Mendesella

Bortoni, Marco Aurélio, Souza-Gessner, Carolina Da Silva & Penteado-Dias, Angélica Maria, 2016, The subfamily Mendesellinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in Brazil, with the description of six new species, Zootaxa 4200 (3), pp. 406-416 : 410-411

Key to Mendesella species (modified from Yamada & Penteado-Dias 2002)

1 Dorsal carinae of first metasomal tergite incomplete and discontinuous.................. M. orianae Valerio & Whitfield

- Dorsal carinae of first metasomal tergite complete until near apex ( Figs 7 , 10, 13, 16).............................. 2

2 Dorsal carinae of first metasomal tergite converging near apex......................... M. magna Whitfield & Mason

- Dorsal carinae of first metasomal tergite closest to one another at about mid length of tergite ( Figs 7 , 10, 13, 16)......... 3

3 Dorsal carinae posterior to mid length of first metasomal tergite remaining parallel towards apex ( Figs 7 , 13 , 16)........ 4

- Dorsal carinae posterior to mid length of first metasomal tergite diverging towards apex (Figs. 10).....................7

4 Mesopleuron completelly and uniformily fulvous (Fig. 15).................................................... 5

- Mesopleuron with blackish or whitish infuscation ventrally ( Figs 6 , 12).......................................... 6

5 Ovipositor about 1.5 × hind tibia....................................... M. jaraguaiensis Yamada & Penteado-Dias

- Ovipositor as long as hind tibia............................................................... M. yamadai sp.n

6 Mesopleuron blackish ventrally; propodeum, midleg, hind coxa and hind femora yellow (Fig. 12)........... M. japi sp. n.

- Mesopleuron whitish ventrally; propodeum, midlegs, hind coxae and hind femora whitish ( Fig. 6 )...... M. albipleura sp. n.

7 Ovipositor 1.3 × hind tibia; propodeum coarsely rugose with areola narrowing anteriorly... M. brasiliensis Whitifield & Mason

- Ovipositor 2.0 × hind tibia; propodeum weakly rugose with nearly parallel-sided areola............................. 8

8 Mesopleuron mostly or entirely fulvous; ovipositor sheath entirely dark brown......... M. amazonica Whitfield & Mason

- Mesopleuron entirely brownish ( Fig. 9 ); ovipositor sheath with basal half dark brown,apical half fulvous ( Fig. 8 ).................................................................................................. M. itatiaia sp. n.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Distribution map for the new species of Mendesella.

FIGURES 7 – 9. Mendesella albida sp. n. 7, habitus, lateral view; 8, mesosoma, lateral view; 9, T 1, T 2 and T 3, dorsal view; Figs 10 – 12, Mendesella itatiaia sp. n. 10, habitus, lateral view; 11, mesosoma, lateral view; 12, T 1, T 2 and T 3, dorsal view.

FIGURES 13 – 14. Mendesella japi sp. n. 13, habitus, lateral view; 14, mesosoma, lateral view; 15, T 1, T 2 and T 3 dorsal view; Figs 16 – 18, Mendesella yamadai sp. n. 16, habitus, lateral view; 17, mesosoma, lateral view; 18, T 1, T 2 and T 3, dorsal view.