Chalcis, Fabricius, 1787

Saguiah, Pâmella Machado, Molin, Ana Dal & Tavares, Marcelo Teixeira, 2020, The South American species of Chalcis Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae), Zootaxa 4885 (3), pp. 353-383 : 355-356

Key to species of Chalcis from South America based on females

1 Mesepisternum mostly smooth and shiny over least upper quarter ( Fig. 11e); mesotibial spur distinctly longer than half width of mesotibial apex; outer face of metafemur with interstices moderately to very wide, smooth and shiny ( Figs 12a, 19e); tarsal claws falcate ( Figs 3f, 11f).............................................................................. 2

- Mesepisternum mostly sculptured ( Figs 5e, 8e, 14e); mesotibial spur at most as long as half width of mesotibial apex; outer face of metafemur with interstices narrow and sculptured, at least finely coriaceous ( Figs 1f, 6b); tarsal claws slightly curved ( Figs 1e, 6a, 15a).......................................................................................... 5

2 Antennal anellus shorter than wide ( Fig. 11d); propodeum with anterosublateral area areolate-rugose ( Fig. 12b); protarsomeres 4 and 5 without a pair of peg-like spines ventrally; Fu1 1.6× as long as Fu2 ( Fig. 11d); hind leg and gaster dark amber ( Figs 11a, b); hypopygial median projection of female apically weakly sclerotized, translucent, and without dense set of short appressed bristles ( Fig. 12c).................................................................. Chalcis periotoi sp. nov.

- Antennal anellus longer than wide ( Figs 3e, 17d, 19d); propodeum with anterosublateral area mostly coriaceous, not areolate ( Figs 4b, 18b, 19f); protarsomeres 4 and 5 with a pair of peg-like spines ventrally ( Figs 3f, 17e); Fu1 at most 1.5× as long as Fu2 ( Figs 3e, 17d, 19d); hind leg and gaster black or dark brown except usually with yellow spots; hypopygial median projection of female without evident weakly sclerotized apex, but with dense set of short appressed bristles ( Figs 4c, 20a)............. 3

3 Metafemur ventrally with an inner basal tooth ( Fig. 18a); petiole 5.2× as long as wide........... Chalcis quechua sp. nov.

- Metafemur ventrally without inner basal tooth; petiole at most 4.6× as long as wide................................. 4

4 Interantennal projection with median carina extending to median ocellus ( Fig. 3d); metafemur with 13–15 ventral teeth along outer margin ( Fig. 4a); propodeum with a well-defined pentagonal areola medial to adpetiolar area, areola with a T- or Y-shaped median carina at posterior margin ( Fig. 4b)............................................ Chalcis danunciae sp. nov.

- Interantennal projection with median carina not extending to median ocellus ( Fig. 19c); metafemur with 11 ventral teeth along outer margin ( Fig. 19e); propodeum with a narrow areola medial to adpetiolar area ( Fig. 19f).... Chalcis winstonae sp. nov.

5 Mesosoma entirely black ( Fig. 1b); lower face bulging above clypeus ( Fig. 1d); malar space 0.8× eye height ( Fig. 1c); metatarsomere 5 slightly longer than any of metatarsomeres 1–4 ( Fig. 2a)............................... Chalcis boi sp. nov.

- Mesosoma with at least some yellow markings dorsally; lower face not bulging above clypeus; malar space at most 0.7× eye height; metatarsomere 1 slightly longer than any of metatarsomeres 2–5.......................................... 6

6 Petiole 3.2–3.7× as long as wide, cylindrical ( Fig. 5a); metafemur ventrally with outer basal tooth close to second tooth ( Fig. 6b); metatibia with apical spine slender and longer than apical width of metatibia ( Fig. 6b); protarsal claws ventrally with 4 or 5 basal spines ( Fig. 6a).......................................................... Chalcis intervalensis sp. nov.

- Petiole at most 2.6× as long as wide, with dorsal face flat ( Figs 8a, 14a); metafemur ventrally with outer basal tooth distant from second tooth ( Figs 9b, 15b); metatibia with apical spine either triangular and shorter ( Fig. 9b) or robust and longer than apical width of metatibia ( Fig. 15c); protarsal claws ventrally with 2–4 basal denticles ( Figs 9a, 15a)........................ 7

7 Antennal scape with inner face flattened ( Figs 14c, d); metafemur ventrally with 7–9 teeth along outer margin ( Fig. 15b); metatibia with apical spine robust and longer than apical width of metatibia ( Fig. 15c); tarsomeres 4 and 5 pubescent, at least laterally, and with a pair of distal setae similar to basal tarsomeres ( Fig. 14f); protarsal claws ventrally with 3 or 4 basal denticles followed by 3 peg-like setae ( Fig. 15a)............................................. Chalcis pilicauda (Cameron)

- Antennal scape with inner face sinuous ( Fig. 8d); metafemur ventrally with 10–12 teeth along outer margin ( Fig. 9b); metatibia with apical spine triangular and about as long as apical width of metatibia ( Fig. 9b); tarsomeres 4 and 5 almost bare, mostly smooth and shiny, with inconspicuous, short and sparse pubescence ( Fig. 8f); protarsal claws ventrally with 2 or 3 basal denticles followed by 3 curved setae ( Fig. 9a)......................................... Chalcis ornatifrons (Cameron)