1	Inner subhumeral stria present; pronotal plicae present, strong	2
–	Inner subhumeral stria absent; pronotal plicae present or absent	5
2	Secondary, outer lateral metaventral stria present in addition to inner	3
–	Only a single lateral metaventral stria present	4
3	Marginal pygidial stria present, distinct	Operclipygus carinistrius (Lewis)
–	Marginal pygidial stria absent	Operclipygus mutuca sp. n.
4	Male median pronotal gland opening borne on tubercle surrounded by shallow depression in anterolateral pronotal corner, depression displacing anterior half of lateral submarginal pronotal stria (Fig. 9A); female with numerous coarse punctures along sides of pronotum and along sides of pygidium	Operclipygus mirabilis (Wenzel & Dybas)
–	Male median pronotal gland opening borne on minute tubercle but without surrounding depression (Fig. 9B); lateral submarginal pronotal stria complete; female with lateral pronotal and pygidal punctures finer to inconspicuous	Operclipygus pustulifer sp. n.
5	Pygidial stria absent; propygidium with only very few punctures; male median pronotal gland opening borne on minute tubercle laterad apices of recurved anterior submarginal stria (Fig. 8D); northeastern Brazil	Operclipygus parensis sp. n.
–	Pygidial stria present;male median pronotal gland position varied	6
6	Frontal stria abruptly bent near antennal bases, strongly sinuate across front (Fig. 8F); marginal pygidial sulcus deep (though may be interrupted); male median pronotal gland openings not visible dorsally	Operclipygus schlingeri sp. n.
–	Frontal stria more or less transverse, at most weakly sinuate at sides; male median pronotal gland opening found at end of sinuate depression extending posterolaterad from anterior margin	7
7	Male median pronotal gland opening found at posterior end of shallow, sinuate impression extending posterad from granulate depression along anterior pronotal margin (Fig. 9D); anterior submarginal pronotal stria absent; marginal pygidial sulcus distinct, though fine and often obsolete basally; pronotum with numerous coarse punctures along lateral margin; Central America (Panama)	Operclipygus sinuatus sp. n.
–	Male median pronotal gland opening found at end of short impression extending obliquely from anterior pronotal margin, depression smooth, not granulate (Fig. 9C); anterior submarginal stria present, recurved parallel to depression; marginal pygidial sulcus very faint; pronotum lacking coarse lateral punctures; southeastern Brazil	Operclipygus plaumanni sp. n.