Genus Sendaphne

Sendaphne Nixon, 1965: 203.

Diagnosis.

Glossa elongate and bilobate (Figs 2, 9, 34, 48, 58, 70). Lateral face of scutellum with polished area (=lunules) occupying most of the lateral face (Figs 5, 12, 19, 28, 44, 49, 56). Propodeum usually smooth and without carina (exceptionally having sparse punctures and few rugae on the nucha) (Figs 7, 13, 19, 28, 33, 44, 49, 60, 74). Metacoxa very long, about the same length as metafemur length and metatibia length (Figs 8, 13, 15, 29, 50, 54, 61, 68, 74). Mediotergite 1 strongly narrowing towards posterior margin (Figs 4, 14, 19, 50, 51). Mediotergite 2 subtriangular, much longer medially than its width at its anterior margin (and usually also longer medially than its width at posterior margin). Ovipositor very long for a microgastrine wasp (two times longer than metatibia length) and strongly curved (Figs 1, 20, 35, 53, 54, 57, 64, 68); apex of ovipositor usually not sinuate (exceptionally with very slight sinuation). Fore wing with very wide first discal cell, and with small areolet (Figs 3, 17, 17, 24, 39, 55, 62, 69) (areolet sometimes not well-defined because veins 3RSa and r-m are spectral, as in Figs 10, 31, 47). Body color often mostly yellow to orange (with a few exceptions from species collected at higher altitudes, which have head, mesosoma and parts of metasoma dark brown to black). Body length longer than the fore wing length, usually by 0.2-0.4 mm. Within Microgastrinae, Sendaphne can only be confused with Promicrogaster, but the later has a more transverse mediotergite 2, apex of ovipositor clearly sinuate, and propodeum usually with more sculpture and carination present.

Key to Sendaphne species

[This key is intended for female specimens, although two species are only known from males, and in those cases the key accommodates them. Generally, males tend to have darker coloration than the females, especially on the metasoma].

1Head and mesosoma entirely dark brown to black (Figs 23, 24, 27, 28, 37 - 44, 68 - 75), metasoma entirely dark brown (Figs 69, 74, 75) or at most with mediotergites 1-2 orange-yellow (as in Figs 24, 25, 28, 39, 44) [all specimens collected above 1,460 m, in cloud forests]2
-Color variable but much lighter than previous couplet, if head entirely dark brown to black, then mesosoma entirely or mostly yellow, orange or reddish-yellow, and metasoma at most with brown bands on posterior margins of mediotergites 3+ [all specimens collected below 900 m, in rainforests]4
2(1)Tegula, metacoxa, and mediotergites 1-2 dark brown to black (Figs 69, 73 - 75); body very slender, metasoma longer than combined length of head and mesosoma (Fig. 68) [Costa Rica]Sendaphne rogerblancoi Fernández-Triana & Whitfield, sp. n.
-Tegula, metacoxa and mediotergites 1-2 yellow to reddish-yellow (Figs 23 - 28, 37 - 40, 42 - 44); body less slender, metasoma shorter than combined length of head and mesosoma (Figs 23, 37) [Ecuador, Mexico]3
3(2)Mediotergite 1 length 6.0 × its width at posterior margin, mediotergite 2 length 1.5 × its width at posterior margin (Figs 24, 25, 28); first discal cell 2.0 × as wide as high (Fig. 24) [Ecuador]Sendaphne broadi Fernández-Triana & Whitfield, sp. n.
-Mediotergite 1 length 4.0 × its width at posterior margin, mediotergite 2 length 1.0 × its width at posterior margin (Figs 39, 42, 44); first discal cell 1.3 × as wide as high (Fig. 39) [Mexico]Sendaphne bennetti Fernández-Triana & Whitfield, sp. n.
4(1)Head yellow to reddish-yellow5
-Head dark brown to black7
5(4)Mesosoma with dark brown areas on anteromesoscutum and mesopleuron (Figs 54, 56, 58); dark brown coloration on posterior margin of mediotergite 3 and most of mediotergites 4-6 (Figs 54, 55, 57, 59) [Brazil, Paraguay]Sendaphne paranaensis Scatolini & Penteado-Dias, 1999
-Mesosoma uniformly orange-yellow to reddish-yellow; metasoma either entirely yellow or with brown bands on posterior margin of mediotergites 4-66
6(5)Metasoma with brown bands on posterior margin of mediotergites 4-6 (Figs 50 - 53) [Brazil, French Guiana, Peru]Sendaphne olearus Nixon, 1965
-Metasoma entirely yellow (Figs 31, 32, 35, 36) [Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana]Sendaphne jatai Penteado-Dias, 1995
7(4)Female metasoma either with extensive dark brown coloration on tergites 3+ or with some narrow brown bands on posterior margin of mediotergites 5-7 (Figs 63, 64)8
-Female metasoma entirely yellow (Figs 3, 4, 7, 18, 19, 22)9
8(7)Metasoma with dark brown bands on posterior margin of mediotergites 3-6 and mediotergite 7 entirely dark brown to black; fore wing vein 1Cu-a much shorter than vein 1Cu-b; T1 10.0 × as long as width at posterior margin; T1 2.0 × as long as T2; metacoxa 1.1 × as long as metafemurSendaphne brasilianus Penteado-Dias, 1995
-Metasoma with some narrow brown bands on posterior margin of mediotergites 5-7 (Figs 63, 64); fore wing veins 1Cu-a and 1Cu-b subequal; T1 6.0 × as long as width at posterior margin; T1 1.4 × as long as T2; metacoxa 0.9-1.0 × as long as metafemurSendaphne penteadodiasae Fernández-Triana & Whitfield, sp. n.
9(7)Fore wing r and 2RS not clearly distinct from each other (Fig. 3); mediotergite 2 length 1.0 × its width at posterior margin (Figs 3, 4, 7); face centrally orange (Fig. 2); ovipositor 1.8-1.9 × as long as metatibia [Ecuador]Sendaphne anitae Fernández-Triana & Whitfield, sp. n.
-Fore wing with veins r and 2RS clearly distinct from each other, and meeting at a sharp angle (not clearly visible in Fig. 17); mediotergite 2 length 1.8-2.0 × its width at posterior margin (Figs 18, 19); face entirely dark brown to black (Fig. 16); ovipositor 2.0-2.2 × as long as metatibia [Brazil, Colombia, or Mexico]10
10(9)Distance between anatomical line tangent to posterior margin of anterior ocellus and anterior margin of posterior ocelli 0.5 × diameter of anterior ocelli (Fig. 77); ocular-ocellar line 2.5 × as long as posterior ocellus diameter; interocellar distance 1.6 × as long as posterior ocellus diameter; T1 relatively narrower medially, T1 width at half length of tergite clearly less than width at anterior margin, and 1.5 × as wide as width at posterior margin (Fig. 78); T2 1.8 × as long as wide [Mexico]Sendaphne sulmo Nixon, 1965
-Distance between anatomical line tangent to posterior margin of anterior ocellus and anterior margin of posterior ocelli 0.2-0.3 × diameter of anterior ocelli (partially visible in Fig. 16); ocular-ocellar line 2.1-2.4 × as long as posterior ocellus diameter; interocellar distance 1.2-1.4 × as long as posterior ocellus diameter; T1 relatively wider medially, T1 width at half length of tergite about same as width at anterior margin, and at least 2.0 × as wide as width at posterior margin (Figs 18, 19); T2 2.0 × as long as wide [Brazil, Colombia]Sendaphne dianariaspennae Fernández-Triana & Whitfield, sp. n.