Ankita Gupta

Reared parasitic wasps attacking hesperiids from Western Ghats (Kerala, India) with description of a new species of Dolichogenidea (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) as a larval parasitoid of Thoressa evershedi (Evans) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae)

Eight species of parasitic wasps were bred from various stages of five species of hesperiids viz. Thoressa evershedi (Evans), Pelopidas mathias (Fabricius), Udaspes folus (Cramer), Borbo cinnara (Wallace) and Caltoris sp. inhabiting Western Ghats, Kerala, India. One new species, Dolichogenidea kunhi Gupta & Kalesh, is described and illustrated from Kerala, India, and its relationship with closely allied species is discussed. This new species was bred from parasitized larvae of Thoressa evershedi (Evans) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae). Microgastrinae braconid species, Apanteles javensis Rohwer and Cotesia erionotae (Wilkinson) were bred from parasitized larvae of P. mathias and U. folus respectively. Brachymeria habui Özdikmen (Chalcididae) was recorded from pupae of U. folus. Two hyperparasitoids, Eurytoma manilensis Ashmead (Eurytomidae) & Pediobius foveolatus (Crawford) (Eulophidae) were bred from larvae of B. cinnara. Egg parasitoid, Ooencyrtus papilionis Ashmead (Encyrtidae) and pupal parasitoid Brachymeria lasus (Walker) (Chacididae) was recorded from Caltoris sp. Information on the parasitoid distribution, brief diagnosis of each species with a habitus photograph for easy identification, host association, host caterpillars, caterpillar host plants, and taxonomic comments are provided.

Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) of Reunion Island: a catalogue of the local species, including 18 new taxa and a key to species

Microgastrine wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) are primary parasitoids of Lepidoptera. Some of them parasitise major economic pests and have been largely used for biocontrol programs. We revise here the fauna of Reunion Island: 34 species were recorded, belonging to 13 genera. One genus and 18 species are newly described: Dodogaster gen. nov, Apanteles minatchy sp. nov., A. pashmina sp. nov., A. romei sp. nov., Cotesia xavieri sp. nov., Dolichogenidea ashoka sp. nov., D. broadi sp. nov., D. lumba sp. nov., D. uru sp. nov., D. villemantae sp. nov., Distatrix yunae sp. nov., Dodogaster grangeri sp. nov., Exoryza safranum sp. nov., Glyptapanteles chidra sp. nov., Nyereria ganges sp. nov., N. mayurus sp. nov., Parapanteles covino sp. nov., P. darignac sp. nov. and Wilkinsonellus narangahus sp. nov.. On the remaining 16 species, 12 are new distribution records. Finally, Glyptapanteles antsirabensis (Granger) comb. nov., G. ficus (Granger) comb. nov., G. subandinus (Blanchard) comb. nov., and Venanides curticornis (Granger) comb. nov. are reassigned from the traditionally defined Apanteles genus to these respective genera. A key to all genera and species is provided.

Four new species of the genus Diolcogaster Ashmead, 1900 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Microgastrinae) from South East Asia with a key to the Indian species

Four new species of the genus Diolcogaster Ashmead, 1900 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Microgastrinae) are described and illustrated: Diolcogaster andamanensis n. sp. from the Andaman Islands, and D. duocolor n. sp., D. longistria n. sp. and D. solitarium n. sp. from mainland India. The solitary larval parasitoid D. solitarium was reared from Gatesclarkeana sp. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). A new combination, Diolcogaster tomentosae (Wilkinson, 1930) n. comb., is proposed for the Indian species Protomicroplitis tomentosae (Wilkinson, 1930) along with its redescription and documentation of the gregarious cocoons associated with the pyralid (Epipaschiinae) host feeding on Terminalia cattappa L.

Diversity, host association, and cocoon variability of reared Indian Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae).

Nearly 3,500 specimens of microgastrine wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) were reared during caterpillar surveys undertaken in 2010-2013 across India, covering 16 States and one Union Territory (Andaman & Nicobar islands), and deposited in the National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects, Bangalore, India. The caterpillar inventory recovered over two hundred morpho-species within 22 families of Lepidoptera and yielded 90+ morpho-species of microgastrine wasps distributed among 13 genera: Apanteles Förster, Buluka de Saeger, Cotesia Cameron, Diolcogaster Ashmead, Distatrix Mason, Dolichogenidea Viereck, Fornicia Brulle, Glyptapanteles Ashmead, Microgaster Latreille, Microplitis Förster, Neoclarkinella Rema & Narendran, Parapanteles Ashmead, and Protapanteles Ashmead. Records of hyperparasitoids are also included: Mokrzeckia menzeli Subba Rao (Pteromalidae), Pachyneuron groenlandicum (Holmgren) (Pteromalidae), Pediobius foveolatus (Crawford) (Eulophidae), Trichomalopsis thekkadiensis Sureshan & Narendran (Pteromalidae), Eurytoma sp., and Pediobius sp. (Eurytomidae). The present study adds eight new host records and provides illustrations of 40 species of wasps (including types). A comprehensive list of microgastrine genera, host caterpillar species, host plants, cocoon colour, structure and spinning pattern, and hyperparasitoids is provided. Numerous photographs of parasitized caterpillars, cocoons (number/arrangement), associated host plants, and adult wasps are also provided. The Indian species Deuterixys ruidus (Wilkinson, 1928) is transferred to the genus Cotesia based on the shape and sculpture of the first and second mediotergites: Cotesia ruidus (Wilkinson) comb. nov. Microgaster carinicollis Cameron is transferred to Microplitis, based on examination of first and second mediotergites, length of metatibia spurs, and size of metaxocoxa: Microplitis carinicollis (Cameron) stat. rev.

