First Indian record of Centistidea Rohwer (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Miracinae) with description of eight new species

Abstract

Miracinae is one of the least studied braconid subfamilies with only two extant genera. Among them, Centistidea Rohwer is a speciose and widely distributed genus. East Palearctic and Oriental species of Centistidea are revised and eight new species are described, seven of which are from south India, C. crenulator sp. n., C. glabrator sp. n., C. lineator sp. n., C. mellapicalis sp. n., C. procarinator sp. n., C. rugator sp. n., C. scutellator sp. n.; and one from South Korea, C. albomarginata sp. n. A key to the extant species is provided. Distribution pattern of Centistidea and character plasticity within species are discussed.

Three new species of the genus Centistidea Rohwer, 1914 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Miracinae) from India and Saudi Arabia

“…Following the key to East Palearctic and Oriental species of the genus Centistidea Rohwer (Ranjith et al 2018), C. acrocercopsi sp. nov. keys near to C. rugator (Ranjith et al 2018); however, it differs in the following characters ( C. rugator in parentheses): (i) body largely yellowish (body largely yellowish except tergites 1–6 dark brown dorsally), (ii) length of eye 1.3 × long as temple in dorsal view (length of eye 2.90 × as long as temple), (iii) ovipositor sheath 0.10 × as long as fore wing length (0.20 × as long as forewing), (iv) first tergite smooth, widening medially, slightly narrowing basally and apically, 4.0 × as long as its maximum width (first tergite smooth, widening medially, distinctly narrowing basally and apically, 3.0 × as long as its maximum width).…”

“…The subfamily Miracinae is a small cosmopolitan subfamily with two genera, Centistidea Rohwer, 1914 and Mirax Haliday, 1833, bearing 56 species worldwide (Papp 2013; Cauich-Kumul et al 2014; Farahani et al 2014; Yu et al 2016; Ranjith et al 2018). Members of this subfamily are solitary koinobiont endoparasitoids which usually attack leaf-mining caterpillars of lepidopteran families, viz., Nepticulidae, Tischeriidae, Heliozelidae, Lyonetiidae, and Gracillariidae (Maetô 1995; Memmott et al 1994; Shaw and Huddleston 1991).…”

“…This subfamily is characterized by the presence of a Y-shaped structure formed by the sclerotized part of the first three metasomal tergites, surrounded by membranous lateral parts, a reduced wing venation, the antenna being 14-segmented, and the compound eyes setose. The subfamily Miracinae has been studied by the following workers: Palaearctic Region (Papp 1984; Western Palaearctic, Tobias 1986; former USSR, Papp 1987; Korea, Belokobylskij 1989; East Palaearctic, Maetô 1995; Japan, Papp and Chou 1996; Taiwan, Wu et al 2000; China, Beyarslan 2009; Turkey), Oriental Region (van Achterberg and Mehernejad 2002; North Oriental, Farahani et al 2014; Iran, Ranjith et al 2018; South India), and Neotropical Region (Papp 2013; Colombia and Honduras, Cauich-kumul et al 2014; Mexico).…”

“…Centistidea Rohwer is a small genus with 27 described species worldwide (Yu et al 2016; Ranjith et al 2018). The genus Centistidea differs from Mirax in having the propodeum with medio-longitudinal carina and the notauli usually shallowly impressed anteriorly (van Achterberg and Mehernejad 2002; Papp 2013).…”

“…The genus Centistidea differs from Mirax in having the propodeum with medio-longitudinal carina and the notauli usually shallowly impressed anteriorly (van Achterberg and Mehernejad 2002; Papp 2013). Recently, Ranjith et al (2018) described seven new species of Centistidea from the southern part of the Indian peninsula. In the present work, three new species of Centistidea are described as new to science, of which two are from the northern part of India and one species, Centistidea tihamica sp.…”