Key to species of Neoscutops

1. Palpus short and clavate (long, somewhat rectangular in N. cariri); M1 exceptionally arched, ending at or close to wing apex; base of Rs without strong sclerotization; r-m crossvein placed before middle of upper section of cell dm; alula with rounded apex (Figs. 59 – 61) (the rotundipennis group).............................................................. 2

- Palpus long, somewhat rectangular (Fig. 71); M1 slightly arched, ending below and far from wing apex; base of Rs with a strong sclerotization; r-m crossvein placed beyond middle of upper section of cell dm; alula with tapered apex (Figs. 51–58) (the peruvianus group)................................................................................ 5

2. Face brown with an inverted W-shaped light yellow spot at base of lunula (Brazil)....... N. cariri Amorim & Vasconcelos

- Face wholly yellow or with a brown spot on upper 1/3........................................................ 3

3. Head approximately triangular in frontal view: face wholly yellow; clypeus brown to pale brown (Figs. 72, 73)......... 4

- Head rounded in frontal view; face yellow with an inverted triangular pale brown spot on upper 1/3; clypeus yellow (Fig. 74) (Costa Rica)..................................................................... N. rotundipennis Malloch

4. Surstylus indistinct, contiguous (fused) with epandrium, not articulated (Figs. 46, 47) (Brazil)........ N. ranyseae sp. nov.

- Surstylus distinct, articulated with lateral extremity of epandrium (Figs. 41, 42) (Brazil)................ N. minor sp. nov.

5. Scutum yellow; scutellum brown; frons yellow; face yellow, with brown spot on each low corner of face (Figs. 65, 70)... 6

- Scutum brown or black; color of the scutellum, frons and face variable........................................... 7

6. Scape and pedicel yellow (Fig. 70); femora without strong posteroventral setae (Peru, Brazil)........ N. peruvianus Hennig

- Scape and pedicel black (Fig. 65); fore femur with short strong setae on posteroventral surface.......... N. luteus sp. nov.

7. Face entirely yellow or with lateral or central dark spots (Figs. 62, 63, 67–69).................................... 8

- Face brown with an inverted W-shaped yellow spot at base of lunula (Figs. 64, 66, 71)............................ 12

8. Frons predominantly brown with yellow lateral margins; upper portion of face brown to black in the middle; pedicel wholly brown (Fig. 63) (Brazil)............................................................ N. barcelosiensis sp. nov.

- Frons predominantly yellow, if brown, only near base of antenna; face wholly yellow or with brown to black spot on lower portion; color of pedicel variable........................................................................ 9

9. Face and antenna wholly yellow (Figs. 67–69).............................................................10

- Face yellow with region between antennae and an oblique spot on lower corner of face brown to black, pedicel brown with whitish-yellow dorsal spot (Fig. 62) (Brazil)............................................... N. annulatus sp. nov.

10. Scutellum pale brown on margin and yellowish on disc; legs brown except for mid and hind tibiae yellow basally and with a wide yellow ring in the middle, tarsi pale yellow with tarsomeres 3-5 of mid tarsus pale brown; epandrium wide, postgonites divergent apically (Figs. 21, 22) (Peru)................................................... N. manuensis sp. nov.

- Scutellum wholly dark brown; color of legs variable, tarsi wholly pale yellow; epandrium variable and postgonites convergent apically............................................................................................11

11. Legs yellow except for base of coxae dark brown and tibiae with brown apex; epandrium slender, postgonites convergent api- cally (Figs. 25, 26) (Peru)................................................................ N. melleus sp. nov.

- Coxae brown, fore femur yellow with basal ¼ brown, fore tibia yellow with apical ¼ brown, mid and hind femur brown with apical ¼ yellow, mid tibia brown with base and preapical ring yellow, hind tibia yellow; epandrium wide, postgonite with crossing apexes (Figs. 29, 30).............................................................. N. nitidus sp. nov.

12. Clypeus brown to black; scutellum pale brown to black; femora brown.......................................... 13

- Clypeus yellow; scutellum and femora yellow (Brazil)................................... N. flavoscutellatus sp. nov.

13. Ocellar triangle brown, contiguous with coloration of vitta; parafacial and gena black (Fig. 66); scutellum black; legs predominantly black with base of fore tibia yellow; female terminalia with syntergosternite 7 wide, complete; sternite 8 with a short sclerotized spine-like projection on posterior margin (Fig. 20) (Brazil)............................ N. manaos sp. nov.

- Ocellar triangle pale brown, not contiguous with coloration of vitta; parafacial and gena yellow (Fig. 71); scutellum pale brown with yellow distal margin; female terminalia with syntergosternite 7 slender, incomplete ventrally; sternite 8 heartshaped (Fig. 40) (Ecuador)............................................................... N. waorani sp. nov.