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Keys to the Families of Chalcidoidea of India
&
Adjacent Oriental Area
(Email Contacts)
(Derived from Subba-Rao
& Hayat, 1985 by E. F. Legner)
Chalcidoidea in India and adjacent areas may be recognized by a reduced
venation of the wings, with one having enclosed cells; the pronotum does not
reach the tegula and the presence of the prepectus or postspiracular sclerite
which is at times very small or fused with the pronotum, between the pronotum
and the tegula (Subba-Rao & Hayat
1985). The number of recognized
families was reported to vary from 11 to 24. Subba-Rao & Hayat (1985)
followed Graham (1969) to recognize 18 families excluding Agaonidae.
[Please refer to <Guide>
for more illustrations or <Expanded Key>]
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1a. Tarsi with 3 segments; antennae short, in
female almost with 2 funicule (= antennal segments
between the scape and club) (excluding ring-like segments); postmarginal
vein in fore wing generally absent; discal setae often arranged in
longitudinal lines; abdomen sessile and broadly attached to thorax; species
generally smaller, <1 mm. long; parasitic in eggs
of other insects .......... Trichogrammatidae <Habits>; <Adults> & <Juveniiles>
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1b. Tarsi with 4-5 segments, or 3 pairs differing in number of segments, or species
short-winged and associated with figs
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2a. Tarsi with 4 segments
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2b. Tarsi with 5 segments or 3 pairs differing in number of
segments, or species associated with figs
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3a. Head with antennal sockets much nearer to eyes than to each
other and frons with a transverse groove above antennal sockets; hind wing
basally like a stalk; marginal fringe of wings usually very long; stigmal
vein rudimentary; wings and legs long and slender; body generally
nonmetallic; parasitic in eggs of insects ............. Mymaridae <Habits>; <Adults> & <Juveniles>
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3b. Antennal
sockets nearer to each other than to eyes or transverse ridge or groove
above sockets absent; other characters mostly different
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4a. Mesopleuron large, undivided; middle coxa, with the thorax
in profile, nearer to the fore coxa than the hind coxa; marginal vein
usually short or pitted; marginal fringe very long, or antenna consists of
a scape, pedicel, 2-3 ringlike funicle segments and a long, unsegmented clava;
species small, <1 mm. long ......... Encyrtidae <Habits>; <Adults-1> & <Adults-2>;
& <Juveniles>
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4b. Mesopleuron either
not large and with a femoral groove, or marginal vein much longer than
broad; marginal fringe short; antenna different and species larger than
previous (4a)
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5a. Antenna funicle with 6 segments;
fore wing without speculum (= an area running obliquely from parastigma to
the hind margin) (parastigma = short broadened part at the junction of the
submarginal and marginal veins) .......... Tetracampidae <Habits>; <Adults>
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5b. Antenna funicle
with less than 6 segments; fore wing with a speculum
or hind coxa enlarged and compressed
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6a. Hind coxa much enlarged, compressed and disc-like; hind
tibia often with long bristles forming various configurations and with 2 long spurs; antenna with 3 funicle
segments and a conspicuous ring-like segment, in male usually branching;
fore wing long and narrow; marginal vein very long; prescutal suture lines
incomplete ........... Elasmidae <Habits>; <Adults> & <Juveniles>
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6b. Hind coxa not large
and compressed, if appearing so, then other characters different from
previous (6a); hind tibia at most with long bristles on dorsal
margin which do not form a pattern
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7a. Abdomen constricted at its junction with the propodeum;
mesopostphragma (= invagination) not projecting into abdomen; stigmal vein
forming at least an angle of ca. 35° with anterior margin of wing;
body at least partially metallic, or scutellum with a pair of impressed
submedian longitudinal lines .......... Eulophidae <Habits>; <Adults> & <Juveniles>
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7b. Abdomen
subsessile, broadly attached with the propodeum; petiole decidedly
transverse (= at right angles with longitudinal axis); mesopostphragma usually
at least a little projecting into abdomen; stigmal vein forming an acute
angle with anterior margin of wing; body not metallic; scutellum at most
with a faint median longitudinal line ........... Aphelinidae <Habits>; <Adults> & <Juveniles>
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8a. Head with antennal sockets much nearer to the eyes than to
each other and frons with a transverse ridge or groove above sockets; hind
wing basally narrow and like a stalk; marginal fringe of wings usually very
long; stigmal vein rudimentary; wings and legs long and slender; body
generally not metallic; parasitic in eggs of insects .......... Mymaridae <Habits>; <Adults> & <Juveniles>
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8b. Antennal
sockets nearer to each other than to eyes or transverse ridge or groove above
sockets absent; other characters mostly different than previous (8a)
