First record of Platygaster luteipes Buhl (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) from leaf galls on black pepper along with first report of the species from India.

Abstract

Platygaster luteipes Buhl (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) is reported for the first time from India. Several specimens of both sexes of the species were reared from the globular galls on mature leaves of black pepper. The hitherto undescribed male of the species is characterized and illustrated.

Keywords:

• Platygastridae
• Platygaster
• Hymenoptera
• Black pepper
• Leaf gall
• India

Acknowledgements

The first two authors are thankful to the Director, Zoological Survey of India and Officer-in-charge, WGRC, Zoological Survey of India, for their support and facilities. The first author is thankful to Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment for the award of a Senior Research Fellowship for the study. KMS’ work was supported by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research through the Network Project on Insect Biosystematics. Our sincere thanks to KD Prathapan, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram, for his generous donation of reared samples of parasitoids for this study. Thanks are also due to the Platygastroidea Planetary Biodiversity Inventory, for literature support.