Genus Epeolus Latreille, 1802

Diagnosis for the ‘ Trophocleptria group’ within Epeolus

Members of the presumably monophyletic ‘ Trophocleptria group’ within Epeolus share the following diagnostic features: 1) the penis lacks the pair of divergent, fleshy lateral lobes present in at least all other New World male Epeolus (Fig. 1) (such lobes are also absent in all other Epeolini genera); 2) in both sexes, the pronotal collar is relatively straight (as opposed to convex) along its anterior margin, and is in most species distinctly elongate (medial length ~1 MOD) (Fig. 2); 3) the mesoscutellum (except in E. pulchellus) is depressed along its posterior margin beneath a distinct overhanging ridge, which in several species is produced to two posteriorly directed teeth (Fig. 3); and 4) there is a pair of sparsely punctate to impunctate protrusions on the frontal area, each of which is located near the upper mesal margin of the compound eye (Fig. 4A), although these are greatly reduced/inconspicuous in several species (Fig. 4B) (such protrusions are absent in other Epeolus). Furthermore, each mesopleuron (except in E. fumipennis) has a carina delineating its anterior and lateral surfaces, whereas in other New World Epeolus spp. the anterior and lateral surfaces of each mesopleuron are not clearly differentiated from one another (Fig. 5).