Key to world species of the flavipes species-group of Cotesia

1 Antenna relatively longer, virtually as long as body length; all antennal flagellomeres longer than wide, specially flagellomeres on basal half of antenna which are around twice as long as wide; mesosoma with extensive paler-colored areas (orange-yellow, red-yellow, light brown-yellow) which may include (partially or entirely) propleuron, pronotum, mesopleuron, metapleuron, anteromesoscutum, mesoscutellar disc and other parts of scutellar-axillar complex [Palaearctic species]................. 2

- Antenna relatively much shorter, clearly shorter (usually significantly) than body length; most antennal flagellomeres about as long as wide (cubic), except for basal 1, 2 (rarely 1–4) flagellomeres which are barely longer than wide; mesosoma usually entirely dark brown to black (some specimens of C. flavipes have paler mesosoma but can be clearly distinguished from previous couplet by having very short antenna) [mostly Old World tropics species, the only Palaearctic species keying here has an entirely dark brown to black mesosoma]................................................................... 3

2 (1) T1 strongly widening towards posterior margin, its maximum width (at around 0.7 length of tergite) at least 2.0× width at anterior margin; T2 relatively strongly sculptured on most of its surface; T3 mostly sculptured on anterior half; head mostly to entirely black; anteromesoscutum uniformly sculptured with relatively deep punctures; mesopleuron mostly dark brown [Western Palaearctic, relatively widespread there] [Fig. 3]......................... Cotesia ferruginea (Marshall, 1885)

- T1 much less strongly widening towards posterior margin, its maximum width (at around 0.7 length of tergite) less than 1.5× width at anterior margin; T2 relatively weakly sculptured centrally (mostly smooth laterally); T3 smooth or slightly sculptured anteriorly; head mostly to entirely paled-coloured (orange-yellow or light brown); anteromesoscutum mostly smooth on posterior half; mesopleuron mostly to entirely pale-coloured (orange-yellow) [Eastern Palaearctic: Japan and Korea] [Figs 1, 2]....................................................... Cotesia testacea Fujie, Shimizu & Fernandez-Triana sp. nov.

3 (2) Anteromesoscutum mostly with large punctures (diameter larger than distance between punctures), including most of the posterior half; antenna relatively less short than next couplet, its length usually close to length of head and mesosoma combined; face with acute, triangular projection between antennal base, with clearly impressed median longitudinal sulcus........... 4

- Anteromesoscutum with relatively small punctures on anterior half, posterior half almost entirely smooth; antenna very short, its length usually less than length of head and mesosoma combined; face with triangular projection between antennal base not as acute (sometimes more or less straight), median longitudinal sulcus on projection sometimes not clearly defined........ 5

4 (3) Paramere length (observed externally, without removing genitalia from specimen) relatively short, around 1.0× as long as median length of sternite 8; paramere shape rather uniformly narrowing from base to rounded apex; antennal flagellomeres F1 and F2 slightly longer than wide, F3–16 about as long as wide (cubic); scutoscutellar sulcus relatively straight [eastern Asia: China, Japan, Indonesia] [Figs 3G, H, 8A–H in Kayser et al. (2017)].................. Cotesia chilonis (Munakata, 1912)

- Paramere length (observed externally, without removing genitalia from specimen) relatively large, clearly more than 1.5× as long as median length of sternite 8; paramere shape with broad, widened area near apex; antennal flagellomeres F1–5 longer than wide, F6–16 about as long as wide (cubic); scutoscutellar sulcus relatively curved [central Africa: Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania] [Figs 1 A–G, 2A–F, 3A, B, 4C, F, G in Kayser et al. (2017)]............. Cotesia typhae Fernandez-Triana, 2017

5 (3) Face projection between antennal base with more or less straight margin, with no clearly impressed median longitudinal sulcus [Australia; only known to parasitize native Noctuidae host Bathytricha truncata (Walker, 1856)]................................................................................................... Cotesia nonagriae (Olliff, 1893)

- Face with projection between antennal base more or less acute, with clearly impressed median longitudinal sulcus [Africa and Indian sub-continent, also released and established in the New World; known to parasitize some 40 species of Crambidae and Noctuidae]........................................................................................... 6

6 (5) Paramere length (observed externally, without removing genitalia from specimen) relatively short, around 1.0× as long as median length of sternite 8; specimens usually darker coloured than next species [sub-Saharan and Southern Africa] [Figs 3C, D, 4B, E, 5A–G, 6A–F in Kayser et al. (2017)]................................... Cotesia sesamiae (Cameron, 1906)

- Paramere length (observed externally, without removing genitalia from specimen) relatively large, clearly more than 1.5× (usually up to 2.0×) as long as median length of sternite 8; specimens often lighter coloured than previous species [Indian subcontinent, but also released and established in east Africa and the New World] [Figs 3E, F, 4A,B, 7A–G in Kayser et al. (2017)].................................................................... Cotesia flavipes (Cameron, 1891)