Key to species of Scoliidae of Mexico
Females
1 Second submarginal cell receiving one vein ( Scoliini)....................................................... 13
- Second submarginal cell receiving two veins ( Campsomerini).................................................. 2
2(1) Forewing with 2 submarginal cells........................................................................ 3
- Forewing with 3 submarginal cells (genus Colpa)........................................................... 11
3(2) Lateral surface of propodeum with coarse oblique striae............................................................................................................................. Rhabdotimeris rokitanskyi Dalla Torre
- Lateral surface of propodeum without striae................................................................ 4
4(3) Integument entirely black; setae black or white.............................................................. 5
- Integument with ferruginous, orange, or yellow markings; setae variable......................................... 6
5(4) Hind tibial spur 0.4 X the length of hind tarsus; forewing mostly hyaline, dusky coloration restricted to the marginal cells; hypopygium subquadrate with two lateral teeth.................................................................................................................................... Aelocampsomeris variegata Fabricius
- Hind tibial spur 0.6 to 0.8 X the length of hind tarsus; wings hyaline; hypopygium without projections........................................................................................... Stygocampsomeris servillei Guérin
6(4) Metasomal terga with either red or orange bands............................................................. 7
- Metasomal terga with yellow bands....................................................................... 9
7(6) Posterior face of propodeum densely and coarsely punctate; body with black setae..... Pygodasis ephippium ephippium Say
- Posterior face of propodeum without coarse punctures; body with white setae..................................... 8
8(7) Metasomal terga with ferruginous bands on T2–T6; sometimes also on T1....................... Dielis tolteca Saussure
- Metasomal terga with ferruginous bands only on T2 and T3.................................. Dielis dorsata Fabricius
9(6) Upper half of posterior face of propodeum coarsely and closely punctate.......... Xanthocampsomeris limosa Burmeister
- Posterior face of propodeum smooth or with sparse punctures across upper and lateral margins....................... 10
10(9) Yellow integumental marks present on pronotum and fore tibiae; posterior face of propodeum completely smooth; pleura and propodeum with dense appressed golden hair; metasomal sterna II and III with yellow bands, that on S3 usually less evident; forewing with setae only in 1R1 and 2R1.................................... Xanthocampsomeris hesterae Rohwer
- Yellow markings restricted to metasomal tergites; posterior face of propodeum smooth, with sparse punctures across upper and laterals margins; pleura and propodeum without appressed hair, only covered with white setae; forewing with setae densely setose, including cell R, 1Rs, 1M. ................................. Xanthocampsomeris completa completa Rohwer
11(2) Interantennal space modified, forming an elevated platform................................................... 12
- Interantennal space not modified........................................... Colpa octomaculata texensis Saussure
12(11) Hypopygium margins simple; legs ferruginous, body black; mesosoma and metasoma black with yellow markings............................................................................................ Colpa alcione Banks
- Hypopygium margins with conspicuous lateral lobes; body ferruginous; mesosoma and metasoma with yellow markings.................................................................................. Colpa flammicoma Bradley
13(1) Forewing with 2 submarginal cells (genus Scolia)........................................................... 14
- Forewing with 3 submarginal cells (genus Triscolia)........................................................ 19
14(13) Posterior face of propodeum with scattered and fine punctures.......................... Scolia vintschgaui Dalla Torre
- Posterior face of propodeum with dense and strong punctures................................................. 15
15(14) Body predominantly ferruginous........................................................................ 16
- Body predominantly black............................................................................. 17
16(15) Body with abundant yellow markings except on antennae and legs....................... Scolia nobilitata tricincta Say
- Body mostly ferruginous except for black integumental spots on T2 and yellow markings on T3.............................................................................................. Scolia nobilitata nobilitata Fabricius
17(15) Head, mesosoma and T1 completely black; T2–T6 ferruginous..................... Scolia dubia hematodes Burmeister
- Body completely black with at most a pair of light-colored spots on metasomal terga............................... 18
18(17) Clypeus more or less straight in lateral view; mesoscutum and metasoma sparsely punctate; S2 with a pair of central projections resembling weak tubercules; pygidium with strong tooth-like projections on each lateral margin................................................................................................. Scolia guttata guttata Burmeister
- Clypeus convex in lateral view; mesoscutum and metasoma densely punctate; S2 with a central projection resembling a weak tubercle; pygidium without projections on lateral margins................................. Scolia mexicana Saussure
19(13) Body and setae thoroughly ferruginous; wings with violaceus reflections...................... Triscolia badia Saussure
