RESUMO

Although tachinids parasitize a wide variety of insects, vespid wasps are not commonly recorded as hosts. Three lineages of Tachinidae are parasitoids of larvae of eusocial Vespidae, namely the Old World tribe Anacamptomyiini and some Neotropical species of the Blondeliini genera Ophirion Townsend and Lixophaga Townsend. The taxonomy of anacamptomyiine species has been improved and clarified in the last decades, but Neotropical species of Ophirion and Lixophaga are still difficult to identify, preventing further studies in the group. I present here an annotated catalog of vespid hosts of Tachinidae, with an overview of host use and oviposition strategies of their parasitoid species. Moreover, I describe a new host record for O. lenkoi sp. nov. Gudin and L. punctata (Townsend), reared from a nest of Polybia (Myrapetra) scutellaris (White) in Nova Europa, São Paulo, Brazil. Ophirion lenkoi sp. nov. is described and L. punctata is redescribed, with two new junior synonyms proposed: L. fitzgeraldi (Curran), syn. nov., and L. dubiosa (Thompson), syn. nov. I also include illustrations of type material and discuss the most relevant diagnostic characters for species of both genera. Lastly, I argue that the biology of Lixophaga species may be a suitable model to understand how tachinids were able to explore eusocial vespid hosts.

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: We revise the genus Metaplagia Coquillett, 1895 and describe five new species from Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) in northwestern Costa Rica. All new species were reared from an ongoing inventory of wild-caught caterpillars spanning a variety of species within the family Sphingidae (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). Our study provides a concise description of each new species using morphology, life history, molecular data and photographic documentation. In addition to the new species, the authors provide a re-description of the genus and a revised key to the species of Metaplagia. NEW INFORMATION: The following five new species of Metaplagia are described: Metaplagia leahdennisae Fleming & Wood sp. n., Metaplagia lindarobinsonae Fleming & Wood sp. n., Metaplagia paulinesaribasae Fleming & Wood sp. n., Metaplagia robinsherwoodae Fleming & Wood sp. n. and Metaplagia svetlanakozikae Fleming & Wood sp. n.The following is proposed by Fleming & Wood as new combination of Plagiomima Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1891: Plagiomima latifrons (Reinhard, 1956) comb. n.

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: We describe 25 new species in the genus Telothyria van der Wulp, 1890 from Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) in northwestern Costa Rica. All species herein described were reared from an ongoing inventory of wild-caught caterpillars spanning two families (Lepidoptera: Crambidae, and Tortricidae). Our study provides a concise description of each new species using morphology, life history, molecular data, and photographic documentation; a redescription of the genus, and its type species as well as a revised key to species of Telothyria occurring in the Mesoamerican region. We also suggest seven new synonymies resulting in 11 new combinations. NEW INFORMATION: The following 25 new species of Telothyria are described: T. aidani sp. n., T. alexanderi sp. n., T. auranticrus sp. n., T. auriolus sp. n., T. bicuspidata sp. n., T. carolinacanoae sp. n., T. clavata sp. n., T. cristata sp. n., T. diniamartinezae sp. n., T. duniagarciae sp. n., T. duvalierbricenoi sp. n., T. eldaarayae sp. n., T. erythropyga sp. n., T. fimbriata sp. n., T. fulgida sp. n., T. gloriashihezarae sp. n., T. grisea sp. n., T. harryramirezi sp. n., T. incisa sp. n., T. manuelpereirai sp. n., T. obscura sp. n., T. omissa sp. n., T. osvaldoespinozai sp. n., T. peltata sp. n., and T. ricardocaleroi sp. n.The following are proposed by Fleming & Wood as new generic synonyms of Telothyria: Comatacta Coquillett Syn. n., Floradalia Thompson Syn. n., Ptilomyia Curran Syn. n., Ptilomyiopsis Townsend Syn. n., Ptilomyoides Curran Syn. n., Euptilomyia Syn. n., Eutelothyria Townsend Syn. n.The following new combinations are proposed as a result of the new synonymies: Telothyria bequaerti (Curran, 1925) Comb. n., Telothyria cruenta (Giglio-Tos, 1893) Comb. n., Telothyria frontalis (Townsend, 1939) Comb. n., Telothyria insularis (Curran, 1927) Comb. n., Telothyria itaquaquecetubae (Townsend, 1931) Comb. n., Telothyria major (Thompson, 1963) Comb. n., Telothyria micropalpus (Curran, 1925) Comb. n., Telothyria minor (Thompson, 1963) Comb. n., Telothyria nautlana (Townsend, 1908) Comb. n., Telothyria plumata (Curran, 1925) Comb. n., Telothyria trinitatis (Thompson, 1963) Comb. n., Telothyria variegata (Fabricius, 1805) Comb. n. Musca tricincta Fabricius is synonymized under Telothyria variegata Fabricius, Syn. n. Telothyria schineri Fleming & Wood nom. n. is proposed as a replacement name for Miltogramma brevipennis Schiner.Additionally we provide redescriptions of two previously named species: the type species Telothyria cupreiventris (van der Wulp) due to its being the type species, and Telothyria relicta (van der Wulp) due to its having been reared as an outcome of the inventory.

