Thirty one South American species of Melissoptila Holmberg, 1884, from Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile are described: M. albinoi, M. aliceae, M. amazonica, M. aurea, M. bahiana, M. boliviana, M. buzzii, M. cacerensis, M. carinata, M. calamarcensis, M. chilena, M. clypeata, M. ecuatoriana, M. graji, M. hirsutula, M. larocai, M. marinonii, M. mielkei, M. mirnae, M. montanicola, M. moureana, M. ornala, M. paranaensis, M. plumala, M. renatoi, M. sertanicola, M. seligera, M. sexcincta, M. solangeae, M. trifasciata and M. villosa. Two species are revalidated: Melissoptila argentina Brèthes, I910 and Melissoptila ochromelaena (Moure. 1943). A key to the South American species is proposed to include the new species and the twenty one known species that belong to this genus.
Melissoptila; Anthophoridae; Hymenoptera; Taxonomy; new species