- Body and setae mostly black excepting T3–6, which have the integument and setae ferruginous; wings with violaceus reflections.............................................................................. Triscolia ardens Smith
Males
1 Second submarginal cell receiving one vein ( Scoliini)....................................................... 12
- Second submarginal cell receiving two veins ( Campsomerini).................................................. 2
2(1) Forewing with 2 submarginal cells........................................................................ 3
- Forewing with 3 submarginal cells (genus Colpa)........................................................... 10
3(2) Propodeum without dense appressed setae.................................................................. 4
- Propodeum with dense appressed setae.................................................................... 6
4(3) Wings hyaline; body completely black; metasomal terga usually without markings................................. 5
- Wings violaceus; metasomal terga with orange band on T2 and T3................. Pygodasis ephippium ephippium Say
5(4) Upper and lateral margins of clypeus densely punctate; S2 without a central projection resembling a weak tubercle....................................................................................... Pygodasis hyalina Saussure
- Clypeus thoroughly punctate; S2 with a central projection resembling a weak tubercle.... Stygocampsomeris servillei Guérin
6(3) Clypeus completely black or completely yellow, rarely with a black dot on those with yellow clypeus; anterior wings thoroughly hairy......................................................................................... 7
- Clypeus with two lateral yellow spots; anterior wings bare beyond cells.......................................... 8
7(6) Clypeus black; sides of pronotum with a yellow spot, sometimes merged and forming a transversal band which does not reach the tegulae; scutellum with two yellow spots.......................... Xanthocampsomeris completa completa Rohwer
- Clypeus yellow, pronotum with a yellow transversal band reaching the tegulae; scutellum with a yellow band, rarely interrupted................................................................ Xanthocampsomeris hesterae Rohwer
8(6) Tegula with yellow markings; pronotum with a transverse yellow band reaching or almost reaching the tegulae; forewing covered with short dense setae............................................................. Dielis tolteca Saussure
- Tegula without markings; pronotum with either a transverse yellow band or two subtriangular spots; forewing with short setae restricted to the marginal and submarginal cells............................................................. 9
9(8) Pronotum with transverse yellow band; yellow markings present on fore tibia only............... Dielis dorsata Fabricius
- Pronotum with subtriangular yellow markings; yellow markings present on mid and hind tibiae, rarely on fore tibia only........................................................................ Xanthocampsomeris limosa Burmeister
10(2) Propodeum and scutellum with yellow markings........................................................... 11
- Propodeum and mesopleuron without yellow markings......................... Colpa octomaculata texensis Saussure
11(10) Body black with yellow markings........................................................ Colpa alcione Banks
- Body mostly ferruginous with extensive yellow markings................................ Colpa flammicoma Bradley
12(1) Forewing with 2 submarginal cells (genus Scolia)........................................................... 13
- Forewing with 3 submarginal cells (genus Triscolia)........................................................ 18
13(12) Metasoma partially ferruginous......................................................................... 14
- Metasoma with different coloration...................................................................... 15
14(13) Clypeus punctate only along margins; mesosoma with deep and sparse punctures; setae mostly ferruginous; T2 to T7 ferruginous.......................................................................... Scolia rufiventris Fabricius
- Clypeus punctate throughout; mesosoma with deep and close punctures; setae mostly black; T2 black, T3 to T7 ferruginous........................................................................ Scolia dubia haematodes Burmeister
15(13) Distinct yellow band present behind eyes; posterior face of propodeum with sparse punctures; T3 and T4 almost completely yellow...................................................................... Scolia vintschgaui Dalla Torre
- Yellow band behind eyes absent or feeble; posterior face of propodeum uniformly punctate.......................... 16
16(15) Yellow band behind eyes absent; pronotum, scutellum and metanotum usually without markings; S2 variable........... 18
- Yellow band behind eyes feeble, rarely absent; pronotum, scutellum and metanotum with yellow markings; S2 with two tubercles and yellow spot on each side of S2............................................ Scolia fuscipennis Bartlett
17(16) Metasoma and mesoscutum sparsely punctate; S2 with two tubercles...................................................................................................................... Scolia guttata guttata Burmeister
- Metasoma and mesoscutum with denser punctures; S2 with one tubercle......................................................................................................................... Scolia mexicana Saussure
18(12) Body predominantly ferruginous...................................................... Triscolia badia Saussure
- Body predominantly black; T3 to T7 ferruginous........................................... Triscolia ardens Smith