Nealiolus Mason, 1974

Shimbori, Eduardo M., Wengrat, Ana P. G. S., Savaris, Marcoandre, Galvão, William B., Nanini, Frederico, Garcia, Sarah S. P. & Corrêa, Alberto S., 2020, Two new species of Nealiolus Mason (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Brachistinae) reared from pest weevils (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), Zootaxa 4729 (1), pp. 116-126 : 119

Key to species of Nealiolus Mason

1. Ovipositor sheaths shorter than carapace (=metasoma)........................................ N. crassipes (Martin)

- Ovipositor sheaths at least 1.5 × longer than carapace......................................................... 2

2(1). Metasomal carapace strongly rugose-striate; large specimens with 4.5‒6.0 mm; antenna with 34 (males) or 35 antennomeres or more (females) ( mexicanus group)........................................................................ 3

- Metasoma less strongly sculptured, at least T3 partly smooth and polished; smaller specimens, usually less than 4.0 mm; antenna with less than 33 antennomeres ( curculionis group)..................................................... 5

3(2). Face with short median carina extending upward from fronto-clypeal sulcus; ovipositor 1.5 × longer than carapace............................................................................................ N. acutulus (Martin)

- Face without such median carina, but with a short media carina between toruli; ovipositor about 2.0 × longer than carapace.. ................................................................................................... 4

4(3). Mesosoma black; propodeum without defined areola (“scabrous”)............................ N. mexicanus (Cresson)

- Mesosoma at least partly brownish yellow (pro and mesonotum always); propodeum mostly smooth with well-defined pentagonal areola. Parasitoids of Conotrachelus sp.................................................. N. jaboticaba sp. n.

5(3). Tegula black, relatively large and distinctly projecting laterally................................................. 6

- Tegula pale, and normally developed...................................................................... 7

6(5). Fore wing vein r (first abcissa of radius) about 0.55‒0.60 × vein (RS+M)b (second abcissa of cubitus); antenna with 29 anten- nomeres; T2 medially and T3 nearly entirely smooth and polished. Parasitoids of Phymatophosus squameus ................................................................................................... N. chayohtli sp. n.

- Fore wing vein r equal to vein (RS+M)b; antenna with 27 antennomeres; all three carapace terga finely striate, although weaker sculpturing in T3.................................................................... N. auriculatus (Martin)

7(5). T3 entirely smooth and polished; entirely reddish-yellow........................................ N. collaris (Brues)

- T3 at least partly sculptured with striation; at least metasoma dark brown or black.................................. 8

8(7). Head and mesosoma reddish-yellow, all femora dark brown to black and hind tibia mostly black with whitish basal annulus; ovipositor sheaths 2.5 × longer than carapace................................................... N. rufus (Riley)

- Head and mesosoma dark brown, all femora entirely yellowish-brown (except apically on hind femur occasionally darker) and hind tibia without basal whitish annulus; ovipositor sheaths about 2.0 × longer than carapace........ N. curculionis (Fitch)