Scelio pulchripennis Brues. Known 1906

Key to species of the <i>Scelio pulchripennis</i> -group (females) 1 Body massive (4.8 mm long in the specimen we examined, recorded as 5.5 mm in Kozlov and Kononova, 1990), black throughout, without metallic coloration; mesoscutum robustly sculptured medially, with two smooth patches in humeral area (Fig. 72); apical fascia of fore wing absent (Figs. 67, 68) (Mongolia)............................................................... <b> <i>Scelio nisa</i> Kozlov</b> – Body typically sized (usually around 2.5– 4 mm long, never&gt; 4.5 mm), body variously colored, if metasoma dark brown to black and concolorous with mesosoma, then with a distinct metallic sheen; mesoscutum variously sculptured, with or without smooth patches; apical fascia of fore wing (Fig. 101, af) absent or (more commonly) present...................................................... <b>2</b> 2 Mesoscutum with 2–3 straight longitudinal carinae (Fig. 114, car) that correspond roughly to the notauli and the medial mesoscutal line, length of medial pair reduced in some cases; sculpture of lateral mesoscutum more or less absent; body without orange or metallic coloration (India, Nepal, Sri Lanka)............ <b>3</b> – Mesoscutum variously sculptured, sometimes with notauli indicated, if appearing to have three carinae as above, then mesosoma orange, mesoscutellum variously sculptured or smooth; lateral mesoscutum with or without sculpture; body with or without metallic coloration.................................... <b>4</b> 3 Mesoscutellum sculptured with more or less parallel carinae throughout (Fig. 114); notauli typically indicated as a pair of carinae at posterior margin of mesoscutum (Fig. 114) (India)............... <b> <i>Scelio tria</i> Yoder &amp; Masner, sp. n.</b> – Mesoscutellum with sculpture obliterated medially, otherwise rugulose with very slight longitudinal trend (Fig. 42); notauli indicated by single irregular carina with many short transverse extensions (Fig. 42, nt) (Nepal, Sri Lanka)....................................................... <b> <i>Scelio ememeye</i> Yoder, sp. n.</b> 4 Head and mesosoma black with green metallic sheen; posterodorsal head (Fig. 4, ph) with well-defined transverse striae; base of upper frons (as in Fig. 4, uf) with band of ventrally oriented setae (Fig. 29); fore wing with fuscate patches reduced in size, without a clearly defined apical fascia, margin with more or less transparent band throughout (Fig. 26); pilosity of anterior metapleuron very sparse (India, Sri Lanka)........................................................................................................ <b> <i>Scelio clarkei</i> Yoder, sp. n.</b> – Head and mesosoma variously colored, if head metallic then without transverse striae, smooth or densely reticulate; setae of upper frons typically oriented laterally or dorsally; fore wing with well-developed fuscate patches that meet wing margins; pilosity of anterior metapleuron moderate to very dense (Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Madagascar)..................................................... <b>5</b> 5 Mesonotum smooth and shining except for setose punctures and, occasionally, longitudinal carinae along posterior margin adjacent to mesoscutellum (Figs. 75, 81, 96); dorsal head completely smooth...................................... <b>6</b> – Mesonotum predominantly sculptured, at most with some smooth obliterated patches along humeral area, between notauli, or on anterior mesoscutum (e.g., Figs. 18, 24, 42, 126); dorsal head variously sculptured, though usually with at least some fine faint sculpture......................................................... <b>8</b> 6 Head and mesoscutum metallic green to blue; posterior margin of mesoscutum and anterior margin of mesoscutellum smooth (Kenya and south to South Africa).............................................................................................. <b>7</b> – Head black, mesoscutum orange, sometimes brown to dark brown medially, without any trace of metallic coloration; posterior margin of mesoscutum and anterior margin of mesoscutellum with slight grooves (Egypt, Eritrea, India, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Spain, Yemen)..................................................................................................... <b> <i>Scelio poecilopterus</i> Risbec</b> 7 Fore wing with apical fascia absent (not to be confused with presence of light- er colored radial cell) (Fig. 78); pilosity of hind tibia strongly appressed, not distinctly elongate (Fig. 7, 74, ht) (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe)............................................................................ <b> <i>Scelio nitens</i> Brues</b> – Fore wing with apical fascia present (Fig. 84, af); pilosity of of hind tibia nearly completely erect, distinctly elongate, and somewhat sparse (Fig. 8, 80, ht) (Botswana, Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe)....... <b> <i>Scelio paranitens</i> Yoder, sp. n.