Leucospis Fabricius 1775

Key to New World species of Leucospis

(modified from Bouček 1974a)

1 Hind femur extremely stout, on ventral margin with small basal tooth and only 4 or 5 long slender teeth (figs 3A, 5A); body robust, ovipositor extremely short (Fig. 3A)........................................................ 2

1' Hind femur less stout, on ventral margin with broad basal tooth followed by 7 or more smaller teeth (figs 3B, 5B); body often not very robust, ovipositor never unusually short (except L. pinna)....................................... 4

2(1) Gaster posteriorly black, with orange cross-bands on broadest part and on tergite I (Fig. 3D); fore wing mostly dark brown; pilosity on mesosoma whitish, rather short, on gaster laterally each hair hardly reaching beyond next puncture....................................................................................... L. slossonae Weld, 1922

2' Gaster posteriorly with extensive yellow markings consisting of a broad band on tergite V and at least another narrower band on tergite VI (Fig. 3E); fore wing pale brown but usually slightly darker anteriorly and apically; pilosity otherwise, mostly much longer than above....................................................................... 3

3(2') Tergite I extensively yellow; pronotum posteriorly with broad yellow band, its sides red; mesosoma laterally mostly reddish brown; legs extensively red; punctation on disc of tergite V often longitudinally confluent but transversely with interspaces generally broader than half width of punctures; hairs on pronotum and gaster mainly pale, fairly long, not very dense; wings usually yellowish; epipygium in female black; tergite IV in female medially with punctures in about 4 crossrows; male scape partly yellow.................................................... L. texana Cresson, 1872

3' Tergite I black; pronotum posteriorly with narrow yellow band reduced at sides; mesosoma laterally mostly black; hind femur apart from upper pale line mainly black but often reddish brown above teeth and at base; punctation on disc of gaster dense, interspaces usually narrow; hairs on black part of pronotum and on anterior part of gaster brown; wings brownish; epipygium in female with yellow streaks; tergite IV in female with punctures medially in about 6 cross-rows; male apex of gaster laterad median depression broadly yellow, scape black................. L. rileyi Schletterer, 1890

4(1') Lower tooth of mandibles long, separated from upper edge by a broad semicircular gap, visible even when mandibles closed (Figs 9F, 10E, 11F, 12E, 13F); propodeum often unusually densely pilose (Figs 9B, 10B, 11B, 13B, 13H), body often with vivid metallic tinge; pronotum without premarginal carina......................................... 5

4' Lower tooth of mandibles mostly short and broad, always separated from the upper edge by a triangular excision (figs 14I, 21F, 22F, 23F); propodeum mostly not very densely pubescent (exception: L. sumichrastii, Figs 3B, 3C); body with or without metallic tinge; premarginal carina of pronotum present or absent..................................... 13

5(4) Upper part of hind coxal depression with broad smooth area which extends to base and upper edge (Figs 6C, 9H, 10F); ovipositor long, reaching mesosoma (Fig. 9A); dorsellum not carinate (Figs 9B, 10B)............................... 6

5' Hind coxal depression punctate, or, if partly smooth, the impunctate area not reaching base of coxa (Figs 11H, 12F); ovipositor often short, not reaching mesosoma (Figs 11A, 13A); dorsellum posteriorly more or less carinate (Fig. 13H).... 7

6(5) Apex of gaster brown-golden, with unusually long thick pilosity; smooth area of hind coxa confined to upper half of depression (Fig. 6C); dorsellum weakly convex; hind femur near ventral edge rather densely punctate............................................................................................. L. mexicana Walker, 1862