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KEY TO SPECIES OF BRACHYSTERNUS

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1. Larger protarsal claw appearing simple (claw of male with or without weak, apical nib in frontal view [Fig. 25, inset]; claw of female simple [Fig. 27]). Tarsomere 5 without ventromedial tooth (Fig. 25) ............ B. germaini (Ohaus)

1'. Larger protarsal claw split or toothed (claw of male split at apex in frontal
view [Figs. 22–24]; claw of female toothed in dorsal view [Fig. 26]). Tarsomere 5 with ventromedial tooth (Fig. 22–24, 26) ..................................................... 2
Figs. 22–27. Form of the fourth and fifth protarsomeres (dorsomedial view) with inset of the apex of male larger claw (frontal view):
22) B. olivaceus (male); 23) B. angustus (male); 24) B. patagoniensis (male); 25) B. germaini (male); 26) B. spectabilis (female);
27) B. germaini (female).
2. Margin of elytron in ventral view with epipleuron expanded (Fig. 14) ........................................................................... B. marginatus Germain

2'. Margin of elytron in ventral view with epipleuron not expanded (Fig. 15) .............................................................................................................. 3
Figs 14-15. Elytral epipleuron (ventral view) showing: 14) margin expanded from metacoxa to second sternite (B. marginatus); 15) margin not expanded (B. prasinus).
3. Metatibia with inner and outer edges bowed, widest at middle (male; Fig.
19) or with inner edge bowed (female). Clypeus with weak basal constriction
(Fig. 21). Elytral margin with dense, long, hair-like setae (Fig. 11c)
..................................................... B. patagoniensis Jameson and Smith

3'. Metatibia with inner edge straight, not bowed, widest at apex (e.g., Figs. 16–18). Clypeus without basal constriction (e.g., Fig. 20). Elytral margin with short or moderately long, thickened or scale-like setae (Fig. 11a, b) ............... 4

Figs. 11, 16–21. Characteristics of Brachysternus species. Setal types in Brachysternus species: 11a) scale-like setae (pygidium of B. prasinus); 11b) thickened setae (pygidium of B. olivaceus); 11c) hair-like setae (pygidium of B. patagoniensis). Metatibia (ventral view) of: 16) B. spectabilis (male); 17) B. angustus (female); 18) B. angustus (male); 19) B. patagoniensis (male). Head (dorsal view) showing: 20) clypeus not constricted at the base and scale-like setae posterior to the eye (B. prasinus); 21) clypeus weakly constricted at the base and hair-like setae posterior to the eye (B. patagoniensis).
4. Pygidium at basolateral margins with thickened or scale-like setae (Fig. 11a–b). Apex of terminal sternite in female deeply emarginate (Fig. 12). Antennal club subequal in length to segments 1–7 (male and female) ................................ 5

4'. Pygidium at basolateral margins with thickened and hair-like setae (Fig.
11b–c), lacking scale-like setae. Apex of terminal sternite in female moderately
emarginate (Fig. 13). Antennal club slightly longer than segments 1–7 (male) ........................................................ B. olivaceus (Philippi and Philippi)
Figs. 11-13. Characteristics of Brachysternus species. Setal types in Brachysternus species: 11a) scale-like setae (pygidium of B. prasinus); 11b) thickened setae (pygidium of B. olivaceus); 11c) hair-like setae (pygidium of B. patagoniensis). Apex of the terminal sternite in the female (ventral view): 12) deeply emarginate (B. angustus); 13) moderately emarginate
(B. olivaceus).
5. Sternites densely clothed with scale-like setae (sometimes only along lateral
edges) (Fig. 11a). Elytron with apical umbone well developed ............................................................ B. angustus (Philippi and Philippi)

5'. Sternites with moderately dense, thickened setae (Fig. 11b). Elytron with
apical umbone poorly developed ............................................................. 6
Fig. 11. Characteristics of Brachysternus species. Setal types in Brachysternus species: 11a) scale-like setae (pygidium of B. prasinus); 11b) thickened setae (pygidium of B. olivaceus);
11c) hair-like setae (pygidium of B. patagoniensis).
6. Region posterior to eye with scale-like setae (Figs. 11a, 20). Clypeus of
male and female tan or castaneous. Meso- and metafemora and meso- and
metatibia testaceous with green sheen ............. B. prasinus Guérin-Méneville

6'. Region posterior to eye with thickened setae (Fig. 11b). Clypeus of female
castaneous; clypeus of male green. Meso- and metafemora and meso- and
metatibia testaceous, lacking green sheen (sometimes with weak greenish
reflections) .......................................................... B. spectabilis Erichson
Figs. 11, 20. Characteristics of Brachysternus species. Setal types in Brachysternus species: 11a) scale-like setae (pygidium of B. prasinus); 11b) thickened setae (pygidium of B. olivaceus); 11c) hair-like setae (pygidium of B. patagoniensis). Head (dorsal view) showing: 20) clypeus not constricted at the base and scale-like setae posterior to the eye (B. prasinus).
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Authors:Mary Liz Jameson (University of Nebraska State Museum) and
Andrew Smith ( Canadian Museum of Nature)
This website is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No.0342189.
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