Xylocopa Neoxylocopa

Key to species of the Xylocopa (Neoxylocopa) present in Argentina

Females

1. Pubescence in part ferruginous on mesosoma or metasoma..................................................... 2 - Pubescence entirely black...............................................................................4 2. Ferruginous pubescence restricted along sides and apex of metasoma (Fig. 9)............................... X. augusti - Ferruginous pubescence restricted to mesosoma.............................................................3 3. T2-T3 with median pubescence short, 0.3–0.6 times MOD; gena narrow and densely punctate; tegula dark brown..........

.......................................................................................... X. tacanensis - T2–T3 with median pubescence long, 1.1–1.3 times MOD; gena wide and sparsely punctate; tegula ferruginous or light brown

............................................................................................. X. eximia 4. Integument of metasomal terga I–IV or I–V with reddish bands (Figs. 11, 12), if the integument is completely black, then

scutellum is angled as seen in profile...................................................................... 5 - Integument of metasomal terga without reddish bands, completely black, scutellum not angled in profile................ 6 5. Face with conspicuous carina below lateral ocelli (Fig. 4); scutellum gently rounded as seen in profile; T2–T3 with short and

scattered hairs, generally specimens more than 30 mm long............................................. X. frontalis - Face without conspicuous carina below lateral ocelli; scutellum angle as seen in profile; T2–T3 with short and abundant hairs,

generally specimens less than 30 mm long....................................................... X. nigrocincta 6. T2 and basal third of T3 with median pubescence very short, barely exiting the insertion puncture, 0.2–0.4 times MOD,

remaining of T3 with hairs 3–4 times longer than those on T2; supraorbital area wide (3.5–4.1 times DOM)….… X. mendozana - T2–T3 with median pubescence short, hairs 0.3–0.5 times MOD, noticeably surparsing the insertion puncture; supraorbital

area narrow (2.4–2.8 times DOM)........................................................... X. atamisquensis

Males

Note: the male of X. tacanensis is unknown. Plumose hairs intermixed with simple hairs can be found on T 2–5 in all males studied.

1. T2–T3 with small contiguous punctures and median pubescence very short, barely surpassing the insertion puncture and apparently hairless (Fig. 25)........................................................................ X. mendozana

- T2–T3 with punctures separated by one or more times puncture width, but never contiguous; median pubescence variable.. 2

2. T2–T3 with median pubescence short (0.1–0.3 times MOD); ventral surface of posterior tibia with pubescence distributed throughout the surface (Fig. 30). Specimens more than 30 mm long. Genitalia, in dorsal view, with sphata strongly curved (Fig. 36)........................................................................................ X. frontalis

- T2–T3 with median pubescence long, abundant and dense; ventral surface of posterior tibia with pubescence distributed either basally, medially or subaplically. Specimens less than 30 mm long Genitalia, in dorsal view, with sphata not strongly curved..................................................................................................... 3

3. T2–T3 with median pubescence short, (0.4–0.7 times MOD); ventral surface of the posterior tibia with pubescence restricted to the basal and median parts (Fig. 32). Genitalia, in dorsal view apex of pennis valve abruptly narrowed (Fig. 56)..................................................................................................... X. nigrocincta

- T2–T3 with median pubescence long more than 0.7 times MOD; ventral surface of the posterior tibia with pubescence variable.................................................................................................... 4

4. Ventral surface of the posterior tibia with pubescence forming two separate tufts (basal and subapical) and median small notch on the posterior edge (Fig. 28).................................................................... X. augusti

- Ventral surface of the posterior tibia with pubescence forming one tuft (Fig. 27, 29); posterior tibia without a median small notch on the posterior edge.............................................................................. 5

5. T6–7 with dark brown to black pubescence (Fig. 23); ventral surface of the posterior tibia with pubescence restricted to the base (Fig. 29). Genitalia, in ventral view, with apex of gonostyle as in figure 47............................. X. eximia

- T6–7 with ferruginous pubescence (Fig. 21); ventral surface of the posterior tibia with pubescence forming one tuft (basalmiddle) (Fig. 27). Genitalia, in ventral view, with apex of gonostyle as in figure 45..................... X. atamisquensis