Merucata, Soares & Camargo & Scorpione & Lamas, 2025

Key to males of species of Merucata gen. nov.

1 All femora and tibiae black (e.g., Figs 1A View FIGURE 1 , 4A View FIGURE 4 ).............................................................. 2

- Femora and/or tibiae partly yellow to orangish (e.g., Figs 8A, E View FIGURE 8 , 10A View FIGURE 10 , 12A View FIGURE 12 )....................................... 5

2 Face mostly covered with golden pruinosity ( Fig. 4C View FIGURE 4 ); anterior surfaces of femora II and III covered with black setae ( Fig. 4A, D View FIGURE 4 ); epandrium glove-shaped in lateral view ( Fig. 5B, D View FIGURE 5 ) [ Brazil: Espírito Santo]................... M. capixaba sp. nov.

- Face mostly covered with silvery pruinosity (e.g., Figs 1C View FIGURE 1 , 6C View FIGURE 6 ); anterior surfaces of femora II and III mostly covered with white setae (e.g., Figs 1A View FIGURE 1 , 6A View FIGURE 6 ); epandrium subrectangular in lateral view (e.g., Figs 2B, D View FIGURE 2 , 7B, D View FIGURE 7 ).......................... 3

3 Mystax occupying 2/3 of face, composed of mixed black and white macrosetae, not forming dense tuft of macrosetae on ventral margin ( Fig. 6C, D View FIGURE 6 ); male terminalia wider than tergite 8 in dorsal view ( Fig. 7A View FIGURE 7 ); inner margin of inner process of epandrium obscured by dense, short and black macrosetae ( Fig. 7C View FIGURE 7 ) [ Brazil: state of Mato Grosso]........... M. cerradensis sp. nov.

- Mystax occupying 1/2 of face, composed of white macrosetae (only a few black setae at middle of face) forming dense tuft of white macrosetae on ventral margin ( Figs 1C, D View FIGURE 1 , 17C, D View FIGURE 17 ); male terminalia as wide as tergite 8 in dorsal view ( Figs 2A View FIGURE 2 , 18A View FIGURE 18 ); inner margin of inner process of epandrium not obscured by dense, short and black macrosetae ( Figs 2C View FIGURE 2 , 18C View FIGURE 18 )........... 4

4 Anterior surface of femur I with short black setae (rarely with a few sparse white setae), ventral surface mostly bare, with a few sparse short white setae ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ); 1 postalar macroseta; apical 1/3 of anterior surface of femora II and III covered with short black setae ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ); hypandrium with apical tuft of black macrosetae at middle of posterior edge (visible without dissection) ( Fig. 2B, L View FIGURE 2 ) [ Brazil: Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and Tocantins]...................... M. caipora sp. nov .

- Anterior surface of femur I with short white setae, ventral surface with short white setae and row of slender white macrosetae at basal 1/2 ( Fig. 17C View FIGURE 17 ); 2 postalar macrosetae; anterior surface of femora II and III wholly covered with white setae ( Fig. 17A View FIGURE 17 ); hypandrium only with sparse posterolateral macrosetae ( Fig. 18K View FIGURE 18 ) [ Brazil: Mato Grosso do Sul]........ M. vieirai sp. nov.

5 Femora dark brown to black anteroventrally and pale brown to orangish dorsally and posteriorly; tibiae entirely orangish or brownish with basal third slightly orangish ( Figs 8A, D View FIGURE 8 , 15 A, C View FIGURE 15 )............................................... 6

- Femora wholly dark brown to black; tibiae entire orangish or with orangish basal half and brownish distal half ( Figs 10A View FIGURE 10 , 12A View FIGURE 12 )............................................................................................... 7

6 Antenna with scape and pedicel mostly yellow to orangish ( Fig. 15C, D View FIGURE 15 ); abdominal sternites pale brown ( Fig. 15A View FIGURE 15 ); male terminalia as wide as tergite 8 in dorsal view ( Fig. 16A View FIGURE 16 ); hypandrium almost bare, only with a few short and slender setae ( Fig. 16K View FIGURE 16 ) [ Brazil: Federal District].............................................................. M. pujoli sp. nov.

- Antenna wholly black ( Fig. 8C, D View FIGURE 8 ); abdominal sternites dark brown to black; male terminalia wider than tergite 8 in dorsal view ( Fig. 9A View FIGURE 9 ); hypandrium with dense macrosetae ( Fig. 9K View FIGURE 9 ) [ Brazil: Mato Grosso do Sul]................. M. contiae sp. nov.

7 Wings with bifurcation of R 4 and R 5 at apex of discal cell ( Fig. 12E View FIGURE 12 ); apicoventral margin of epandrium not projected ( Fig. 14D View FIGURE 14 ); inner margin of epandrium with short digitiform dorsal process ( Fig. 14C View FIGURE 14 ) [ Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela]........................................................ M. elliptica ( Scarbrough & Perez-Gelabert, 2010) comb. nov.

- Wings with bifurcation of R 4 and R 5 after apex of discal cell ( Fig. 10E View FIGURE 10 ); apicoventral margin of epandrium projected, forming rounded lobe ( Fig. 11B, D View FIGURE 11 ); inner margin of epandrium with wide dorsal process ( Fig. 11C, D View FIGURE 11 ) [ Brazil: Piauí]................................................................................................. M. curupira sp. nov.