Key to the species of Macrotera subgenus Macroteropsis.
Macroteropsis Male Key:
1. Facial fovea yellow, very large, and shining; clypeus with median point (often in addition to two lateral points)…..2
Facial fovea dark, either large and shining or dull and tesselate; clypeus lacking median point, but often with two lateral points….4
2. Pygidial plate complex with two long rounded lateral prongs lateral to a rounded median protrusion with a medial emargination; labrum slightly longer than broad…... 3
Pygidial plate broad, truncate with three small points - an obtuse median point and two more pronounced lateral teeth; labrum slightly broader than long…..P. portalis
3. Lateral prongs of T7 relatively long, over 2X longer than broad....M. n. sp. aff. portalis
Lateral prongs of T7 relatively short, only slightly longer than broad......M. n. sp. 2 aff. portalis
4. Facial fovea large and shining…...M. haplura
Facial fovea small and tesselate…...5
5. Face entirely light, yellowish below; wing veins light…..M. magniceps
Face dark above level of antennae; wing veins dark…...6
6. S2 with a median protuberance; pygidial plate narrow and rectangular…...M. echinocacti
Sternites unmodifed; pygidial plate various, not narrowly rectagular, can be very broad, or slightly triangular with a broad, shallow median emargination…….7
7. Labrum width and length more or less equal; pygidial plate well-defined with two lateral carina; subantennal and supraclypeal area typically light and well-developed; abdomen typically reddish…...8
Labrum twice as wide as long, with a transverse fold; pygidial plate rounded, almost tubular in shape, lacking lateral carina; light areas of face typically restricted to clypeal and lower lateral area; abdomen dark brown…..M. arcuata
8. Pygidial plate broader, with width and legnth about equal….M. latior
Pygidial plate narrower, length about twice width….M n. sp. aff. latior (there is a very strong possibility that this is just a morph of M. echinocacti that is lacking the protrusion on S2)
Key to females:
1. Fore-legs entirely dark.....2
Fore-legs with light maculations, typically on the inner face.....3
2. Eyes strongly converging; wing veins white.....haplura
Eyes parallel; wing veins slightly darkened....arcuata
3. Face entirely dark (sometimes slightly lightened along apical margin).......4
Clypeus and ring around eyes light.....magniceps
4. Wing veins white AND hair on T6 completely white......5
Wing veins typically dark, though some may be lightened, AND/OR hair on T6 at least partly fuscous.....6
5. Clypeal margin unmodified; with only a single type/length of hair on the thorax......M portalis
Clypeal margin with a very small median protrusion (this is best seen from below); thorax with hairs of two different lengths (these may often be worn)....M. n. sp. aff. portalis (UT and Clark Co. NV) AND M. n. sp. 2 aff. portalis (northeast AZ)
6. Eyes converging below; wing veins only weakly darkened.....M. latior
Eyes parallel or just barely converging below; wing veins dark brown......M. echinocacti and M. n. sp. aff latior (these two may in fact be the same species, dissection of males is needed to tell for sure)
Macroteropsis Male Key:
1. Facial fovea yellow, very large, and shining; clypeus with median point (often in addition to two lateral points)…..2
Facial fovea dark, either large and shining or dull and tesselate; clypeus lacking median point, but often with two lateral points….4
2. Pygidial plate complex with two long rounded lateral prongs lateral to a rounded median protrusion with a medial emargination; labrum slightly longer than broad…... 3
Pygidial plate broad, truncate with three small points - an obtuse median point and two more pronounced lateral teeth; labrum slightly broader than long…..P. portalis
3. Lateral prongs of T7 relatively long, over 2X longer than broad....M. n. sp. aff. portalis
Lateral prongs of T7 relatively short, only slightly longer than broad......M. n. sp. 2 aff. portalis
4. Facial fovea large and shining…...M. haplura
Facial fovea small and tesselate…...5
5. Face entirely light, yellowish below; wing veins light…..M. magniceps
Face dark above level of antennae; wing veins dark…...6
6. S2 with a median protuberance; pygidial plate narrow and rectangular…...M. echinocacti
Sternites unmodifed; pygidial plate various, not narrowly rectagular, can be very broad, or slightly triangular with a broad, shallow median emargination…….7
7. Labrum width and length more or less equal; pygidial plate well-defined with two lateral carina; subantennal and supraclypeal area typically light and well-developed; abdomen typically reddish…...8
Labrum twice as wide as long, with a transverse fold; pygidial plate rounded, almost tubular in shape, lacking lateral carina; light areas of face typically restricted to clypeal and lower lateral area; abdomen dark brown…..M. arcuata
8. Pygidial plate broader, with width and legnth about equal….M. latior
Pygidial plate narrower, length about twice width….M n. sp. aff. latior (there is a very strong possibility that this is just a morph of M. echinocacti that is lacking the protrusion on S2)
Key to females:
1. Fore-legs entirely dark.....2
Fore-legs with light maculations, typically on the inner face.....3
2. Eyes strongly converging; wing veins white.....haplura
Eyes parallel; wing veins slightly darkened....arcuata
3. Face entirely dark (sometimes slightly lightened along apical margin).......4
Clypeus and ring around eyes light.....magniceps
4. Wing veins white AND hair on T6 completely white......5
Wing veins typically dark, though some may be lightened, AND/OR hair on T6 at least partly fuscous.....6
5. Clypeal margin unmodified; with only a single type/length of hair on the thorax......M portalis
Clypeal margin with a very small median protrusion (this is best seen from below); thorax with hairs of two different lengths (these may often be worn)....M. n. sp. aff. portalis (UT and Clark Co. NV) AND M. n. sp. 2 aff. portalis (northeast AZ)
6. Eyes converging below; wing veins only weakly darkened.....M. latior
Eyes parallel or just barely converging below; wing veins dark brown......M. echinocacti and M. n. sp. aff latior (these two may in fact be the same species, dissection of males is needed to tell for sure)