A new gregarious parasitoid species, Microplitis idreesae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) reared from Mythimna sp. (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), with a key to the species of Microplitis in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

By

Alsabi, Mohammad
Arias Penna, Diana Carolina
Idrees, Nabila
Al-Jabr, Omar
Alhudaib, Khalid
Almaghasla, Mustafa

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2023

Original Publication

Journal of Hymenoptera research

Volume

96

Pages

101--120

Subjects

Armyworm , Biological control , host-parasitoid association , Middle East , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Washington, D.C International Society of Hymenopterists

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.96.99114

 

Abstract

A new species of parasitoid wasp (Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from the kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is described, Microplitis idreesaesp. nov. The genus is reported for the first time in the Eastern province of the KSA. This is the first host-parasitoid association for Microplitis documented in the country. The new species attacks Mythimna Ochsenheimer (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). Natural history information is provided such as the association of males with females, geographical location, possible food plants, and details of wasp cocoons. In addition, a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene is presented. A taxonomic key to the species of Microplitis reported from the KSA is provided. Characters of this new species and its affinities with the three previous species described from the KSA and four of the closely related to Palaeartic species are also discussed.