Illustrated notes on some reared parasitic wasps (Braconidae: Microgastrinae) with new host and distribution records from India along with reassignment of Glyptapanteles aristolochiae (Wilkinson) as a new combination.

ABSTRACT: Glyptapanteles aristolochiae (Wilkinson) comb. nov. is reassigned and notes on host-parasitoid interactions are provided. The extended host range of the genus Glyptapanteles includes four families— Papilionidae, Nymphalidae, Arctiidae and Noctuidae from India. Five braconid parasitoids viz., Glyptapanteles aristolochiae (Wilkinson) comb, nov., Apanteles folia Nixon, Apanteles javensis Rohwer, Apanteles phycodis Viereck and Apanteles machaeralis Wilkinson are documented with diagnostic details including illustrations of various life stages of the unparasitized host. Spindasis vulcanus (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), a solitary endoparasitoid, is reported for the first time as a host of A. folia. Both wasps, G. aristolochiae parasitizing larva of Pachliopta hector (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) and A. javensis parasitic on larva of Pelopidas conjuncta (Herrich-Schaffer) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae), exhibit a gregarious habit. For all the species, information on parasitoid distribution, brief diagnosis with illustrations, host association, host caterpillar, and caterpillar host plant are provided for easy identification. Also host specificity of Glyptapanteles species is discussed in context with an extensive literature review of host records from India.

A review of unusual species of Cotesia (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) with the first tergite narrowing at midlength

Abstract The unusual species of Cotesia (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) with the first tergite narrowing at midlength are reviewed. One new species, Cotesia trabalae sp. n. is described from India and compared with Cotesia pistrinariae (Wilkinson) from Africa, the only other species sharing the same character of all the described species worldwide. The generic placement of these two species, based on molecular and morphological analyses as well as parasitoid biology is discussed.

First Report of Cotesia dictyoplocae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a Larval Parasitoid of Antheraea assamensis (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), from India

Summary A gregarious larval parasitoid, Cotesia dictyoplocae (Watanabe) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Microgastrinae), is reported for the first time from the host Antheraea assamensis Helfer (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) from Assam, India. This wasp is a gregarious larval parasitoid and produces on an average 30 cocoons per host larva. Parasitized larvae are easily identified by the aggregation of exposed yellowish white cocoons on the body. Larval parasitism in natural conditions was low. Removal of parasitized larvae by hand is suggested.

Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Apanteles mohandasi Sumodan & Narendran (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a Solitary Endoparasitoid of Pammene critica Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), with Notes on Biology from India

ABSTRACT: Apanteles mohandasi Sumodan & Narendran (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a specific solitary endo-parasitoid of Pammene critica Meyrick (1905) earlier known as Grapholita (Cydia) critica (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), a major pest on Cajanus cajan (L.). This study provides biological details, a brief morphological diagnosis with illustrations, and molecular characterization of the parasitoid. The taxonomic studies confirm the correct placement of A. mohandasi Sumodan & Narendran 1990 stat. rev. in place of Dolichogenidea mohandasi. Apanteles mohandasi is also compared with the closely allied species, A. taragamae Viereck and A. sauros Nixon, and DNA barcode data obtained for A. mohandasi and A. taragamae. The size of amplified CO1 gene was 494bp for the two species. The alignment score of 75% was obtained between the two species on pair-wise alignment by Clustal W tool using Megalign, DNASTAR Inc. for the sequences of A. mohandasi (GenBank Acc.No: JX083404) and A. taragamae (GenBank Acc.No: JX0830405) based on the sequence data using universally approved species identification marker CO1. The mean duration of A. mohandasi from egg laying to pupation, and pupation to adult emergence was 15.16 and 5.75 days respectively. The mean total duration from egg to adult emergence was 23.61±0.5 days and the adult mean longevity was 2.7 days in the laboratory. The hyperparasitoid, Elasmus anticles Walker (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) was also bred in the laboratory from field collected cocoons of A. mohandasi.

A new species of Acanthormius (Braconidae: Lysiterminae) reared as a gregarious parasitoid of psychid caterpillar (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) from India

Acanthormius indicus Gupta Quicke sp. nov. is described and illustrated. It is a gregarious larval parasitoid of an unidentified bagworm moth caterpillar (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) from southern India. The biology and host associations of members of subfamily Lysiterminae are also discussed.

Biology and description of Megaprosternum cleonarovorum sp. nov. Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) a gregarious larval ectoparasitoid of Cleonaria bicolor Thomson (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from India

Megaprosternum Azevedo (Bethylidae: Scleroderminae) is newly recorded from the Oriental region, and M. cleonarovorum Gupta & Azevedo sp. nov. is described and illustrated from Southern India as a gregarious larval ectoparasitoid of Cleonaria bicolor Thomson (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) on the host plant Ixora coccinea L. (Rubiacae). This is the first ever documentation of the biology of Megaprosternum Azevedo.