Prochyliza xanthostoma Walker, 1849

Martín-Vega, Daniel, 2014, On the identity of Prochyliza nigrimana (Meigen) and Prochyliza nigricornis (Meigen) (Diptera: Piophilidae), with a synopsis of Prochyliza Walker and description of a new species, Zootaxa 3893 (2), pp. 277-292 : 289-290

Prochyliza xanthostoma Walker, 1849

Prochyliza xanthostoma Walker, 1849: 1045 . Type locality: Canada (Ontario). Holotype (♂) in Natural History Museum, London.

Material examined. 1 ♂ (MZLU-104): USA, Oregon, Pinehurst; 11–12.vi.1984; leg. R. Danielsson; det. Hugo Andersson. 12 ♂ and 12 ♀: Canada, Ontario, Algonquin Park; several dates; leg. and det. R. Bonduriansky; deposited in the collection of the Department of Life Sciences of the University of Alcalá.

Diagnosis. This is the most distinctive species of genus Prochyliza . The unusually elongated pedicel in both sexes (although much more elongated in males) ( Fig. 4 A, B) is an unmistakable diagnostic character for this species.

Remarks. As mentioned, P. xanthostoma was the only species included in the originally monotypic genus Prochyliza . Consequently, the original description of this genus referred to the distinctive characters of this species ( Walker 1849). With the subsequent combination of other species under this genus made by McAlpine (1977), his redescription of the genus Prochyliza should be followed, as presented in the current paper.

Biology. The species breeds on carcasses (e.g. Bonduriansky & Brooks 1999; Tabor et al. 2005). Prochyliza xanthostoma has been used as a model organism for research on several topics like larval behaviour ( Bonduriansky 2002), adult fitness (Bonduriansky et al. 2005) or sexual selection (e.g. Bonduriansky & Rowe 2005; Bonduriansky 2006).

Distribution. Nearctic; originally recorded from Northeastern Canada ( Walker 1849), it is widely distributed throughout North America ( McAlpine 1977).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Head of Prochyliza xanthostoma Walker, Prochyliza georgekaplani sp. nov. and Prochyliza nigrimana (Meigen). (A) P. xanthostoma, male head, lateral view; (B) P. xanthostoma, female head, lateral view; (C) P. georgekaplani, male head, lateral view; (D) P. nigrimana, female head, lateral view.