (Fig. 20-E); scutellar lunules divided by six carinae (Fig. 20-C).................................... Microplitis spodopterae Rao & Kurian
- T1 1.7× as long as wide, brown and rugulose laterally; medial length of T2 0.6–0.8× as long as T3; scutellar lunules divided by six–nine carinae..................................................................................... 15
15. Scutellar lunules wide medially divided by eight–nine carinae (Fig. 3 -C); antennae 1.2× body length; length of maxillary palp 1.3× height of head in dorsal view; length of eye 3.7× length of malar space; metasoma orange brown; T 2 in medial line 0.8× as long as T3................................................... Microplitis narendrani Ranjith & Nasser sp. nov.
- Scutellar lunules divided by six or seven carinae (Figs 4 -C & 8-C); antennae 1 or 1.2× as long as body; length of maxillary palp less than 1.3× height of head in dorsal view; length of eye less than 3.7× length of malar space; metasoma black or reddish; T 2 in medial line 0.6× as long as T3................................................................. 16
16. Body black (Fig. 4 -A); face 1.4× as wide as long, rugose-punctate; fore wing 2.8× as long as wide (Fig. 4 -F); pterostigma yellowish basally, 2.6× as long as wide; first flagellomere 2.8× as long as wide; terminal flagellomere acute; hind femur 3.3× as long as wide; hind tibia 6.6× as long as apical width................... Microplitis pennatulae Ranjith & Rajesh sp. nov.
- Body reddish brown (Figs 8 -A & C); face 1.6× as wide as long, rugulose; fore wing 2.6× as long as wide; pterostigma without yellowish area, 2.8× as long as wide; first flagellomere 3.4× as long as wide; terminal flagellomere obtuse; hind femur 3× as long as wide; hind tibia 6.9× as long as apical width............................... Microplitis carinicollis (Cameron)
17. Fore wing 2.6× as long as wide; pterostigma 2× as long as wide; wings with infuscate patch below pterostigma (Fig. 6 -F); T1 with broad medial longitudinal furrow, finely punctate-strigose except for smooth apical margin; hind coxa mostly smooth, with fine oblique striae dorsally (Fig. 6 -E)............................. Microplitis areyongensis Austin & Dangerfield
- Fore wing 2.16× as long as wide; pterostigma 3.1× as long as wide; wings hyaline (Figs 11 -A & F); T1 without broad medial longitudinal furrow, smooth medially (Figs 11 -C & D); hind coxa rugose basally remainder smooth (Fig. 11 -A)........................................................................................ Microplitis leucaniae Xu & He
18. Mesoscutum mostly smooth except for micropunctures anteriorly and laterally; notauli slightly indented (Fig. 12 -C); T1 2.1× as long as wide (Fig. 12 -D); pterostigma 3.1× as long as wide; T3 as long as T2 (Fig. 12 -E).................................................................................................. .. Microplitis longwangshana Xu & He
- Mesoscutum rugose-punctate; notauli well developed, represented by coarsely crenulate furrows meeting posteriorly to form a sunken area; T1 less than or 2× as long as wide; pterostigma less than 3.1× as long as wide; T3 longer than T2........... 19
19. Mesosoma 1.7× as long as high; pronotum weakly rugose-punctate; 1-R1 0.8× as long as pterostigma; propodeum with distinct anterior transverse carina; T1, parallel sided, dark yellowish brown; T2 with distinct smooth median field........................................................................................ Microplitis brevispina Song & Chen
- Mesosoma 1.3 or 1.4× as long as high; pronotum coarsely rugose-punctate; 1-R1 1.6 or 2.9× as long as pterostigma; propodeum with indistinct anterior transverse carina; T1, sub parallel sided, narrowing posteriorly, reddish yellow or dark yellowish brown; T2 without distinct smooth median field............................................................ 20
20. Face densely punctate; POL 1.1× OOL; 1-R1 1.6× as long as pterostigma; scutellum densely micropunctate (Fig. 21 -C); first distal cell 1.5× as long as high; T1 1.7× as long as wide......................... Microplitis vitellipedis Li, Tan & Song
- Face rugose (Fig. 9 -B); POL 0.7× OOL; 1-R1 2.9× as long as pterostigma; scutellum coarsely rugose (Figs 9 -C & D); first distal cell 1.2× as long as high; T1 2× as long as wide....................................... Microplitis chui Xu & He
description: Published as part of 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, pp. 369-415 in Zootaxa 3963 (3) on pages 374-375, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3963.3.4, http://zenodo.org/record/235263