How to use this key
hop to: home jump-in points
This key is constructed using basic html, and is intended to function like a printed dichotomous key, but it can be used for non-linear approaches to identification by advanced users. Bolded characters are either unique or relatively distinctive, and are well worth memorizing for sight identification. Advancing in the key is done simply by clicking the links. When a genus is keyed, a link is provided. Clicking this link brings the user to a summary page for that genus, which includes a diagnosis, known relatively reliable host information, a comments section, and most importantly, a comparative section listing the differences between the genus and each genus likely to be confused with it in turn. The comparative section is the most important advantage of this key over other existing keys, as it seeks to overcome limitations involved in linear dichotomous keys to insure the user has access to the best information available to identify specimens. Such advantages should be clear to anyone who has consulted diagnoses to insure that a specimen has been keyed properly. It is relatively easy to make a mistake in a dichotomous key, but consulting the comparative sections and diagnoses should greatly reduce the chances of error. I have striven to provide the most accurate information possible, and any mistakes found in this key should be reported to me immediately so that I can fix the problem.
Each couplet and generic home-page has a set of links allowing the user to hop to different parts of the key in non-linear fashion. These links are abbreviated as follows: Eul refers to sections of the Eulophid subfamily key, eul to the main body of the Eulophinae key, cir to the key to Eulophines with 2 funicular segments, ent to the main body of the Entedoninae key, euderom to the Euderomphalini key, and eud to the Entiinae key. These links are chosen to represent helpful jumping-in points for users experienced in the use of this key. Also, these pages have a prev link that allows genera to be keyed out in reverse, beginning at the genus list.
Eul 1: Beginning of key.
Eul 4: Series separating most Entedoninae,
Eulophinae, Entiinae, and Tetrastichinae.
cir 1: Eulophinae with 2 funicular segments.
euderom 1: Euderomphalini, tiny Entedonine parasitoids of whiteflies.
eul 1: Beginning of key to
Eulophinae with >2 funicular segments.
eul 5: Branch between forms with complete notauli
and forms with incomplete notauli.
eul 10: Elachertus-group genera that are
not always easily sight-identified.
eul 14: Elachertus and genera very
similar to it.
eul 17: Beginning of key to Eulophinae with
incomplete notauli and >2 funicular segments.
eul 20: Eulophinae that must often be separated
using a combination of characters.
eul 24: Begin forms near Necremnus and Sympiesis
that are not easily sight-identified.
eul 27: The more difficult genera, near Necremnus
and Sympiesis.
ent 1: Beginning of key to
Entedoninae excluding Euderomphalini.
ent 5: Forms with vertexal suture (except Goetheana,
which is easily sight-identified).
ent 10: Branch between forms near Horismenus,
with the mesepisternal extension, and remaining genera.
ent 13: Genera past the Horismenus-group
branch, begin large-bodied Entedonines and Emersonella.
ent 16: Genera more similar to Chrysocharis and
the Omphale-Closterocerus group
ent 21: More difficult genera, some of them
requiring slide-mounted specimens.
ent 26: Omphale-Closterocerus group.
eud 1: Beginning of key to
Entiinae.
eud 5: Entiinae without a median propodeal carina.