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Key to species in Scelio ipomea group

(Life: Kingdom: Metazoa (animals); Phylum: Arthropoda; Class: Hexapoda; Order: Hymenoptera;  Superfamily: Platygastroidea; Family Scelionidae; Subfamily: Scelioninae; Genus: Scelio)

ClassificationIdentification keys


1. Transverse pronotal carina percurrent (Fig. 282, tpc); mesosoma somewhat compact, with propodeal shelf short and strongly sloping (Fig. 280); propodeal nucha smooth except for slight medial furrow (Fig. 270, prn) ... 2

 

– Transverse pronotal carina interrupted medially by mesoscutum; mesosoma typically developed, with propodeal shelf flatter (e.g. Figs. 261, 262); propodeal nucha usually with transverse to reticulate sculpture in addition to medial furrow (Fig. 261) ... 5
 


2. Clypeus strongly projecting, subquadrate with rounded corners (Fig. 281); metasoma dark orange brown (Fig. 277); mesoscutellum transverse, broadly depressed posteromedially with posterolateral margins very slightly elevated (Fig. 279) ... Scelio transtrum
 

– Clypeus not strongly projecting (Fig. 269); metasoma brown to dark brown (Figs 265); mesoscutellum semicircular to slightly transverse, evenly rounded posteriorly (Fig. 267) ... 3
 


3. Very small (2.86mm); pronotal nucha sculptured throughout (Fig. 273); scape yellow (Fig. 275); T6 with fine longitudinal sculpture (Somalia) ... Scelio somaliensis
 

– Moderately sized (4.40mm); anterior half of pronotal nucha smooth (Fig. 270); scape dark brown (Fig. 269); T6 with coarse rugulose reticulations (Malawi) ... Scelio ntchisii
 


4. Anteclypeus strongly bilobed (Fig. 252); occipital carina broadly obliterated medially (Fig. 249); metasoma orange throughout (Fig. 247) ... Scelio aurantium
 

– Anteclypeus very weakly concave to truncate (Fig. 257); occipital carina percurrent or interrupted for only a very short distance medially (Fig. 255); metasoma with at least T5–T6 brown, or brown throughout (Fig. 254) ... 5
 


5. Metasoma brown, with T5-T6 dark brown (Fig. 254); gena with sparse to moderate pilosity (258); head somewhat rounded in lateral view (South Africa) ... Scelio impostor
 

– Metasoma orange with T5-T6 brown (Fig. 259); gena at narrowest point behind eye with dense thick setae (Fig. 262); head somewhat wedge-shaped in lateral view (widespread throughout Africa) ... Scelio ipomeae



Web author Simon van Noort (Iziko South African Museum)

 

Citation: van Noort, S. 2024. WaspWeb: Hymenoptera of the World. URL: www.waspweb.org (accessed on <day/month/year>).

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