</b> 8 Mesosoma orange, with at most some patches of brown to dark brown color dorsomedially............................................................................................. <b>9</b> – Mesosoma brown, nearly black, or with a metallic sheen or coloration, if traces of orange (primarily along sutures) then otherwise completely metallic....... <b>10</b> 9 Head black, without any trace of metallic coloration, sculptured throughout,with sculpture almost granular in appearance (Fig. 125); medial mesoscutum with parallel fine striae all but anteriorly, lateral mesoscutum smooth (Fig. 126); body moderately hairy, pilosity of moderate length, white to golden brown, appressed to semi-erect (Figs. 121, 122); posterodorsal metasoma without metallic coloration (Canary Islands, India, Saudi Arabia, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Yemen).................................... <b> <i>Scelio variegatus</i> Kozlov &amp; Kononova</b> – Head completely metallic, green or blue, with dense fine rugulae throughout (Fig. 65); mesoscutum with fine rugulae throughout (Fig. 63); body densely setose, with long, white and erect setae (Fig. 62); posterodorsal metasoma with metallic blue coloration (Botswana, South Africa)............. <b> <i>Scelio masneri</i> Yoder, sp. n.</b> 10 Head and mesosoma with metallic sheen to strong metallic coloration, frequently sheen visible on dorsal metasoma as well, degree of metallic coloration variable, bright to almost absent, but always present; metasoma in profile with terga arched, terga and sterna somewhat asymmetrical (cf. Fig. 11)............ <b>11</b> – Head, mesosoma (and metasoma) without metallic sheen, brown to black; metasoma in profile with terga more or less flat to slightly convex, not arched, terga and sterna more or less symmetrical (e.g., Fig. 54)............................ <b>12</b> 11 Head and mesonotum uniformly sculptured throughout with fine well-developed rugulae (Fig. 57) (South Africa, Zimbabwe)........ <b> <i>Scelio marbis</i> Nixon</b> – Head and mesonotum somewhat irregularly sculptured, frequently with smooth patches, particularly on vertex near lateral ocelli, rugulae somewhat coarse (Figs. 4, 18) (South Africa)............................ <b> <i>Scelio antorides</i> Nixon</b> 12 Lateral mesoscutum with a distinct smooth patch or completely smooth (Figs. 33, 117).......................................................................................... <b>13</b> – Lateral mesoscutum sculptured throughout (cf. Figs. 24, 51, 87).............. <b>15</b> 13 Dorsal mesoscutum with 4 smooth or obliterated patches, two medially and 1 laterally in each humeral area (Fig. 33); medial mesoscutum rugulose where sculpture not obliterated; sculpture of lower frons variable; shape of hind femur variable (eastern to southern Africa)................................................ <b>14</b> – Dorsal mesonotum with 2 smooth patches, sculptured throughout medially, humeral area with a distinct smooth patch; medial mesoscutal sculpture predominantly longitudinal, parallel-sided, with interstices predominantly smooth, though occasionally with few to moderate number of transverse elements (Fig. 33); lower frons with fine transverse striae (Fig. 35); hind femur narrow, dorsal surface weakly convex (Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso)........... <b> <i>Scelio corion</i> Nixon</b> 14 Dorsal head nearly completely smooth and shining; transverse pronotal carina incomplete (cf. Fig. 1); hind femur narrow, more or less symmetrical; lower frons striate (South Africa).................................. <b> <i>Scelio habilis</i> Nixon</b> – Dorsal head sculptured throughout, though very minutely and faintly in some; transverse pronotal carina complete, meeting mesoscutum or adjacent cell (cf. Fig. 2); hind femur broad, dorsal surface distinctly bulging (Fig. 7, hf); lower frons rugulose in most individuals, Fig. 119) (Botswana, Tanzania, South Africa)................................................... <b> <i>Scelio turbidus</i> Yoder, sp. n.</b> 15 Apical fascia of fore wing absent (Fig. 54); transverse pronotal carina incomplete (Fig. 1) (Madagascar)..................................... <b> <i>Scelio leipo</i> Yoder, sp. n.</b> – Apical fascia of fore wing present (sometimes only slightly contrasting with lighter surroundings) (as in Fig. 101); transverse pronotal carina complete or incomplete................................................................................................ <b>16</b> 16 Pronotum with transverse pronotal carina incomplete, not meeting mesoscutum or adjacent cell (Fig. 1); apical fascia with a well-developed posterior element (Fig. 101, af) (South Africa)................. <b> <i>Scelio pulchripennis</i> Brues</b> – Pronotum with transverse pronotal carina complete, meeting mesoscutum or adjacent cell (Fig. 2); apical fascia present only along anterior margin, if area along posterior margin appearing lighter then whole of apex weakly infuscated and no clear division between fascia and apex delimited.................. <b>

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