Meteorus

Jones, Guinevere Z. & Shaw, Scott R., 2012, Ten new species of Meteorus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from Ecuador reared at the Yanayacu Biological Center for Creative Studies, Zootaxa 3547, pp. 1-23 : 3-4

Key to Meteorus species from the Andes mountains of eastern Ecuador

1 Female antennal flagellum with white medial band, other body color mostly black; female body length exceptionally long (8.0 to 9.76 mm); ovipositor exceptionally long (2.6 to 3.8X longer than first metasomal tergite); propodeum carinate-rugose; female eyes very large (in anterior view, head height less than 1.6X eye height) and protuberant; ocelli small (ocell-ocular distance is greater than or equal to 1.5X ocellar diameter); mandibles not twisted........... M. gigas Aquirre, Shaw , & Jones

- Flagellum without white medial band; body color variable, sometimes with black marking but never so entirely black; female body length much shorter (3.0 to 5.0 mm); propodeum areolate-rugose or rugose; eyes large or small (in anterior view, head height equal to or greater than 1.6X eye height); ocelli moderately large (ocell-ocular distance less than 1.5X ocellar diameter) or smaller; mandibles twisted............................................................................ 2

2(1) Propodeum black dorsally, with strongly contrasting white posterior surface; first metasomal tergite mostly white; solitary parasitoids............................................................................................. 3

- Propodeum variously colored, not white on posterior surface; first metasomal tergite variously colored, either without white markings or only white basally on petiole, not mostly white; solitary or gregarious parasitoids......................... 4

3(2) First metasomal tergite longitudinally costate posteriorly; vertex black medially, orange along orbital margins of eyes; notauli punctate and narrow; metapleuron foveolate; host caterpillar Daedalma dinias (Nymphalidae) ........ M. caritatis Jones , new species

- First metasomal tergite entirely smooth; vertex entirely black; notauli coarsely rugose and broad; metapleuron rugose; host caterpillar Dysschema palmeri (Arctiinae) ............................................... M. oreo Jones , new species

4(3) First metasomal tergite single-colored, either entirely black or entirely orange.................................... 5

- First metasomal tergite bi-colored, anteriorly with yellowish white petiole, strongly contrasting with black posteriorly beyond spiracles............................................................................................. 8

5(4) Propodeum and metasoma dorsally entirely black............................................................ 6

- Propodeum and metasoma dorsally entirely yellowish orange.................................................. 7

6(5) Head dorsally and posteriorly entirely black; occipital carina medially forming an upside-down “V” shape; gregarious parasitoid of Amastus spp . near A. vitripennis (Arctiinae) ................................. M. margarita Jones , new species

- Head dorsally mostly orange except ocellar triangle black, occiput entirely orange; occipital carina not pointed medially; gregarious parasitoid of Praeamastus minerva ( Arctiinae )............................ M. quasifabatus Jones , new species

7(5) First metasomal tergite strongly costate, with costae only weakly converging posteriorly; body color mostly brownish orange; gregarious parasitoid of an host undetermined arctiine genus........................... M. porcatus Jones , new species

- First metasomal tergite weakly costate, with costae strongly converging posteriorly; body color mostly yellow to yellowish orange; gregarious parasitoid of Actinote spp . ( Nymphalidae ) found on Myristicaceae ......... M. luteus Jones , new species

8(4) Metasomal tergum 2+3 single-colored, either yellowish-orange or black.......................................... 9

- Metasomal tergum 2+3 bi-colored, black laterally with strongly contrasting white markings medially.................. 10

9(8) Metasomal tergum 2+3 orange; propodeum areolate-rugose; second submarginal cell strongly narrowed anteriorly, vein r longer than vein 3 RSa; gregarious parasitoid of Apatelodidae ...................... M. bustamanteorum Jones , new species

- Metasomal tergum 2+3 black; second submarginal cell not narrowed anteriorly, vein r shorter than vein 3 RSa; gregarious parasitoid of Macara alydda (Megalopygidae) ......................................... M. zitaniae Jones , new species

10(8) Eyes exceptionally large, malar space distinctly shorter than mandible width; face off-white; outer surface of hind coxa, in postero-dorsal view, entirely black; solitary parasitoid of Hypena valkeralis (Noctuidae) ...... M. imaginatus Jones , new species

- Eyes not as large, malar space longer than mandible width; face orange; outer surface of hind coxa not entirely black, either entirely pale yellowish white or at most black on apical half................................................. 11

11(10) Hind coxa distinctly bi-colored, basal half yellowish-white, apical half dark brown to black; mesopleuron bi-colored, mostly yellowish-white, infused with black dorsally below forewing; clypeus strongly convex in lateral profile, coarsely rugose, bulging in lateral view; usually solitary (rarely two per host caterpillar) parasitoid of ithomiine Nymphalidae feeding on Solanaceae .............................................................................. M. rugonasus Shaw & Jones

- Hind coxa entirely white; mesopleuron entirely black; clypeus weakly convex in lateral profile, weakly rugose, not strongly bulging in lateral view; gregarioius parasitoid of Parasa macrodonta (Limacodidae) ..... M. horologium Jones , new species