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Key to the Species of Euaresta

This key is based on those to the Neotropical species by Norrbom (1993) and to the Nearctic species by Foote et al. (1993).

1. Anterior notopleural seta absent. Apex of cell r₂₊₃ with 2 marginal hyaline spots. Apical scutellar seta absent or small, often white. Small species, mesonotum length less than 1.20 mm. Central and South America. . . . . . . . . 2

- Anterior notopleural seta present. Apex of cell r₂₊₃ with 1-2 marginal hyaline spots. Apical scutellar seta present, usually large and yellow. Size variable, mesonotum length usually more than 1.30 mm. in species that occur south of Mexico. . . . . . . 4

2. Femora largely brown. Wing  mostly dark brown, with broad subbasal dark band from pterostigma to cell a₁; hyaline medial spots in cell r₂₊₃, basal hyaline spot in cell r₄₊₅, and all hyaline spots in cells br and dm small, none as wide as cell containing them. Frons mostly orange, at vertex at least 2.9 times as wide as eye. Southern Brazil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . versicolor Norrbom

- Femora entirely yellow. Wing with hyaline areas in total as extensive as dark brown areas, without subbasal dark band (if large dark marks present on pterostigma and basally in cell cu₁, separated by largely hyaline basal areas in cells br and dm); most hyaline spots in cells br, r₂₊₃, r₄₊₅, and dm as wide as cells containing them. Frons yellow and gray, at vertex no more than 2.5 times as wide as eye. . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

3. Wing with dark marks on pterostigma, base of cell cu₁, and middle of cells r₂₊₃ and r₄₊₅ much larger than other dark marks giving uneven appearance to pattern; basal dark mark in cells r₁ and r₂₊₃ as wide as pterostigma. Female oviscape length 0.59-0.83 mm, 0.65-0.76 times length of mesonotum. Male sternite 5 without microtrichia, shiny. El Salvador, Venezuela following Andes to Chile, Argentina & Uruguay, Brazil (Espirito Santo, Para). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . toba (Lindner)

- Wing with most dark marks similar in size, giving more or less uniform appearance to pattern; basal dark mark in cells r₁ and r₂₊₃ narrower than pterostigma. Female oviscape length 0.93-1.05 mm, 1.09-1.20 times length of mesonotum. Male sternite 5 microtrichose, matte. Southern Brazil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . regularis Norrbom

4. Wing with infuscated areas faint except for large dark brown subapical spot extended from apex of cell r₁ into cell m; most hyaline spots much narrower than cells containing them; cell dm with 6-9 hyaline spots; apex of cell r₂₊₃ with 2 marginal hyaline spots. Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . reticulata (Hendel)

- Wing with more proximal infuscated areas mostly as dark as subapical spot; most hyaline spots as wide as cells containing them; cell dm with 2-3 hyaline spots; apex of cell r₂₊₃ with 1-2 marginal hyaline spots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

5. Apex of cell r₂₊₃ with 1 marginal hyaline spot; cell r₄₊₅ without medial bulla. South America, USA (California & Arizona). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

- Apex of cell r₂₊₃ with 2 marginal hyaline spots; cell r₄₊₅ often with medial bulla. North America and Antilles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

6. Wing with subapical dark spot broader in cell r₄₊₅ than in cells r₁ and r₂₊₃. Arista with basal half swollen and white; male with pedicel and first flagellomere dark brown. Peru, Chile, Argentina, southern Brazil, Uruguay; introduced USA (California, Arizona), southern Europe, Middle East, South Africa, Australia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bullans (Wiedemann)

- Wing with subapical spot narrower in cell r₄₊₅ than in cells r₁ and r₂₊₃. Arista with only basal 1/8 or less swollen and yellow; male antenna entirely yellow.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

7. Wing with basal dark spot in cell br large, oval, extended well into cell bm. Argentina. . . . . . . . . . . . . . meridionalis Aczél

- Wing with basal dark spot in cell br small, usually quadrate or linear, at most extended slightly into cell bm. Chile, Argentina. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . philodema (Hendel)

[previous couplet based on Aczél 1952 key; may need modification]

8. Ground color of thorax yellow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

- Ground color of thorax dark brown to black, often obscured by whitish or yellowish microtrichia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

9. Height of gena at least 2 times width of first flagellomere. Cell r₄₊₅ with hyaline spot near apex separated from wing margin by a distinct brown band. Widespread North America; introduced Australia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . aequalis (Loew)

- Height of gena about equal to width of first flagellomere. Cell r₄₊₅ with hyaline area at apex broadly touching wing margin. Canada & USA (Idaho, Manitoba, Ontario & Connecticut south to Colorado, Arkansas & northern Georgia). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .festiva (Loew)

10. Wing with a narrow isolated brown band from center of cell c to posterior wing margin, the hyaline area area adjoining it distally uninterrupted or at most narrowly interrupted. Widespread western USA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tapetis (Coquillett)

- Wing without complete transverse band basally, or if present broadly connected to more distal brown markings . . . . . . . . 11

11. Hyaline spot in cell r₂₊₃ immediately anterior to vein r-m broadly joined across vein R₂₊₃ to hyaline area apicad of pterostigma; usually only 2 hyaline spots in cell r₁ distad of pterostigma, third subapical spot, if present, not crossing vein R₂₊₃. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

- Hyaline spot in cell r₂₊₃ immediately anterior to vein r-m distinctly rounded, narrowly joined to, or completely separated from, hyaline area apicad of pterostigma; 3 hyaline spots in cell r₁ distad of pterostigma, subapical spot usually crossing vein R₂₊₃. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

12. Cell br with a large, subapical, nearly quadrate hyaline spot extending completely across cell and broadly touching vein R₄₊₅. Other hyaline areas relatively large and often partially connected. Coastal Washington & Oregon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jonesi Curran

- Cell br with a rounded subapical hyaline spot which is separated from vein R₄₊₅ by infuscation of varying extent. Other hyaline areas smaller and usually discrete. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

13. Gena very narrow, height 0.040-0.080 mm., usually less than 0.60 width of first flagellomere in lateral view. Abdominal syntergite 1+2 and tergites 3 and 4 entirely microtrichose, matte. Western USA, northwestern Mexico. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .bellula Snow

- Gena slightly broader, height 0.075-0.140 mm., usually more than 0.67 width of first flagellomere. Usually at least abdominal tergite 4 and often tergite 3 and syntergite 1+2 with lateral shiny nonmicrotrichose areas. Coastal British Columbia to Baja California. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . stelligera (Coquillett)

14. Wing relatively narrow; pterostigma usually with brown area forming isolated medial spot. Oviscape at least 0.62 mm long, tapering. Abdominal tergite 5 with distal half or more without microtrichia, shiny. Western USA, northwestern Mexico. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . stigmatica Coquillett

- Wing relatively broad; pterostigma with brown area extended to distal and posterior margins. Oviscape less tapering, no longer than 0.52 mm. Abdominal tergite 5 mostly microtrichose, matte. Widespread southern Canada to northern Mexico, Bahamas; Antilles? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bella (Loew)