Scelio pulchripennis, Brues. Known, 1906

Yoder, Matthew, Polaszek, Andrew, Masner, Lubomir, Johnson, Norman & Valerio, Alejandro, 2009, Revision of Scelio pulchripennis - group species (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea, Platygastridae), ZooKeys 20 (20), pp. 53-118 : 61-64

Key to species of the Scelio pulchripennis -group (females)

1 Body massive (4.8 mm long in the specimen we examined, recorded as 5.5 mm in Kozlov and Kononova, 1990), black throughout, without metallic coloration; mesoscutum robustly sculptured medially, with two smooth patches in humeral area (Fig. 72); apical fascia of fore wing absent (Figs. 67, 68) ( Mongolia) ............................................................... Scelio nisa Kozlov

– Body typically sized (usually around 2.5– 4 mm long, never> 4.5 mm), body variously colored, if metasoma dark brown to black and concolorous with mesosoma, then with a distinct metallic sheen; mesoscutum variously sculptured, with or without smooth patches; apical fascia of fore wing (Fig. 101, af) absent or (more commonly) present ...................................................... 2

2 Mesoscutum with 2–3 straight longitudinal carinae (Fig. 114, car) that correspond roughly to the notauli and the medial mesoscutal line, length of medial pair reduced in some cases; sculpture of lateral mesoscutum more or less absent; body without orange or metallic coloration ( India, Nepal, Sri Lanka)............ 3

– Mesoscutum variously sculptured, sometimes with notauli indicated, if appearing to have three carinae as above, then mesosoma orange, mesoscutellum variously sculptured or smooth; lateral mesoscutum with or without sculpture; body with or without metallic coloration.................................... 4

3 Mesoscutellum sculptured with more or less parallel carinae throughout (Fig. 114); notauli typically indicated as a pair of carinae at posterior margin of mesoscutum (Fig. 114) ( India)............... Scelio tria Yoder & Masner , sp. n.

– Mesoscutellum with sculpture obliterated medially, otherwise rugulose with very slight longitudinal trend (Fig. 42); notauli indicated by single irregular carina with many short transverse extensions (Fig. 42, nt) ( Nepal, Sri Lanka)....................................................... Scelio ememeye Yoder , sp. n.

4 Head and mesosoma black with green metallic sheen; posterodorsal head (Fig. 4, ph) with well-defined transverse striae; base of upper frons (as in Fig. 4, uf) with band of ventrally oriented setae (Fig. 29); fore wing with fuscate patches reduced in size, without a clearly defined apical fascia, margin with more or less transparent band throughout (Fig. 26); pilosity of anterior metapleuron very sparse ( India, Sri Lanka) .............................. .......................................................................... Scelio clarkei Yoder , sp. n.

– Head and mesosoma variously colored, if head metallic then without transverse striae, smooth or densely reticulate; setae of upper frons typically oriented laterally or dorsally; fore wing with well-developed fuscate patches that meet wing margins; pilosity of anterior metapleuron moderate to very dense (Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Madagascar) ..................................................... 5

5 Mesonotum smooth and shining except for setose punctures and, occasionally, longitudinal carinae along posterior margin adjacent to mesoscutellum (Figs. 75, 81, 96); dorsal head completely smooth ...................................... 6

– Mesonotum predominantly sculptured, at most with some smooth obliterated patches along humeral area, between notauli, or on anterior mesoscutum (e.g., Figs. 18, 24, 42, 126); dorsal head variously sculptured, though usually with at least some fine faint sculpture ......................................................... 8

6 Head and mesoscutum metallic green to blue; posterior margin of mesoscutum and anterior margin of mesoscutellum smooth ( Kenya and south to South Africa) .............................................................................................. 7

– Head black, mesoscutum orange, sometimes brown to dark brown medially, without any trace of metallic coloration; posterior margin of mesoscutum and anterior margin of mesoscutellum with slight grooves ( Egypt, Eritrea, India, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Spain, Yemen)........................... .......................................................................... Scelio poecilopterus Risbec

7 Fore wing with apical fascia absent (not to be confused with presence of light- er colored radial cell) (Fig. 78); pilosity of hind tibia strongly appressed, not distinctly elongate (Fig. 7, 74, ht) ( Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe) ............................................................................ Scelio nitens Brues

– Fore wing with apical fascia present (Fig. 84, af); pilosity of of hind tibia nearly completely erect, distinctly elongate, and somewhat sparse (Fig. 8, 80, ht) ( Botswana, Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe) ....... Scelio paranitens Yoder , sp. n.

