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Key to genera of African Orussidae

(Life: Kingdom: Metazoa (animals); Phylum: Arthropoda; Class: Hexapoda; Order: Hymenoptera;  Superfamily: Orussoidea; Family: Orussidae)

ClassificationIdentification keys

1. Body colour predominantly blue-green metallic (a); abdomen usually entirely blue-green metallic, rarely reddish-brown from segment 3. Maxillary palps very short, usually not visible. Fore wing discal cell anteriorly touching vein R (b) ...Chalinus

 

- Body colour predominantly black or brown, never blue-green metallic; abdomen from segment 3 rarely reddish-brown (A). Maxillary palps elongate, often visible (A). Fore wing discal cell not touching vein R (B), sometimes with distinct vein 1r-Rs between discal cell and vein R  ...2

 

2. Frons with converging longitudinal carinae extending from lateral coronal teeth at level with median ocellus to just above antennal bases; ventral coronal teeth absent (a); area between carinae concave. Head and thorax with elongate setae. Fore wing in both sexes hyaline, discal cell rectangular (b) ...Pedicrista

 

- Frons without longitudinal carinae or concavity; ventral coronal teeth present (A). Head and thorax usually with inconspicuous, short pilosity, rarely with elongate setae (Pseudoryssus niehuisorum). Fore wing with infuscate areas of various extent, most prominently in the females (fore wing entirely hyaline in male Leptorussus spp.), discal cell rectangular or rhomboidal (B) ...3

 

3. Female with combined length of antennomeres 4+5 at most equal to antennomere 3 (a). At least some legs with white markings of various extent (b) ...Orussus

 

- Female with combined length of antennomeres 4+5 longer than antennomere 3 (A). Legs without white markings (B) ...4

 

4. Postocular carina absent (a). Frons with ventral transverse groove just above antennal bases (a). Pronotum in dorsal view longest medially, or of approximately equal length throughout (b) (red bars). Scutoscutellar sulcus deep, with coarse sculpture (b). Forewing discal cell rectangular (c) ...Leptorussus

 

- Postocular carina at least weakly developed (A). Frons without ventral transverse groove (A). Pronotum in dorsal view longest sublaterally (B) (red bars). Scutoscutellar sulcus indistinct (B). Forewing discal cell rhomboidal (C) ...Pseudoryssus

References

Vilhelmsen L. 2003. Phylogeny and classification of the Orussidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera), a basal parasitic wasp taxon. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 139: 337-418.

Vilhelmsen L, Blank SM, Sechi D & van Noort S. The Orussidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) of Africa.

Credits

Photographs © Simon van Noort (Iziko Museums of South Africa) or

photographs © Lars Vilhelmsen (Natural History Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen) or photographs © Stephen M. Blank (Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut).

Web author Simon van Noort (Iziko South African Museum)

 

Citation: van Noort, S. 2024. WaspWeb: Hymenoptera of the World. URL: www.waspweb.org (accessed on <day/month/year>).

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