Baeus
Creators: name: Stevens, Nicholas B.
name: Austin, Andrew D.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2007
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Scelionidae
Baeus

description: Key to females of Australian Baeus spp.
Please note, because of the small size of the specimens to be identified, the minimum magnification required to view the characters used in this key is 80x's. In addition, an eyepiece graticule is required because measurements of various characters and their states are relied upon in this key.
1. Hind femoral spine large,> 15 µm in length, clearly visible under stereo-light microscope (Fig. 6 C) 2
- Hind femoral spine absent or reduced (<15 µm), not readily visible under stereo-light-microscope (Fig. 6 D)................................................................................................................................................. 3
2(1). Propodeal spiracle opening large, ‗ 20 µm in diameter, forming a volcanic-like cone (Figs 14 E & F); frontal carina reaching <0.5 distance to medial ocellus (e.g. Fig. 13 B) ................. B. vulcanus sp. nov.
- Propodeal spiracle not as large as above, <15 µm in diameter, not forming a volcanic-like cone (Figs 11 A & B); frontal carina reaching ‗ 0.5 distance to medial ocellus (e.g. Fig. 13 D) .............................. ................................................................................................................................ B. matthewi sp. nov.
3(1). Posterior margin of mesoscutellum extending to, or beyond anterior margin of T2, so propodeum not visible medio-dorsally (Figs 14 A–D); mesoscutellum bearing three complete transverse rows of setae ............................................................................................................................................................... 4
- Posterior margin of mesoscutellum not extending over propodeum to anterior margin of T2, so propodeum visible medio-dorsally (e.g. Figs 12 A–D); mesoscutellum bearing either one or two complete transverse rows of setae ........................................................................................................................ 5
4(3). Posterior eye margin contacting hyperoccipital carina (Figs 14 A & B); lateral ocelli <0.5 medial ocellus diameter from eye margin; pilosity of mesoscutum and mesoscutellum of medium length (‗ 10 µm, <30 µm); eye pilosity of medium length (‗ 5 µm, <10 µm) .......... B. tropaeumusbrevis. sp. nov.
- Posterior eye margin ‗ 0.5 medial ocellus diameter from hyperoccipital carina (Fig. 14 C); lateral ocelli ‗ 0.5 medial ocellus diameter from eye margin; pilosity of mesoscutum and mesoscutellum long (‗ 30 µm); eye pilosity long (‗ 10 µm) ........................................ B. tropaeumusdensus sp. nov.
5(3) Entire dorso-lateral propodeum scrobiculate, except for thin glabrous band along posterior margin (Figs 7 E & 13A) ................................................................................................. B. scrobiculus sp. nov.
- Dorso-lateral propodeum sculptured otherwise (e.g. Figs 12 A–E) ....................................................... 6
6(5). Posterior eye margin ‗ 0.5 medial ocellus diameter from hyperoccipital carina (e.g. Fig. 8 B) .......... 7
- Posterior eye margin touching, or <0.5 medial ocellus diameter from hyperoccipital carina (e.g. Fig. 8 C) ......................................................................................................................................................... 9
7(6). Dorso-lateral propodeum bearing semi-circular ridge that begins near posterior margin of propodeum and extends through ventral region of propodeal spiracle before curving back to end near posterior margin of lateral propodeum (Figs 8 A & B, arrowed); ..................................................... B. dux Girault
- Dorso-lateral propodeum not bearing a semi-circular ridge (e.g. Figs 8 C & E); .................................. 8
8(7). Pilosity of T2 long, ‗ 30 µm; antennal process and ventral frontal carina broadly projecting> 20 µm from ventral surface of frons (Fig. 12 D); frontal carina extending <0.3 distance to medial ocellus .... ....................................................................................................................... B. prolatusspissus sp. nov.
- Pilosity of T2 shorter, <30 µm in length; antennal process and ventral frontal carina less obvious, projecting <20 µm from ventral surface of frons (Fig. 12 C); frontal carina extending> 0.3 distance to medial ocellus .......................................................................................................... B. ocellatus sp. nov.
9(6). Dorso-lateral propodeum bearing distinct crescent-shaped ridge running from ventral margin of propodeal spiracle to posterior margin of lateral propodeum (Figs 7 D & 9E, arrowed) ........ B. leai Dodd
- Dorso-lateral propodeum not bearing crescent-shaped ridge ............................................................. 10
10(9). Lateral ocelli, viewed dorso-laterally, touching eye margin or ‗ 0.5 medial ocellus diameter from eye margin .................................................................................................................................................. 11
- Lateral ocelli, viewed dorso-laterally, much greater than 0.5, often nearly 1.0 x’s medial ocellus diameter from eye margin............................................................................................................................ 18
11(10). Posterior ocellar line> inter-ocular distance (Fig. 9 F)........................................................................ 12
- Posterior ocellar line ‗ inter-ocular distance ...................................................................................... 15
12(11). Propodeal spiracle situated close to the edge of the latero-dorsal margin of propodeum (Fig. 13 C, arrowed) that is clearly defined by a broad laterally projecting carina that delineates the dorsal propodeum from the lateral propodeum (Figs 12 C & D); T2 pilosity mostly long (‗ 30 µm) but can be of medium length (‗ 10 µm, <30 µm) in parts; T3 glabrous except a few setae present laterally ............. ............................................................................................................................ B. spirolimbus sp. nov.
