Microsphecodes Eickwort and Stage
Creators: name: Graham, Liam
name: Packer, Laurence
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Halictidae
Microsphecodes

description: Identification key (modified from Engel (2013) to include the species described above)
1. Mesosoma entirely dark brown to black (Fig. 26) except sometimes pronotal lobe paler (Panama and Colombia)......... 2
Mesosoma with large areas of pale colouration (Figs. 24–25).................................................. 3
2(1) Setae of compound eyes minute to absent (as in Fig. 27)................................ M. truncaticaudus Michener
Setae of compound eye distinct, at least 2 ommatidial diameters in length (Fig. 28)............. M. trichommus Michener
3(1) Mesosoma entirely dark yellow-brown to orange or red-brown except sometimes sutures between sclerites and/or extreme margins of, and carinae on, metapostnotum darker (Fig. 24, see also Figs. 14–15, 19–21)............................ 4
Mesosoma more extensively dark brown or black (Fig. 25).................................................... 6
4(3) Almost entire body orange except head black (other than clypeus and appendages) and more apical terga marked with brown (Figs. 1–4 in Mahlmann and Engel, 2023).................................. M. amazonophilus Mahlmann & Engel
Body with more extensive dark colouration (Figs. 25, 35–36).................................................. 5
5(4) Metasoma from T2 (except base) to apex dark brown, clearly darker than both T1 and mesosomal dorsum (Figs. 24 & 29); metapostnotum with marginal carina complete (Fig. 31) (French Guiana).......... M. fernandoi Graham & Packer n. sp.
Metasoma entirely orange-brown albeit somewhat darker on more apical terga but not clearly darker than mesosomal dorsum (Figs. 21–22 & 30) metapostnotum with marginal carina incomplete posteriorly (Fig. 32) (Guatemala)................................................................................... M. septentrionalis Graham & Packer n. sp.
6(3) Dorsal area of metapostnotum with areolae on either side of midline distinctly enlarged relative to those of neighbouring alveolae (Fig. 33); clypeus at least 3.5X as wide as medial length (Fig. 34)........................................ 7
Dorsal area of metapostnotum with areolae on either side of midline relatively narrower, more similar in size to neighbouring alveolae (Fig. 3 in Engel, 2013); clypeus slightly less than 3X wider than medial length (Fig. 2 in Engel, 2013) (Peru)........................................................................................ M. stenochorus Engel
7(6) Mesoscutellum yellow-orange to orange-red, clearly contrasted to mostly much darker mesoscutum, metapostnotum and propodeum (Fig. 35); clypeus 3.5–4X as wide as medial length (Fig. 34) (Costa Rica to Venezuela).................... 8
Mesoscutellum brown, not contrasting with mesoscutum, metapostnotum and propodeum (as in Fig. 36); clypeus 4.5X as wide as medial length (as in Sakagami and Moure, 1962, Fig. 1) (Brazil)............. M. russeiclypeatus (Sakagami & Moure)
8(7) AOD more than 1.5X IAD (Fig. 37); metasoma with sparser, shorter (<1.5MOD) pubescence (Fig. 39) (Venezuela)............................................................................ M. peckorum n. sp. Graham and Packer
AOD and IAD subequal (Fig. 38); metasoma with denser, longer (~2MOD) pubescence (Fig. 40) (Costa Rica and Colombia ................................................................................ M. kathleenae (Eickwort)
description: Published as part of Graham, Liam & Packer, Laurence, 2024, Three New Species of Microsphecodes s. str. (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) with an updated key to species of the subgenus, pp. 189-205 in Zootaxa 5404 (1) on pages 200-203, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5404.1.12, http://zenodo.org/record/10571325