Ephedrus, Haliday, 1833

Davidian, Elena M., Manukyan, Andranik R. & Belokobylskij, Sergey A., 2023, A new and the second fossil species of the genus Ephedrus Haliday, 1833 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) from Baltic amber, Zootaxa 5297 (4), pp. 587-593 : 592

Key to the fossil species of the genus Ephedrus

1. Ovipositor sheaths curved and elongate.—Ovipositor sheath 4.0 × longer than its maximum width.................................................................................................... E. mirabilis Timon-David

- Ovipositor sheath straight and short....................................................................... 2

2. Ovipositor sheath distinctly longer than F1.—Ovipositor sheath widely rounded at apex, 3.0 × longer than wide. Petiole long, 2.0 × longer than its width on level of spiracular tubercles. F1 2.5 × longer than its median length............................................................................................. E. rasnitsyni Davidian & Kaliuzhna

- Ovipositor sheath approximately equal to F1............................................................... 3

3. Radial vein (r) of fore wing arising behind middle of pterostigma. Third abscissa of medial vein (3-М) almost reaching distal margin of wing. Second abscissa of radial vein (3-SR) 1.3 × longer than first radiomedial vein (2-SR). F1 2.0 × longer than its median length....................................................................... E. primordialis Brues

- Radial vein (r) of fore wing arising before middle of pterostigma. Third abscissa of medial vein (3-M) distinctly not reaching distal margin of wing ( Figs 2A, B ). Second abscissa of radial vein (3-SR) 2.0 × longer than first radiomedial vein (2-SR). F1 3.0 × longer than its median length ( Fig. 1A ).—Petiole short, 1.2 × longer than its width on level of spiracular tubercles ( Fig. 1C ). Ovipositor sheath narrowly rounded at apex, 2.4 × longer than its width ( Figs 2C, D )............ E. carsteni sp. nov.

Key to new fossil and extant Ephedrus species with densely pubescent ovipositor sheath

1. Propodeum smooth. F1 of antenna 3.0 × longer than its medial width. Pterostigma 3.3 × longer than its maximum width......................................................................................... E. carsteni sp. nov.

- Propodeum reticulate. F1 of antenna 4.2–5.8 × longer than medial width. Pterostigma 4.2–4.6 × longer than its maximum width.............................................................................................. 2

2. Notauli long, reaching middle of mesoscutum. F1 of antenna 4.2–4.7 × longer than its medial width. Pterostigma 4.2 × longer than its maximum width................................................................. E.validus (Haliday)

- Notauli short, reaching anterior third of mesoscutum. F1 of antenna approximately 5.8 × longer than its medial width. Pterostigma 4.6 × longer than its maximum width................................................. E.carinatus Tomanović

Figures

FIGURE 1. Ephedrus carsteni sp. nov. (holotype, female, Baltic amber, GPIH N. 5080) (A) Habitus, lateral view. (B) Body (head, mesosoma and metasoma), dorso-lateral view. (C) Propodeum, metasoma and ovipositor sheaths, dorso-lateral view.

FIGURE 2. Ephedrus carsteni sp. nov. (holotype, female, Baltic amber, GPIH N. 5080) (A) Wings, photo. (B) Fore wing, figure. (C) Apex of metasoma and ovipositor sheaths, lateral view, photo. (D) Apex of metasoma and ovipositor sheaths, lateral view, figure. Cells of the fore wing: 1—radial (marginal), 2a and 2b—first and second radiomedial (submarginal), 3—discoidal (discal), 4—brachial (subdiscal), 5—medial (basal), 6—submedial (subbasal).