Chalcididae
Creators: name: Binoy, C.
name: Nivetha, S.
name: Arulprakash, R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Chalcididae

description: Key to chalcidid species parasitizing pupae of the black headed caterpillar
1. Metatibia apically almost perpendicularly truncate and with two spurs (e.g. Figs 16, 25, 52, 56, 60) [Haltichellinae]....... 2
– Metatibia apically obliquely truncate, forming a subtriangular or elongate stout spine produced well beyond insertion of tarsus, and with one spur (e.g. Figs 29, 33, 39, 42, 48) [Brachymeriinae].............................................. 10
2. Marginal vein more or less on wing margin, pmv present (occasionally stub-like), and stv distinctly developed (e.g. Figs 121, 19, 23, 49) (Haltichellini).............................................................................. 3
– Marginal vein short and distinctly removed from anterior wing margin, pmv absent, and stv usually rudimentary (Fig. 58) [metafemur with a massive basal tooth followed by long comb of serrulation, densely setose (Fig. 60)] (Hybothoracini)........................................................................... Psilochalcis carinigena (Cameron)
3. Metatibia externally without additional outer carina within distal half (e.g. Figs 16, 21, 23, 56)........................ 4
– Metatibia externally with additional outer carina within distal half (Fig. 52, arrow) [scutellum apically distinctly bidentate with two large lobes (Fig. 50); fore wing with infumation darkest behind mv (Fig. 49); Gt 1 dorsally with two basal carinae (Fig. 53)]................................................................... Haltichella macrocera (Waterston)
4. Ventral margin of metafemur with uni- or bilobed serrulation (e.g. Figs 16, 21, 25)................................. 5
– Ventral margin of metafemur with tri-lobed serrulation (Fig. 56) [pronotal carina indistinct at least laterally and pronotum without medial tubercles (Fig. 57); fore wing with two distinct brown regions separated by hyaline spot (Figs 54, 57); metafemur brown with apex red-brown; metatibia red-brown] (Fig. 56).................. Kriechbaumerella destructor (Waterston)
5. Face with conspicuous and complete horse-shoe shaped carina (e.g. Figs 13, 20); pronotal carina distinct and with strong to weak medial tubercles (e.g. Figs 14, 22) [Genus Antrocephalus Kirby]........................................... 6
– Face without horse-shoe shaped carina; pronotal collar without carina or tubercles [fore wing with a clear white spot with white pubescence near stv].......................................................... Hockeria opisinae Narendran
6. Preorbital carina joining auricular carina (Figs 13, 20, arrow).................................................. 7
– Preorbital carinae not joining auricular carina............................................................... 8
7. Metacoxa with weak dorsobasal tubercle; metafemur with an inner basal tooth/tubercle (Fig. 17, arrow); scutellum ending in a medially notched or strong emargination................................... Antrocephalus hakonensis (Ashmead)
– Metacoxa with prominent dorsobasal tubercle (Fig. 21, arrow); metafemur without an inner basal tooth/tubercle; scutellum apically bilobed, with a narrow emargination between the lobes (Fig. 22, arrow)........... Antrocephalus lugubris (Masi)
8. Gastral tergum 1 with two carinae basally (Fig. 26, arrow).................................................... 9
– Gastral tergum 1 without carinae basally [fore wing with faint black infumation near mv extending to middle; pmv 1.5× mv]..................................................................... Antrocephalus maculipennis Cameron
9. Fore wing with brown spot or regions adjoining mv; pronotal carina distinct, forming tubercles medially; pmv as long as mv ...................................................................... Antrocephalus cariniceps (Cameron)
– Fore wing infumate, without distinct brown spots or regions (Fig. 23); pronotal carina indistinct, pronotal tubercles absent; pmv 1.2× as long as mv ..................................................... Antrocephalus phaeospilus Waterston
10. Metafemur without an inner basal tooth/tubercle (e.g. Figs 36, 40)............................................. 11
– Metafemur with an inner basal tooth/ tubercle (Fig. 45, arrow) [metafemur angulate dorsally, usually red with apex yellow (Fig. 48) ..................................................................... Brachymeria podagrica (Fabricius)
11. Metacoxa with a ventromesal tooth or protuberance [scutellum rounded or weakly bilobed apically; metasoma oval, distinctly shorter than mesosoma; metatibia yellow except black basally].......................... Brachymeria lasus (Walker)
– Metacoxa without a ventromesal protuberance (e.g. Figs 33, 35, 42)............................................ 12
12. Postorbital carina absent or indistinct [metasoma acuminate, distinctly longer than mesosoma; mesosoma with dense shallow pits, the interstices weakly carinate; metatibia brownish-black with subbasal and apical yellow regions]........................................................................................... Brachymeria excarinata Gahan
– Postorbital carina distinct (e.g. Figs 31, 38, arrow).......................................................... 13
13. Preorbital carina distinct (e.g. Figs 37, arrow, 41)........................................................... 14
– Preorbital carina indistinct/absent [scape reaching median ocellus; median area below scrobe raised, smooth with scattered pits (Fig. 32); mesosoma with close umbilicate pits; metasoma shorter than mesosoma; metafemur yellow with variably large reddish-brown to brownish-black region (Fig. 33)]............................. Brachymeria megaspila (Cameron)
14. Postorbital carina reaching genotemporal margin........................................................... 15
– Postorbital carina not reaching genotemporal margin........................................................ 16
15. Area ventral to scrobe with median smooth area; scape reaching median ocellus; metatibia shorter than metafemur (Fig. 42)............................................................................... Brachymeria nosatoi Habu
– Area ventral to scrobe without such area; scape not reaching median ocellus; metatibia longer than metafemur (Fig. 39)............................................................................. Brachymeria nephantidis Gahan
16. Scutellum rounded apically; metasoma globose or sub-globose; metatibia yellow with base brown-black....................................................................................... Brachymeria euploeae (Westwood)
– Scutellum emarginate or bilobed apically (Fig. 30); metasoma sub-acuminate; metatibia yellow apically and basally, medially brown (Fig. 29).............................................. .. Brachymeria atteviae Joseph Narendran & Joy
description: Published as part of Binoy, C., Nivetha, S. & Arulprakash, R., 2024, Chalcidid parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) of Opisina arenosella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Xyloryctidae) on coconut palm in southern India, pp. 493-510 in Zootaxa 5537 (4) on pages 496-497, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5537.4.3, http://zenodo.org/record/14240326