- Propodeal spiracle not situated close to the edge of the latero-dorsal margin of the propodeum as described above either because latero-dorsal region of propodeum is rounded or, if dorsal propodeum is delineated from the lateral propodeum by a laterally projecting carina (e.g. Fig. 10 C), then the propodeal spiracle is distant from the latero-dorsal margin of the propodeum (Fig. 10 D); T2 pilosity never long, either medium or short (<30 µm); T3 with transverse coriarious band medially, bearing one row of setae .......................................................................................................................................... 13
13(12). Anterior and posterior genal margins convergent medially when viewed postero-laterally .................. ................................................................................................................................... B. maryae sp. nov.
- Anterior and posterior genal margins mostly parallel or divergent medially when viewed postero-laterally ................................................................................................................................................... 14
14(13). Mesoscutum bearing 5 rows of setae in medial region; body generally not appearing pilose; density of pilosity of T2 being mostly sparse (‗ 20 µm between setae of same row), some areas of moderate density (<20 &> 10 µm) may be present; dorsal region of the propodeum delineated from the lateral propodeum by a longitudinal carinae ........................................................................... B. jenningsi sp. nov.
- Mesoscutem bearing 6 or more rows of setae in medial region; body generally quite pilose in appearance; pilosity of T2 dense (‗ 10 µm between setae of same row) about the anterior region, but generally rest of T2 of moderate density (<20 &> 10 µm); latero-dorsal region of propodeum rounded, not delineated from the lateral propodeum by a longitudinal carinae (e.g. Fig. 13 B) .... B. murphyi sp. nov.
15(11). Eye height <0.5 head height (Fig. 12 B) ................................................................. B. mymyae sp. nov.
- Eye height ‗ 0.5 head height (Fig. 10 A) ............................................................................................. 16
16(15). Body not pilose in appearance; pilosity of vertex, mesoscutum and scutellum mostly sparse (‗ 20 µm between setae of same row), small areas of moderate density (<20 &> 10 µm) can be present; length of setae on vertex, mesoscutum and scutellum a mixture of short (<10) and medium length, (medium length pilosity within 10–15 µm range, not exceeding 20 µm); T2 pilosity of similar density but length mostly short, occasionally setae of medium length do occur, randomly dispersed amongst short setae .................................................................................................................................... B. moorei sp. nov.
- Body pilose in appearance; pilosity of vertex, mescutum and scutellum mostly of moderate density (<20 &> 10 µm), with regions of dense pilosity (‗ 10 µm) occurring; setae of medium length overall, including T2, commonly exceeding 20 µm in length, (range being 15–25 µm) ................................ 17
17(16). Lateral margins of mesosoma, when viewed dorsally, diverging posteriorly from one another (Fig. 9 B); dorsal region of propodeum delineated from the lateral propodeum by a large longitudinal carina (Figs 7 C, 9A & B) ........................................................................................................ B. iqbali sp. nov.
- Lateral margins of mesosoma, when viewed dorsally, largely parallel, or converging marginally posteriorly (Fig. 8 F); latero-dorsal region of propodeum rounded, not delineated from lateral propodeum by a large longitudinal carina (Figs 7 B, 8E & F) ...................................................... B. hallarakeri sp. nov.
18(10). Anterior and posterior genal margins strongly convergent medially when viewed postero-laterally (Fig. 4 A); anterior genal margin in contact with ‗ 0.3 of ventral eye margin length (Fig. 4 A).............. .................................................................................................................................... B. arthuri sp. nov.
- Anterior and posterior genal margins parallel or divergent when viewed postero-laterally, (e.g. 14A); anterior genal margin in contact with> 0.4 of ventral eye margin length (e.g. 12B) ......................... 19
19(18). Pilosity of vertex, mesoscutum and scutellum mostly dense (‗ 10 µm), small patches of moderate density (<20 &> 10 µm) can occur; pilosity of T2 dense in anterior region, gradating to moderate density posteriorly; T3 bearing two complete transverse rows of setae ................ B. saliens (Hickman)
- Pilosity of vertex, mesoscutum and scutellum mostly of moderate density (<20 &> 10 µm), small dense (‗ 10 µm) patches can occur; pilosity of T2 mostly sparse (> 20 µm) apart from moderate density in anterior region; T3 glabrous except for several setae laterally .................... B. glenysae sp. nov.
description: Published as part of Stevens, Nicholas B. & Austin, Andrew D., 2007, Systematics, distribution and biology of the Australian ' micro-flea' wasps, Baeus spp. (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae): parasitoids of spider eggs, pp. 1-45 in Zootaxa 1499 on pages 13-15, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.177085