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9a. Body mostly black and shiny, dorso-laterally flattened, in
outline elliptic and without constriction between thorax and abdomen; scutellum
in the form of a ribbon and the propodeum with a triangular impression;
antenna with the clava long, curved, unsegmented; funicle absent, but with 1-4 ring-like segments; legs
spiny ......... Signiphoridae <Habits>; <Adults> & <Juveniles>
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9b. Body constricted
between the propodeum and abdomen, or petiole distinct; scutellum not like
a ribbon; propodeum without triangular impression
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10a. Wingless or short-winged forms
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11b. Species not associated with figs
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12a. Mesopleuron large, convex, and without a suture or femoral groove;
basitarsus of middle tarsus with a double row of short, usually black,
peg-like spines beneath
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12b. Mesopleuron not
large and usually with a femoral groove, or heavily sculptured; if mesopleuron
appears as large as in previous (12a), then antenna with not
more than 6 segments; basitarsus of
middle leg without such thick spines beneath
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15a. Mesopleuron large, convex, horizontal and without a femoral
groove; middle tarsi with at least the basitarsus with a double row of short,
thick, peg-like spines beneath
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15b. Mesopleuron not
large and convex and usually with a femoral groove, or heavily sculptured;
if large and convex, then not longer than high, or basitarsus of middle leg
without peg-like spines
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16a. Prepectus usually very large, very conspicuous when thorax
is viewed from above; thorax short, stout; prescutal suture lines distinct,
converging behind; gall forming species ............. Tanaostigmatidae <Habits>; <Adults>
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16b. Prepectus not large; prescutal suture
lines rarely present
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17a. Middle coxa, with the thorax in profile, inserted at or
slightly in front of middle of mesopleuron; marginal vein usually shorter
or punctiform, sometimes absent; antenna with 1-7 funicle segments; prescutal
suture lines if present are indicated by fine lines only and rarely
complete ............ Encyrtidae <Habits>; <Adults-1> & <Adults-2>;
& <Juveniles>
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17b. Middle coxa
inserted at or near the hind end of mesopleuron; marginal vein usually much
longer than stigmal vein; antenna with 7
funicular segments (5 in Neanastatus);
mesoscutum with converging, shallow prescutal suture lines ........... Eupelmidae <Habits>; <Adults> & <Juveniles>
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18a. Prepectus fused with pronotum which is rigidly coadapted to
the mesopleuron; thorax inprofile short and high; abdomen often with 1 or 2 tergites visible in dorsal
view; prescutal sutures usually complete
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18b. Prepectus not
fused with pronotum; thorax not high; other characters same or different as
previous (18a)
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19a. Head in front view somewhat triangular; antennal scape
shorter than 1st segment of funicle;
pronotum reduced and not visible when viewed from above; mandibles large
and sickle-shaped (but rudimentary in Indosema); scutellum often
with 2 horns or apically forked;
abdomen petiolate, petiole sometimes very long; antenna in males often
branched; species associated with ants ......... Eucharitidae <Habits>; <Adults> & <Juveniles>
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19b. Head not
triangular; pronotum well-developed and visible when thorax is viewed from
above; mandibles not sickle-shaped; petiole usually short and transverse;
abdomen triangular in profile; antenna in male not branched ......... Perilampidae <Habits>; <Adults> & <Juveniles>
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20a. Body smooth and shiny, without conspicuous sculpture, only
occasionally with some delicate punctures, not metallic, either yellow or
black; head prognathous; mandibles in female somewhat serrate; females
long-winged; stigmal vein almost 90° to marginal vein; front tibia
very short; males wingless; associated with figs .......... Agaonidae <Habits>; <Adults>
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20b. Not having the
previous (20a) characteristics
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21a. Hind femur swollen and with teeth on ventral edge, or
ventral edge lobed; thorax with coarse and usually dense hairy punctations;
body often more than 3 mm. long, mostly not metallic,
black or black with yellow or red; cerci reduced to low tubercles;
prepectus small, fore wing a narrow plate near tegula
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21b. Hind femur not
swollen and with teeth or lobes, if so then thorax at most with net-like
patterns; prepectus larger and extending ventrad
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22a. Tegula much longer than broad; fore wing folded
longitudinally as in wasps; ovipositor exserted and turned backwards over
the abdomen and often lying in a groove along the dorsum of abdomen;
marginal vein of fore wing short, at most 3X as
