Ophirodexia atrifrons (Wiedemann, 1830) de Santis, 2021

de Santis, Marcelo Domingos, 2021, A review of Ophirodexia Townsend, 1911 (Diptera: Tachinidae), Journal of Natural History 55 (3 - 4), pp. 151-161 : 155-157

Ophirodexia atrifrons (Wiedemann, 1830) comb. nov.

( Figure 1 )

Musca atrifrons Wiedemann, 1830: 403 .

Leptoda atrifrons (Wiedemann, 1830) . References: Brauer and Bergenstamm 1891 (401, as Leptoda (= Zelia )); (1893, 95 (183)).

Tromodesiopsis atrifrons (Wiedemann, 1830) . References: Townsend (1927: 221, Musca atrifrons as Tromodesiopsis ); Townsend, 1939: 85 (redescriptions of T. atrifrons ); Guimarães (1971: 102, catalogue); Evenhuis et al. (2015: 271, catalogue of Townsend’s genera); O’Hara et al. (2020: 77, list).

Zelia atrifrons (Wiedemann, 1830) . References: (Aldrich, 1929:4, Leptoda as a junior synonymy of Zelia , redescription of Musca atrifrons and placement as Zelia atrifrons ).

Tromodesia haemorrhoidalis Bigot, 1889: 267 . References: Brauer and Bergenstamm (1893,

95 (183), Leptoda atrifrons as synonymy of Tromodesia haemorrhoidalis ); van der Wulp

(1891: 238, redescription of T. haemorrhoidalis ).

Holotype male of Tromodesia haemorrhoidalis Bigot, 1889 (= Ophirodexia atrifrons ) from NHM-UK in good condition, but lower part of head partly covered by mould ( Figure 1 (b)), front legs missing, one mid leg missing and tarsus missing, one hind leg missing and tibia and tarsus missing, left wing damaged.

Note. The synonymy of Tromodesia haemorrhoidalis with Musca atrifrons was first proposed by Brauer and Bergenstamm (1893), and was later confirmed by Townsend (1939) and Guimarães (1971). After consulting the redescription of the holotype of M. atrifrons by Aldrich (1929) and comparing it with the holotype of T. haemorrhoidalis , it is clear that this synonymy is correct and it is therefore followed herein.

Diagnosis. Head with pedicel entirely brownish black ( Figure 1 (b)); fronto-orbital plate with very small setulae along its extension; parafacial silvery to slightly golden pruinosity; syntergite 1 + 2 to tergite 4 brownish black, without median brown longitudinal vitta; silver pruinosity covering almost all tergites ( Figure 1 (a,c)); tergite 5 reddish brown apically ( Figure 1 (c)).

Distribution. Mexico.

Figures

Figure 1. Tromodesia haemorrhoidalis Bigot, 1889 (= Ophirodexia atrifrons Wiedemann, 1830) holotype ♂. (a) Dorsal habitus. (b) Head, frontal view. (c) Lateral habitus. (d) Labels.