Megastigmus nigrovariegatus

Female body length 3.2 mm (without ovipositor), male 2.9 mm; body length varies from 3 to 3.4 mm in females and 2.9 to 3.3 mm in males. Head mostly brownish yellow except supraclypeal area, ocellar area, temple, gena and occipital area dark brown; pilosity pale on lower face, black on remainder of head. Antenna dark brown except scape and pedicel yellowish beneath; scape elongate, 1.1× longer than pedicel, anellus and first two funicular segments combined; pedicel about twice as long as broad; funicular segments 1–3 slender, 2.4× as long as broad. Pronotum yellow, contrasting with darker head. Thorax mostly brownish yellow with a wedge-shaped brown spot on pronotum dorsum; anterior part of mid-lobe of mesoscutum, outer surface of axilla and lateral panel of metanotum black. Forewing stigma dark brown, surrounded by a clouded area; upper part of stigmal vein 0.3× as long as stigma length. Gaster and ovipositor sheaths much shorter (0.8×) than body, nearly as long as gaster and thorax combined. Distal part of dorsal valve of ovipositor with blunt teeth, second median tooth slightly larger. Male: funicular segments more elongate, about twice as long as wide; aedeagus very elongate; forewing stigma darker, upper part of stigmal vein very short, about 6.5× as small as stigma length. Colour highly variable: dark forms with black invading most of dorsum, yellow confined to vertex patch, two squared patches on posterior pronotum, elongate spot along notula, spot at inner angle of axilla, two rounded spots on anterior scutellum, tegula and dorsellum; light forms almost entirely flame red, orange or light brownish yellow.

Literature