Xylocopa (Neoxylocopa)

Lucia, Mariano, Alvarez, Leopoldo J. & Abrahamovich, Alberto H., 2014, Large carpenter bees in Argentina: systematics and notes on the biology of Xylocopa subgenus Neoxylocopa (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Zootaxa 3754 (3), pp. 201-238 : 204-205

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. T 2 -T 3 with median pubescence short, 0.3–0.6 times MOD; gena narrow and densely punctate; tegula dark brown..........

.......................................................................................... X. tacanensis - T 2 –T 3 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; T 2 –T 3 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; T 2 –T 3 with short and abundant hairs,

generally specimens less than 30 mm long....................................................... X. nigrocincta 6. T 2 and basal third of T 3 with median pubescence very short, barely exiting the insertion puncture, 0.2–0.4 times MOD,

remaining of T 3 with hairs 3–4 times longer than those on T 2; supraorbital area wide (3.5–4.1 times DOM)….… X. mendozana - T 2 –T 3 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. T 2 –T 3 with small contiguous punctures and median pubescence very short, barely surpassing the insertion puncture and apparently hairless ( Fig. 25)........................................................................ X. mendozana

- T 2 –T 3 with punctures separated by one or more times puncture width, but never contiguous; median pubescence variable.. 2

2. T 2 –T 3 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

- T 2 –T 3 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. T 2 –T 3 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

- T 2 –T 3 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. T 6–7 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

- T 6–7 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