Chlerogas Vachal 1904

Key to species of Chlerogas

The key presented here is corrected and updated from that provided by Engel and Gonzalez (2009).

1. Antenna with 10 flagellar articles; medioapical margin of metasomal tergum V entire (males)......................................................................................... 2

– Antenna with nine flagellar articles; medioapical margin of metasomal tergum V with slit (females)......................................................................... 11

2(1). Metasomal terga metallic green to blue; legs dark brown to black............... 3

– Metasomal terga and legs largely amber to brown or black, not metallic..... 4

3(2). Integument between punctures ventrally on mesepisternum polished smooth or very faintly imbricate and shining; basal area of propodeum with weak striae in basal quarter to third (Peru)........................... C. chlerogas (Vachal)

– Integument between punctures ventrally on mesepisternum strongly imbricate and weakly shining; basal area of propodeum with distinct and complete striae (Colombia, Ecuador).............................. C. cyaneus Brooks & Engel

4(2). Head and mesosoma not metallic, brown to black; leg coloration variable.... 5

– Head and mesosoma metallic green to blue, sometimes coloration is rather subdued on mesosoma and face (i.e., C. tatamaensis); legs largely amber, nev- er entirely dark brown to black................................................................... 7

5(4). Legs largely amber; apex of clypeus with transverse amber marking............ 6

– Legs dark brown to black, without amber podites or markings; apex of clypeus with narrow brown or amber (Bolivia)............... C. aterrimus sp. n.

6(5). Metasomal sterna I–III brown (Peru)................. C. hirsutipennis Cockerell

– Metasomal sterna I–III amber (Ecuador).................. C. cooperi Engel et al.

7(4). Metasomal terga I and II amber with transverse dark brown bands............ 8

– Metasomal terga I and II entirely amber (Colombia).................................................................................................... C. colombiensis Brooks & Engel

8(7). Antennal scape dark brown to black........................................................... 9

– Antennal scape entirely amber (Venezuela)............ C. tiara Brooks & Engel

9(8). Apical margin of metasomal sternum V deeply concave........................... 10

– Apical margin of metasomal sternum V entire (Venezuela)............................................................................................. C. araguaensis Brooks & Engel

10(9). Integument around median line of mesoscutum with well defined, small punctures separated by 0.5–1.75 times puncture width and imbricate; metallic green of head and mesosoma brilliant and shining (Venezuela)......................................................................................... C. townesi Brooks & Engel

– Integument around median line of mesoscutum granulose and imbricate, with shallow, ill-defined largely contiguous punctures; metallic green of head and mesosoma dark and subdued, particularly on mesosoma where it appears largely as highlights dorsally or as dark metallic green on pleura and propodeum (Colombia).................................. C. tatamaensis Engel & Gonzalez

11(1). Metasomal terga metallic green to blue, or nearly black with scattered metallic highlights; legs dark brown to black, without amber coloration........... 12

– Metasomal terga without metallic coloration, instead amber and/or brown; legs largely amber, although some with extensive brown markings........... 15

12(11). Basal area of propodeum with distinct striae, sometimes only basally....... 13

– Basal area of propodeum granular, without distinct striae......................... 14

13(12). Basal area of propodeum with distinct and complete striae; integument between punctures ventrally on mesepisternum strongly imbricate and weakly shining; malar space to compound eye length ratio 0.37 (Colombia, Ecuador).................................................................. C. cyaneus Brooks & Engel

– Basal area of propodeum with weak striae in basal quarter to third; integument between punctures ventrally on mesepisternum polished smooth or very faintly imbricate and shining; malar space to compound eye length ratio 0.48 (Peru).................................................................. C. chlerogas (Vachal)

14(12). Head and mesosoma dark metallic blue-green or green with blue and purple highlights; metasoma metallic green with scattered to strong blue to purple highlights (Bolivia)...................................... C. boliviensis Brooks & Engel

– Head and mesosoma black to dark brown with faint metallic highlights; metasoma black to dark brown (Bolivia)........................ C. aterrimus sp. n.

15(11). Face brilliant metallic green or brassy green.............................................. 16

– Face black or dark brown, with green or gold highlights (Ecuador)............................................................................................... C. cooperi Engel et al.

16(15). Mesoscutum with median longitudinal area of dark brown to black, nonmetallic integument, laterally metallic green................................................. 17

– Mesoscutum entirely metallic green (Colombia)..... C. nephos Brooks & Engel

17(16). Metasomal tergum II almost entirely brown; malar space to compound eye length ratio 0.32 (Venezuela)................................ C. tiara Brooks & Engel

– Metasomal tergum II entirely amber, or nearly so; malar space to compound eye length ratio 0.41 (Venezuela)...................... C. townesi Brooks & Engel