First report of Lipolexis peregrina Tomanović & Kocić (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) from India as a parasitoid of banana aphid, Pentalonia nigronervosa Coquerel (Hemiptera: Aphididae), a new host

The aphid parasitoid, Lipolexis peregrina Tomanović & Kocić (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae), currently known from Europe and parts of Asia (China, South Korea, and Japan), is reported from India (Tamil Nadu) for the first time. It was found to parasitize the banana black aphid, Pentalonia nigronervosa Coquerel (Hemiptera: Aphididae), a vector of the dreaded bunchy top virus disease of banana and this also constitutes a new host-parasitoid association. Illustrated notes on the parasitoid morphology are given along with a barcode sequence to facilitate its rapid identification. Comparison of the barcode sequence of the Indian specimens with other GenBank mined sequences revealed its occurrence in Pakistan.