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Key to northern European
Ascogaster
Hymenoptera
Braconidae
Cheloninae
Ascogaster
How to use
Steps
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Carapace coloration
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1. Carapace blackish.
2. Carapace with lighter areas in the basal third.
3. Carapace yellow or red for more than its basal third.
Clypeus
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1. Clypeus straight and with one large denticle in the middle.
2. Clypeus with two denticles.
3. Clypeus with three (often small) denticles.
4. Clypeus either rounded and with with a single denticle in the middle or without denticles.
Antennae
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Antennae with more than 25 segments.
Antennae with 25 or fewer segments.
Head coloration
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Head with lighter areas, often almost completely yellow or red.
Head completely black.
Face
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Face more smooth and punctate, sculpture similar to that of the clypeus.
Face strongly and irregularly rugose, usually contrasting with the much smoother clypeus.
Carapace shape
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Carapace "curved" so that the ventral opening is less than 0.8 as long as its total length.
Carapace weakly "curved", ventral opening more than 0.8 as long as its total length.
Mandibles
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Each mandibles with a strong, large and semi circular depression at its base visible as a distinct plane in oblique illumination
Mandibles without basal depression or with a weaker depression of a different shape.
Carapce flanges
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Each side of the carapace with a distinct downwards pointed flanges at its base.
If carapce with flangles then they are not pointed downwards.
Temple length
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1. Temples shorter then eye in dorsal view.
2. Temples about equal to or slightly longer than eye in dorsal view.
3. Temples around 1.5 times as long as eye in dorsal view.
Propodeum
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Propodeum with a pair of distinct and large lateral denticles and another strong pair in the middle.
Propodeum with a pair of distinct and large lateral denticles but with weak or without denticles in the middle.
Propodeum without or with very weak denticles.
Vertex flanges
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Temples straight and produced backwards on each side into a strong flange.
Temples without flanges.
Abdomen shape
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Abdomen short, widest around its center.
Abdomen long, clearly widest in its posterior third.
Scutellum
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Scutellum smooth and punctate.
Scutellum mate and with coarse rugose punctation.
Female carapace
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Female carapace distinctly emarginate posteriorly.
Female carapace not emerginate posteriorly.
Hind coxae
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Hind coxae largely orange or yellow.
Hind coxae black.
Temple shape
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Temples relatively straight and distinctly contracting behind the eyes.
Temples rounded and usually somewhat expanded behind the eyes.
Likely taxa
Ascogaster abdominator
Ascogaster albitarsus
Ascogaster annularis
Ascogaster bidentula
Ascogaster canifrons
Ascogaster consobrina
Ascogaster gonocephala
Ascogaster grahami
Ascogaster klugii
Ascogaster magnidentis
Ascogaster quadridentata
Ascogaster rufidens
Ascogaster rufipes
Ascogaster scabricula
Ascogaster similis
Ascogaster varipes
Info
This key includes almost all species of
Ascogaster
that are known from northern Europe. Only one species which is practically never mentioned in the available literature,
A. lapponicus
, is excluded. It should work for both females and males.
Missing species
Ascogaster lapponicus
References
Farahani, S., Talebi, A., Achterberg, C., & Rakhshani, E. (2014). A review of species of the genus
Ascogaster
Wesmael (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Cheloninae) from Iran.
Far Eastern Entomologist
, 275, 1–12.
Finlands Artdatacenter (2024). LAJI.FI: Ascogaster.
https://laji.fi/sv/taxon/MX.297055
[2024-04-24]
Huddleston, T. (1984). The Palaearctic species of Ascogaster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae).
Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology, 49
(5), 341–392.
Medvedev, G. S. (1986).
Keys to the insects of the European USSR (Opredelitel nasekomykh Evropeiskoi chasti SSSR). Vol: 3 Hymenoptera. Part 4
. Akademiia nauk SSSR Zoologicheskii Institut.
SLU Artdatabanken (2024). Artfakta: Ascogaster.
https://artfakta.se/taxa/1014330
[2024-04-24]
