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

Abstract

A new species of parasitoid wasp (Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from the kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is described, Microplitis idreesae sp. 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.