Apanteles folia Nixon

Gupta, Ankita & Pereira, Blaise, 2012, A new species of Glyptapanteles (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Microgastrinae), a larval parasitoid of Elymnias hypermnestra (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), along with some new host records of parasitoids from Peninsular India, Zootaxa 3227, pp. 54-63 : 59-61

Apanteles folia Nixon

Plate IV.

Apanteles folia 1965 . F. Malaya. 99. BMNH.

Apanteles folia is known to have variable forms or subspecies ( Nixon, 1965). In the material examined from southern India, females have a reddish yellow hind tibia, becoming infuscate on apical third. Face coarsely punctuate, much duller and rugose towards antennal insertions. Mesopleuron strongly, coarsely punctuate all over its median part, the sculpture extending into vague striations on the depressed posterior part. Fore wing with stigma pallid with brown border and costula present. Propodeum strongly areolate; the dorsal areas dull, rugose and contrast sharply with shining smooth posterior fields. Hind coxa dull, rugose dorsally. First tergite as wide as long, rugose. Ovipositor sheath as long as first segment of hind tarsus.

PLATE IV. 17–23. (17) Larva of Arhopala amantes . (18) Pupa of A. amantes . (19) Parasitized larva of A. amantes . (20) Adult of A. amantes , female. (21) Adult of A. amantes , male. (22) Lateral view of Apanteles folia , female. (23) Dorsal view of Apanteles folia , male.

Distribution. India: Karnataka (new record); Australia, Malaysia, Philippines, China, and New Guinea.

Material examined. Twelve females and males on card; INDIA, Karnataka, Ganganhalli, 12.viii.2011, emerged from parasitized larvae of Arhopala amantes (Hewitson) , leg. Mallesh, deposited in National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects ( NBAII), Bangalore, India. Code 12811.

Host. Larvae of A. amantes on Lagerstroemia speciosa L. The large oakblue, Arhopala amantes , is a species of Lycaenidae found in Asia.

Discussion. The current report adds to the known host range of A. folia while extending the known distribution of the parasitoid to southern India. Hyboteles toxopeusi Van Achterberg ( Hymenoptera : Ichneumonidea) is the only other species of parasitoid reported from Arhopala micale Boisduval. The extended host range thus include Arhopala amantes (Hewitso) n from India, Spindasis lohita Horsfield from Malaysia, Jalmenus evagoras eubulus Miskin from Australia, Luthrodes cleotas kaiphas Fruhstorfer from New Guinea ( Nixon, 1965), and from one unconfirmed host Arhopala horisana? Yu et al. 2005 .