Key to females of the Neotropical species of Centistes

1. Pit on mesoscutum present (Figs 30, 40, 47, 61, 68, 75, 117, 138, 145, 166, 173 and 180).............................2

- Pit on mesosctum absent...............................................................................13

2(1). Vertex, temple, and median mesonotal lobe extensively pubescent (Figs 47, 117 and 166)............................3

- Vertex, temple, and median mesonotal lobe almost glabrous, only a few scattered setae. If a dense pubescence is present it is restricted to the anterior half of the median mesonotal lobe (Figs 124 and 145).....................................5

3(2). Vein Rs+M absent (Figs 21–23).............................................................. C. pilosus n. sp.

- Vein Rs+M present as a short stub (Fig. 24).................................................................4

4(3). Head completely yellow; ovipositor sheath ± 2.5 × as long as basal width............................ C. hirsutus n. sp.

- Head dorsally dark brown-black, and genae, face and clypeus yellow; ovipositor sheath Ż 3.0 × as long as basal width.......................................................................................... C. auricephalus n. sp.

5(2). Vein Rs+M complete (Fig. 25)........................................................................... 6

- Vein Rs+M either present as a short stub or absent (Figs 21–24).................................................8

6(5). Ovipositor short and broad, ovipositor sheath ± 2.0 × longer than basal width; pterostigma Ż 3.0 × longer than maximum width

........................................................................................ C. sergeyi n. sp. - Ovipositor long and narrow, ovipositor sheath Ż 3.0 × longer than basal width; pterostigma ± 4.0 × longer than maximum width............................................................................................... 7

7(6). Ovipositor sheaths apically pointed; lateral ocellus separated from compound eye by a distance 2.0 × ocellar width........................................................................................... .. C. cartagoensis n. sp.

- Ovipositor sheaths apically truncated; lateral ocellus separated from compound eye by a distance equal to ocellar width....................................................................................... C. puntarenensis n. sp.

8(5). Hypopygium with clasper-like structures.................................................... C. bicaudatus n. sp.

- Hypopygium without clasper-like structures................................................................9

9(8). Ovipositor sheaths long, narrow, and parallel-sided (Figs 32, 140, and 147).......................................10

- Ovipositor short, broad, basally widened and apically pointed (Figs 42 and 70)....................................12

10(9). Face yellow........................................................................ C. longicaudatus n. sp.

- Face black or dark brown..............................................................................11

11(10). Fore wing with stigma brown; head in dorsal view with eyes prominently bulging...................... C. marshi n. sp.

- Fore wing with stigma yellow; head in dorsal view with eyes not prominently bulging as before....... C. achterbergi n. sp.

12(9). Vein Rs+M absent....................................................................... C. cabecares n. sp.

- Vein Rs+M present as a short stub...................................................... C. acuticaudatus n. sp.

13(1). Vein Rs+M either complete or present as a short stub (Figs 24 and 25)...........................................14

- Vein Rs+M absent (Figs 21–23).........................................................................19

14(13). Vein Rs+M complete (Fig. 25)..........................................................................15

- Vein Rs+M present as a short stub (Fig. 24)................................................................18

15(14). Notauli deeply impressed throughout its longitude (Figs 5 and 159)............................................. 16

- Notauli either absent or impressed only anteriorly (Figs 12 and 103)............................................17

16(15). Body color mostly black-dark brown; front and middle femora normal, not particularly thickened; ovipositor sheath 1.7 × as long as basal width.................................................................. C. epicaeri Muesebeck

- Head, propodeum and terga black; mesoscutum, mesopleuron, mesosternum and sterna orange; front and middle femora stout; ovipositor sheath ± 1.0 × as long as basal width............................................. C. ornamentum n. sp.

17(15). Body mostly orange-yellow; ovipositor sheaths relatively long, length> 3.0 × basal width................ C. gasseni Shaw

- Body mostly black-dark brown; ovipositor sheaths relatively short, length <2.0 × basal width............ .. C. gauldi n. sp.

18(14). Ovipositor sheaths cup-shaped; ovipositor sheath <1.5 × as long as basal width; hind femora thick, hind femora length 4.1 × maximum width; fore wing with pterostigma brown.......................................... C. laticaudatus n. sp.

- Ovipositor sheaths finger-like; ovipositor sheath> 2.0 × as long as basal width; hind femora thin, hind femora length 5.0‾6.0 × maximum width; fore wing with pterostigma yellow........................................... C. auristigma n. sp.

19(13). Hypopygium with clasper-like structures.................................................. .. C. chorotegus n. sp.

- Hypopygium without clasper-like structures...............................................................20

20(19). Precoxal sulcus absent; posterior border of hypopygium sinuate.............................. .. C. curvicaudatus n. sp.

- Precoxal sulcus present; posterior border of hypopygium otherwise but never sinuate...............................21

21(20). Body stout; femora particularly thick; ovipositor sheath length 1.0‾1.2 × basal width................. C. compactus n. sp.

- Neither body nor legs particularly stout as above; ovipositor sheath length Ż 2.0 × basal width........................22

22(21). Ovipositor sheaths short and broad; ovipositor sheath 2.0 × as long as basal width.................... .. C. hansoni n. sp.

- Ovipositor sheaths longer and narrow; ovipositor sheath 3.0 × as long as basal width...............................23

23(22). Notauli deeply impressed only anteriorly.................................................... C. muertensis n. sp.

- Notauli absent.......................................................................................24

24(23). Face black-dark brown; median mesonotal lobe anteriorly densely pubescent, posteriorly glabrous......... C. janzeni n. sp.

- Face yellow; median mesonotal lobe thoroughly glabrous, occasionally with a few scattered setae..... .. C. zurquiensis n. sp.