Apanteles (Choeras), Mason, 1981

Abdoli, Parisa, Talebi, Ali Asghar, Farahani, Samira & Fernandez-Triana, Jose, 2019, Three new species of the genus Choeras Mason, 1981 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from Iran, Zootaxa 4545 (1), pp. 77-92 : 88-89

Key to species of the genus Choeras in the West Palaearctic region

1 Fore wing, areolet usually completely closed (some specimens of C. dorsalis have vein r-m partially to entirely spectral, in those cases areolet may look slightly open but still is clearly mostly closed) ( Figs 4f , 5f, 6f, 7f); shape of T1 variable...... 2

- Fore wing areolet usually entirely open ( C. formosus with very short and partially defined vein r-m, in that case areolet may look slightly closed but still is clearly mostly open) ( Fig. 3f ); T1 narrowed posteriorly ( Fig. 3h )........................ 8

2(1) Thorax entirely reddish-yellow........................................................ C. semele (Nixon, 1965)

- Thorax entirely black or dark brown....................................................................... 3

3(2) Metasoma dorsally mostly dark black or brown (T3+ entirely black or dark brown)................................. 4

- Metasoma dorsally mostly yellow (T3+ mostly yellow, with only narrow medial band darker)......................... 6

4(3) Areolet minute, almost obliterated (vein r more than 6.0× areolet width); hypopygium only ventrally narrowly membranous; propodeum posteriorly with some rugosity, without median longitudinal carina............. C. gielisi van Achterberg, 2002

- Areolet much larger (vein r less than 3.0× areolet width); hypopygium ventrally membranous; propodeum with distinct median longitudinal carina..................................................................................... 5

5(4) Pterostigma evenly brown; T3/T2 length 2.0–3.0; T1 slightly narrowed posteriorly; T1 posterior width 0.70× its maximum width; propodeum with a large smooth area between longitudinal median and lateral bands...... C. dorsalis (Spinola, 1808)

- Pterostigma with a yellow spot at base ( Figs 7f ); T3/T2 length: 1.5–1.6; T1 parallel or sub parallel-sided, T1 posterior width 0.9–1.1× its maximum width; propodeum with a small smooth area between longitudinal median and lateral bands........................................................................................... C. tiro (Reinhard, 1880)

6(3) T1 length/ maximum width: 1.4, with two yellow bands on lateral sides, basal two thirds weakly sculptured to smooth (Fig. 5h); pterostigma with a small light spot basally (Fig. 5f); mouthparts not elongated; body length approximate 4.0 mm................................................................... C. qazviniensis Fernandez-Triana & Talebi sp. nov.

- T1 length/maximum width: 1.6–1.7, black, rugose (T 1 in basal one third of C. taftanensis rugose) ( Figs 6g , 4h ); pterostigma evenly brown or with an indistinct yellow spot basally; mouthparts slightly elongated; body L: 2.8–3.1 mm .............. 7

7(6) T3/T2 length: 3.5; suture between T2 and T3 more or less developed, crenulated; T3+ entirely yellow ( Fig. 4h ); metacoxa and propleuron yellow ( Fig. 4d )..................................... C. fulviventris Fernandez-Triana & Abdoli sp. nov.

- T3/T2 length: 2.0–2.2; T3+ yellow, with dark medial band ( Fig. 6g ); metacoxa and propleuron black ( Fig. 6d )...................................................................... C. taftanensis Ghafouri Moghaddam & van Achterberg

8(1) T1 relatively narrowed apically, posterior width shorter than T2 length or approximately equal to it..................... 9

- T1 relatively less narrowed apically, posterior width much longer than T2 length ( Fig. 3h )........................... 11

9(8) Propodeum rugose, matt, with distinct median longitudinal carina; lateral margins of T1 sometimes slightly concave on posterior half........................................................................ C. ruficornis (Nees, 1834)

- Propodeum smooth or only slightly rugose, posterior region generally shiny, without median longitudinal carinal; lateral margins of T1 straight on posterior half...................................................................... 10

10(9) 15 th antennal flagellomere length 2.0× its width; T1 relatively strongly narrowed posteriorly, anterior margin about 3.0× wider than posterior margin; hypopygium evenly sclerotized, brown, without longitudinal folds along the lower margin; ovipositor sheath curved and about half as long as metatibia or slightly shorter....................... C. ciscaucasicus Tobias, 1971

- 15 th antennal flagellomere cubic or at most slightly elongated; T1 not so strongly narrowed posteriorly, anterior margin about 2.0× or slightly wider than posterior margin; hypopygium usually unevenly sclerotized, with well-marked longitudinal folds along the lower margin, usually non-uniformly coloured, ovipositor sheath approximately equal to metatibia, slightly curved downwards; propodeum usually with small rugose area posteriorly............................ C. tedellae Nixon, 1961

11(8) Propodeum smooth, without carination; tarsal claws distinctly pectinate; hypopygium uniformly and strongly sclerotized, without longitudinal folds along the lower margin, and completely black; fore wing vein 2RS curved; ovipositor sheath curved, slightly longer than half of metatibia; antenna extremely setose, comb like; metafemur black and robust, about 3.0× as long as wide; wings darkened............................................................ C. validus (Thomson, 1895)

- Propodeum with median longitudinal band of rugosity or median longitudinal carina; other characters variable.......... 12

12(11) Propodeum with complete median longitudinal carina ( Fig. 3e )........... C. formosus Abdoli & Fernandez-Triana sp. nov.

- Propodeum without longitudinal carina, just with median longitudinal band of rugosity (sometimes with uncompleted longitudinal carina not reaching to anterior or posterior margin)...................................................... 13

13(12) Hypopygium along the lower margin strongly sclerotized, tightly folded in middle line but virtually without lateral creases; tarsal claws pectinate; anterior half of T1 frequently yellow...................................... C. arene Nixon, 1973

- Hypopygium along the lower margin weakly sclerotized, almost transparent and folded; tarsal claws simple with only some setae............................................................................................... 14

14(13) T1 parallel-sided on anterior half, posterior half gradually narrowing to posterior margin......... C. adjunctus (Nees, 1834)

- T1 gradually narrowing from anterior to posterior margin..................................................... 15

15(14) Face (or frons) with distinct punctures, rather matt; fore wing longer than body.......... C. gnarus Tobias & Kotenko, 1984

- Face (or frons) without distinct punctures or weakly punctate, shiny; fore wing as long as body..................................................................................................... C. parasitellae (Bouche, 1834)

Figures

FIGURE 3. Choeras formosus female: a. Head, frontal view; b. Head, lateral view; c. Head, dorsal view; d. General habitus, lateral view; e. Mesosoma, dorsal view; f. Fore wing; g. Hind wing; h. Metasoma, dorsal view.

FIGURE 4. Choeras fulviventris female: a. Head, frontal view; b. Head, lateral view; c. Head, dorsal view; d. General habitus, lateral view; e. Mesosoma, dorsal view; f. Fore wing; g. Hind wing; h. Metasoma, dorsal view.

FIGURE 6. Choeras taftanensis female: a. Head, frontal view; b. Head, lateral view; c. Head, dorsal view; d. General habitus, lateral view; e. Mesosoma, dorsal view; f. Fore and hind wing; g. Metasoma, dorsal view.

FIGURE 7. Choeras tiro female: a. Head, frontal view; b. Head, lateral view; c. Head, dorsal view; d. General habitus, lateral view; e. Mesosoma, dorsal view; f. Fore and hind wing; g. Metasoma, dorsal view.