long as broad, not longer than stigmal; postmarginal vein very long;
parasitoids of bees and solitary wasps ............ Leucospidae
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22b. Tegula relatively shorter than previous (22a), rarely
more than 2.5 times as long as broad; ovipositor normal; marginal vein of
fore wing longer than stigmal, postmarginal vein short or often
rudimentary ............ Chalcididae <Habits>; <Adults> & <Juveniles>
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23a. Hind coxa usually larger, ca. 3X or more as large as the front coxa; pronotum large;
prescutal suture lines complete, though sometimes superficial; marginal
vein very long and stigmal vein very short, often with a club-like
projection; antenna with 13 segments; hind femur often
swollen and with teeth
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23b. Hind coxa not
so large, or other characters different; if prescutal suture lines complete
and stigmal vein short, then antenna with less than 13 segments
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24a. Abdomen heavily sclerotized, coarsely sculptured, often
with large pits; thorax contrastingly shiny, without punctations, or these
very sparse; prescutal suture lines shallow; cerci reduced to tubercles
......... Ormyridae <Habits>; <Adults> & <Juveniles>
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24b. Abdomen not sclerotized
and not heavily sculptured, often with very long ovipositor; prescutal
suture lines complete and deep; cerci well developed and elongated ........... Torymidae
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25a. Hind coxa enlarged, flattened and disc-like; hind tibia
with a row of long bristles on dorsal margin and with two apical spurs;
fore wing with 1-3 long bristles on disc below submarginal vein; and antenna
with 8 segments ......... Aphelinidae <Habits>; <Adults> & <Juveniles>
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25b. Hind coxa not
enlarged and flattened; hind tibia without long bristles on dorsal margin;
setation of fore wing usually different than previous (25a)
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26a. Antenna with 3-9 segments; postmarginal vein usually absent or short, rarely
as long as stigmal vein
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26b. Antenna with 10-13 segments; postmarginal vein
as long as or longer than stigmal, rarely otherwise
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27a. Abdomen sessile or subsessile, petiole transverse (= at
right angles to longitudinal axis), often invisible; mesopostphragma at
least slightly protruding into abdomen; marginal vein long, stigmal and
postmarginal veins short; prescutal suture lines complete but shifted
outwardly; if abdomen appears petiolate then stigmal and postmarginal veins
well developed and parastigma with 2 or 2 very long bristles. ......... Aphelinidae <Habits>; <Adults> & <Juveniles>
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27b. Abdomen petiolate,
the petiole clearly visible and often not transverse; mesopostphragma does
not project into abdomen; venation different than previous (27a); if
abdomen sessile then prescutal suture lines not shifted outwardly
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28a. Pronotum
large and long or nearly quadrate, as broad as mesoscutum; prescutal suture
lines complete; body not metallic (except in Chrysieda and Nikanoria);
abdomen convex, mostly polished; thorax with hairy punctations; species mostly
black, sometimes yellow or yellow with black and brown; antenna with 12 segments,
if with 13 segments then having 1-3 ring-like segments ........... Eurytomidae <Habits>; <Adults> & <Juveniles>
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28b. Pronotum short,
if long then thorax not punctate, often with metallic shine; antenna mostly
different from previous (28a)
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29a. Discal pubescence of fore wing uniform and complete;
postmarginal vein long; marginal vein at least 4X as long as the short stigmal vein; antenna at most with 12 segments; prescutal suture lines complete; males in some
species have tarsi with 4 segments; not very common
......... Tetracampidae
<Habits>;
<Adults>
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29b. Discal
pubescence usually absent in basal 1/3rd of fore wing, if otherwise then antenna with 13 segments and prescutal suture lines often incomplete
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30a. Antenna funicle with 7
segments, ring-like segment small; thorax generally densely hairy;
prescutal suture lines complete, though often shallow ........... Eupelmidae <Habits>; <Adults> & <Juveniles>
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30b. Not with the
previous (30a) characteristics; if funicle of antenna with 7 segments, then femora of fore and hind legs at least
slightly broadened; mesopleuron always with an oblique groove ........... Pteromalidae <Habits>; <Adults> & <Juveniles>
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REFERENCES:
Subba-Rao,
B. R. & M. Hayat. 1988. The Chalcidoidea
(Insecta: Hymenoptera) of India and the
Adjacent Countries, p. 169-310. In: B. R. Subba Rao & M. Hayat (eds.),
Oriental Insects,
Vol. 19. Association For The Study of Oriental.
Insects, Gainesville, FL. 329 p.
Graham,
M. W. R. de V. 1969. The Pteromalidae of
northwestern Europe (Hymenoptera:
Chalcidoidea). Bull. Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist. Ent., Suppl.
No. 16. 908 p.
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