A new species of Trismegistomya Reinhard (Diptera: Tachinidae) from Area de Conservación Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica

Aj Fleming,M Alex Smith,Winnie Hallwachs,Daniel Janzen,D Monty Wood,Tanya Dapkey

doi:10.3897/bdj.7.e29130

Abstract

BackgroundThe New World genus Trismegistomya Reinhard, 1967b (Diptera: Tachinidae) previously included only the type species Trismegistomya pumilis (Reinhard, 1967a) from Arizona, U.S.A.New informationWe 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.

Highlights

The monotypic genus Trismegistomya Reinhard, 1967b (Dexiinae: Voriini) was initially erected and described under the name Trismegistus Reinhard, 1967a from a single female specimen collected in Portal, Arizona; as this name was preoccupied by Trismegistus Johnson & Snyder, 1904, it was replaced in that same year by Trismegistomya Reinhard, 1967b
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

Summary

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. 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. Description, we provide a redescription of the genus, as well as of its type species Trismegistomya pumilis. Voriini, tropical rain forest, tropical dry forest, parasitoid flies, Erebidae, host specificity, Guanacaste, Caterpillar

Introduction

Materials and methods