8 Mesosoma orange, with at most some patches of brown to dark brown color dorsomedially ............................................................................................. 9

– Mesosoma brown, nearly black, or with a metallic sheen or coloration, if traces of orange (primarily along sutures) then otherwise completely metallic ....... 10

9 Head black, without any trace of metallic coloration, sculptured throughout,with sculpture almost granular in appearance (Fig. 125); medial mesoscutum with parallel fine striae all but anteriorly, lateral mesoscutum smooth (Fig. 126); body moderately hairy, pilosity of moderate length, white to golden brown, appressed to semi-erect (Figs. 121, 122); posterodorsal metasoma without metallic coloration (Canary Islands, India, Saudi Arabia, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Yemen) .................................... Scelio variegatus Kozlov & Kononova

– Head completely metallic, green or blue, with dense fine rugulae throughout (Fig. 65); mesoscutum with fine rugulae throughout (Fig. 63); body densely setose, with long, white and erect setae (Fig. 62); posterodorsal metasoma with metallic blue coloration ( Botswana, South Africa)............. Scelio masneri Yoder , sp. n.

10 Head and mesosoma with metallic sheen to strong metallic coloration, frequently sheen visible on dorsal metasoma as well, degree of metallic coloration variable, bright to almost absent, but always present; metasoma in profile with terga arched, terga and sterna somewhat asymmetrical (cf. Fig. 11) ............ 11

– Head, mesosoma (and metasoma) without metallic sheen, brown to black; metasoma in profile with terga more or less flat to slightly convex, not arched, terga and sterna more or less symmetrical (e.g., Fig. 54)............................ 12

11 Head and mesonotum uniformly sculptured throughout with fine well-developed rugulae (Fig. 57) ( South Africa, Zimbabwe) ........ Scelio marbis Nixon

– Head and mesonotum somewhat irregularly sculptured, frequently with smooth patches, particularly on vertex near lateral ocelli, rugulae somewhat coarse (Figs. 4, 18) ( South Africa)............................ Scelio antorides Nixon

12 Lateral mesoscutum with a distinct smooth patch or completely smooth (Figs. 33, 117) .......................................................................................... 13

– Lateral mesoscutum sculptured throughout (cf. Figs. 24, 51, 87).............. 15

13 Dorsal mesoscutum with 4 smooth or obliterated patches, two medially and 1 laterally in each humeral area (Fig. 33); medial mesoscutum rugulose where sculpture not obliterated; sculpture of lower frons variable; shape of hind femur variable (eastern to southern Africa)................................................ 14

– Dorsal mesonotum with 2 smooth patches, sculptured throughout medially, humeral area with a distinct smooth patch; medial mesoscutal sculpture predominantly longitudinal, parallel-sided, with interstices predominantly smooth, though occasionally with few to moderate number of transverse elements (Fig. 33); lower frons with fine transverse striae (Fig. 35); hind femur narrow, dorsal surface weakly convex ( Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso)........... Scelio corion Nixon

14 Dorsal head nearly completely smooth and shining; transverse pronotal carina incomplete (cf. Fig. 1); hind femur narrow, more or less symmetrical; lower frons striate ( South Africa) .................................. Scelio habilis Nixon

– Dorsal head sculptured throughout, though very minutely and faintly in some; transverse pronotal carina complete, meeting mesoscutum or adjacent cell (cf. Fig. 2); hind femur broad, dorsal surface distinctly bulging (Fig. 7, hf); lower frons rugulose in most individuals, Fig. 119) ( Botswana, Tanzania, South Africa) ................................................... Scelio turbidus Yoder , sp. n.

15 Apical fascia of fore wing absent (Fig. 54); transverse pronotal carina incomplete (Fig. 1) ( Madagascar)..................................... Scelio leipo Yoder , sp. n.

– Apical fascia of fore wing present (sometimes only slightly contrasting with lighter surroundings) (as in Fig. 101); transverse pronotal carina complete or incomplete................................................................................................ 16

16 Pronotum with transverse pronotal carina incomplete, not meeting mesoscutum or adjacent cell (Fig. 1); apical fascia with a well-developed posterior element (Fig. 101, af) ( South Africa) ................. Scelio pulchripennis Brues

– Pronotum with transverse pronotal carina complete, meeting mesoscutum or adjacent cell (Fig. 2); apical fascia present only along anterior margin, if area along posterior margin appearing lighter then whole of apex weakly infuscated and no clear division between fascia and apex delimited .................. 17

17 Sculpture of T3 predominantly parallel longitudinal with evident gap between longitudinal elements (Fig. 10); mesoscutellar sculpture somewhat rugulose, rugulae often somewhat flattened in appearance, with only slight longitudinal trend (Fig. 87) ( Madagascar)............ Scelio parapulchripennis Yoder , sp. n.

– Sculpture of T3 finely reticulate, with few prominent longitudinal elements (Fig. 9); sculpture of mesoscutellum predominantly fine parallel striae, in most specimens with few connecting interstices (widespread throughout continental Africa)................................................................ Scelio baoli Risbec