Key to West European and North African species of Myopites (adopted from Korneyev, in press)

1. Scutellum, male abdomen and female oviscape always entirely black. Female abdominal tergites black except lateral and posterior margins yellow. WL~2.7. Larvae in galls on Schizogyne sericea and Phagnalon rupestre (Gnaphalieae) (Merz, 1991). Canary Is. ......................................... Myopites nigrescens Becker

— Scutellum, and usually male abdomen and female oviscape partially yellow; if oviscape black then either scutellum yellow or, if rarely both scutellum and female oviscape entirely black (in 2–3 % of M. longirostris), then aculeus with cercal unit tuberculate.............................................................................2

2. Mesonotal scutum (as well as scutellum and pleura) mostly yellow; oviscape entirely yellow except apex very narrowly black, longer than abdomen. Wing greyish, with wide pale brown marks. Aculeus apex smooth. Larvae in Dittrichia viscosa, forming ovate dark galls. Southern Europe; Israel; Morocco. ......... .................................................................................................................................. Myopites stylatus (Fabricius)

— Scutum widely black under microtrichia. If mesonotal scutum yellow at sides (in M. apicatus) then oviscape shorter than abdomen and with dark basal area. If oviscape longer than abdomen (in M. inulae) then entirely black without yellow marks [Other characters variable].

3. Katepisternum (at least in dorsal one-third) and whole anepisternum yellow. Oviscape yellow, black in antero-dorsal half and apical 1/6 [Oviscape shorter than abdomen; aculeus apex mostly or entirely smooth]..................................................................................................................................................................4

— Anepisternum ventrally and whole katepisternum black [Oviscape longer or shorter than abdomen; aculeus apex smooth or tuberculate]................................................................................................................5

4. Wing bands pale brown. Preapical crossband along vein R 4+5 usually as wide as or wider than hyaline space between it and apical mark, if narrower then katepisternum mostly yellow. Vein M 1 slightly bowed posteriorly at the very apex and reaching costa nearly at wing apex. Cercal unit of aculeus with a few tubercles at apices of pores. Larvae in galls on Pulicaria dysenterica . Palaearctic Region: Central and Western Europe, Balkans; Asia Minor; Near East............................................. Myopites apicatus Freidberg

— Wing bands dark brown, contrasting. Preapical crossband along vein R 4+5 narrower than hyaline space between it and apical dark mark, if wider then katepisternum ventrally black. Vein M 1 reaching costa far anterior of wing apex, apically non-parallel to R 4+5. Cercal unit of aculeus smooth (figs 2, f–g). Larvae in galls on Dittrichia graveolens and Pulicaria arabica . Palaearctic Region: Spain, Cyprus; Israel, Turkey; Morocco. ............................................................... Myopites cypriacus Hering (specimens with paler pleura)

5. Wing: preapical crossband along vein R 4+5 wider than hyaline space between it and apical mark, if as wide as hyaline space then oviscape longer than abdomen and black. Larvae in FLowerhead galls on Pentanema hirtum and P. salicinum . Central and Eastern Europe (Switzerland to Russia), Caucasus ............. .................................................................................................................................. Myopites inulae (von Roser)

— Wing: preapical crossband along vein R 4+5 narrower than hyaline space between it and apical mark, if as wide as hyaline space then oviscape shorter than abdomen; either oviscape widely yellow at middle or aculeus apically tuberculate.................................................................................................................................6

6. Anepisternum widely black ventrally. Cercal unit of aculeus tuberculate (figs 3, g–h, 4, c–d). Larvae in galls on Limbarda crithmoides and Pulicaria odora . Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts (England, France, Portugal. Morocco to Croatia). .............................................................................. Myopites longirostris Loew

— Anepisternum yellow, if black ventrally then cercal unit of aculeus smooth (figs 3, f–g). Larvae in galls on Dittrichia graveolens, Pulicaria arabica and P. sicula . Eastern Mediterranean coasts; Cyprus, Israel, Turkey; Morocco. ............................................. Myopites cypriacus Hering (specimens with darker pleura)