Key to the species of the Pseudepipona herrichii -group

1. Females............................................................................................ 2

- Males.............................................................................................. 7

2. T1 without three small longitudinal carinae (Figs 1, 3, 29, 31, 35, 36, 57); propodeal valvula rounded posteriorly (see Fig. 58); clypeus entirely black or with basal whitish or yellow band (Figs 2, 4, 30, 32, 59); scutellum with relatively thin apical whitish or yellow band, taking much less than its half (Figs 1, 3, 31, 35, 36, 57) or rarely black (Fig. 29)...................... 3

- T1 with three small longitudinal carinae (Figs 40, 42, 48, 53; see also Figs 17 and 52 in Bai et al. 2021); propodeal valvula bluntly angled or pointed posteriorly (see Fig. 46); clypeus mostly yellow or with longitudinal black spot in distal half (Figs 41, 43, 49, 54), very rarely extended to whole distal half; scutellum with relatively thick apical yellow or orange band, taking more than its half (Figs 40, 42, 48, 53)......................................................................... 5

3. Clypeus as wide as long, entirely black (Fig. 59) or with two small basal pale-yellow spots, tegula never reddish (Fig. 57)…........................................................................... P. valentinae Fateryga, sp. nov.

- Clypeus 1.05–1.15× as wide as long, often with complete basal whitish or yellow band (Figs, 4, 30, 32), if entirely black (Fig. 2) then tegula reddish (Fig. 1)........................................................................... 4

4. Apical bands on scutellum and metanotum of equal thickness (Figs 1, 3); tegula and often band on pronotum in Palaearctic specimens reddish (Fig. 1); propodeum with weak transverse carina forming laterally rather blunt angles................................................................................................... P. aldrichi (Fox, 1892)

- Apical band on scutellum usually thicker than that on metanotum and somewhat interrupted medially (Figs 31, 35, 36), sometimes band on metanotum reduced or rarely both scutellum and metanotum completely black (Fig. 29); tegula and band on pronotum always whitish or yellow (Figs 29, 31, 35, 36); propodeum with weak transverse carina forming laterally rather right angles...................................................................... P. herrichii (de Saussure, 1856)

5. Clypeus as wide as long, with hardly emarginated apical margin (Fig. 49); T 1 in dorsal view approximately 1.45× as maximal wide as long (Fig. 48); propodeal valvula pointed posteriorly; propodeum with transverse carina well developed at center and forming laterally acute teeth-like projections....................................... P. tingjingliae Fateryga, sp. nov.

- Clypeus 1.15× as wide as long, with distinctly emarginated apical margin (Figs 41, 43, 54); T 1 in dorsal view approximately 1.55× as maximal wide as long (Fig. 40, 42, 53); propodeal valvula bluntly angled posteriorly; propodeum with transverse carina weakly developed at center and forming laterally either acute teeth-like projections or rather right angles.......... 6

6. Scutum with two comma-like spots (Figs 40, 42); clypeus with relatively shallowly emarginated apical margin (Figs 41, 43); propodeum with transverse carina forming laterally acute teeth-like projections........... P. kozhevnikovi (Kostylev, 1927)

- Scutum without two comma-like spots (Figs 53); clypeus with relatively deeply emarginated apical margin (Figs 54); propodeum with transverse carina forming laterally rather right angles......................... P. tricarinata (Kokujev, 1913)

7. Cuspis lacking dorsal process (Fig. 22); aedeagus without median expansion, evenly narrowed towards apex in dorsal view (Fig. 23); clypeus as wide as long (Fig. 61)......................................... P. valentinae Fateryga, sp. nov.

- Cuspis with dorsal process (Figs 7, 10, 13, 16, 19); aedeagus with median expansion between ventral lobes and apex (Figs 8, 11, 14, 17, 20); clypeus 1.05–1.15× as wide as long (Figs 6, 34, 45, 50, 56)....................................... 8

8. Dorsal process of cuspis very broad, much shorter than its width at base (Fig. 7); base of digitus attached directly to top of cuspis apex (Fig. 7); ventral lobe of aedeagus large, in lateral view much larger than median expansion (Fig. 9).............................................................................................. P. aldrichi (Fox, 1892)

- Dorsal process of cuspis less broad, in most species not shorter than its width at base (Figs 10, 13, 16, 19); base of digitus attached somewhat below cuspis apex so that cuspis apex protruding as free acute spine (Figs 10, 13, 16, 19); ventral lobe of aedeagus various (Figs 12, 15, 18, 21)..................................................................... 9

9. Dorsal process of cuspis large and long; free acute part of cuspis apex smaller (Fig. 10); ventral lobe of aedeagus approximately as large as median expansion (Fig. 12)............................................. P. herrichii (de Saussure, 1856)

- Dorsal process of cuspis smaller and shorter; free acute part of cuspis apex larger (Figs 13, 16, 19); ventral lobe of aedeagus larger than median expansion (Figs 15, 18, 21)............................................................. 10

10. Clypeus approximately 1.05× as wide as long (Fig. 50); ventral lobe of aedeagus broadly rounded (Fig. 18)......................................................................................... P. tingjingliae Fateryga, sp. nov.

- Clypeus approximately 1.10× as wide as long (Fig. 45, 56); ventral lobe of aedeagus rather angled (Fig. 15, 21)......... 11

11. Paramere broader, dorsal process of cuspis shorter (Fig. 13); aedeagus in dorsal view broad (Fig. 14).............................................................................................. P. kozhevnikovi (Kostylev, 1927)

- Paramere narrower, dorsal process of cuspis longer (Fig. 19); aedeagus in dorsal view narrow (Fig. 20).............................................................................................. P. tricarinata (Kokujev, 1913)