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: The New World genus Trismegistomya Reinhard, 1967b (Diptera: Tachinidae) previously included only the type species Trismegistomya pumilis (Reinhard, 1967a) from Arizona, U.S.A. NEW INFORMATION: We describe a new species of Trismegistomya, Trismegistomya jimoharai Fleming & Wood sp. n., from Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) in northwestern Costa Rica, reared from wild-caught caterpillars of Melipotis januaris (Guenée, 1852) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae). Our study provides a concise description of the new species using morphology, life history, molecular data and photographic documentation. In addition to the new species description, we provide a redescription of the genus, as well as of its type species Trismegistomya pumilis.

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: We describe nine new species in the genus Uramya Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 from Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) in northwestern Costa Rica. All species were reared from an ongoing inventory of wild-caught caterpillars spanning a variety of families (Lepidoptera: Erebidae; Limacodidae; Megalopygidae; Lasiocampidae and Dalceridae). Our study provides a concise description of each new species using morphology, life history, molecular data, and photographic documentation. In addition to the new species the authors provide a redescription the previously described Uramya sibinivora Guimarães, which was also collected within ACG during this study. We also provide a redescription of the genus, and a revised key to species of Uramya occurring in Central and South America. NEW INFORMATION: The following nine new species of Uramya, all authored by Fleming & Wood, are described: Uramya albosetulosa Fleming & Wood sp. nov., Uramya constricta Fleming & Wood sp. nov., Uramya contraria Fleming & Wood sp. nov., Uramya infracta Fleming & Wood sp. nov., Uramya lativittata Fleming & Wood sp. nov., Uramya lunula Fleming & Wood sp. nov., Uramya nitida Fleming & Wood sp. nov., Uramya pannosa Fleming & Wood sp. nov., and Uramya penicillata Fleming & Wood sp. nov. The following are proposed by Wood as new synonyms of Uramya: Olinda Townsend, syn. nov. and Procleonice Townsend, syn. nov. The following new combination is proposed as a result of the new synonymies: Uramya brasiliensis Macquart, comb. nov.Procleonice prolixa Townsend is synonymized under Uramya brevicauda Curran, syn. nov.

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: We describe two new species in the genus Erythromelana Townsend, 1919 from Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) in northwestern Costa Rica. Both species were reared from wild-caughtcaterpillars of Eois spp. (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). We provide a concise description of each species using morphology, life history, molecular data, and photographic documentation. NEW INFORMATION: Erythromelana jimmychevezi Fleming & Wood sp. nov. Erythromelana glenriverai Fleming & Wood sp. nov.

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: We describe a new species of Phosocephala Townsend, and provide a new collection record, and description of the previously unknown male, of Phosocephala metallica Townsend, from Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG), northwestern Costa Rica. All ACG specimens were reared from wild-caught Lepidoptera larvae (Lepidoptera: Erebidae, Nolidae). We provide a concise description of both species using morphology, life history, molecular data, and photographic documentation. The new species is authored and described by Fleming and Wood. NEW INFORMATION: Phosocephala alexanderi sp. n.

RESUMO

New host association: Polybia scutellaris (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) parasitized by Melaloncha (Diptera, Phoridae). The genus Melaloncha Brues is a large assemblage of New World, parasitoid phorid flies. They are parasitoids of Apoidea bees. However, here we present the first record of a wasp parasitized by Melaloncha sp. The new host is Polybia scutellaris (White), a neotropical eusocial wasp. The parasitized wasp was found in an urban park near the city of La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. It appears that the genus Melaloncha parasitizes a wider range of social Hymenoptera than currently known.

RESUMO

Xanthozona melanopyga (Wiedmann, 1830) (Diptera: Tachinidae) is recorded here as a parasitoid of Brassolis astyra Godart, 1824 (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Dipteran endoparasitoids have been recorded as pupal endoparasitoids of Brassolis sophorae (L.), due to the scientific and economic importance of these interespecific relationships, and aiming to increase the knowledge on natural and conservative biological control, I hereby record Xanthozona melanopyga (Wiedmann) as larval-pupal parasitoid of Brassolis astyra Godart for the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. For the first time.

Xanthozona melanopyga (Wiedmann, 1830) (Diptera: Tachinidae) é registrada como parasitóide de Brassolis astyra Godart, 1824 (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Representantes de Diptera têm sido registrados como endoparasitóides de pupas de Brassolis sophorae (L.). Diante da importância científica e econômica desse tipo de relação interespecífica, visando à ampliação de conhecimentos relacionados ao controle biológico natural e conservativo, o presente registra no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, a ocorrência de parasitismo por Xanthozona melanopyga (Wiedmann, 1830) como parasitóide larva-pupa em Brassolis astyra Godart, 1824. Pela primeira vez.