Melastrongygaster

Shima, Hiroshi, 2015, Melastrongygaster, a new genus of the tribe Strongygastrini (Diptera: Tachinidae), with five new species from Asia, Zootaxa 3904 (3), pp. 427-445 : 440

Key to species of Melastrongygaster

1. Parafacial 1.3–1.5 (1–1.3 in profile) times as wide as 1st flagellomere of antenna at middle height; usually 2 presutural acrostichal setae.......................................................................................... 2

- Parafacial as wide as, or narrower than, (narrower than in profile) 1st flagellomere at middle height; 1 presutural acrostichal seta................................................................................................. 3

2. Shining black marking of inner fronto-orbital plate very narrow and not extending below base of antenna; base of antenna nearly level with lower 1/3 of eye height in profile; male cerci in dorsal view evenly narrowed to apex, narrowly separated on apical 2/5, in lateral view very weakly curved ventrally.......................................... M. atrata sp. nov.

- Shining black marking of inner fronto-orbital plate extending and broadening well below level of base of arista; base of antenna at level of lower 1/4 of eye height; male cerci in dorsal view widely separated on basal 1/2 and weakly narrowed to apex, in lateral view well curved ventrally and narrowed to pointed apex....................... M. kambaitiana sp. nov.

3. First flagellomere of antenna about 2 times as long as pedicel; inner vertical seta shorter than ocellar seta, about 1/4 of eye height; shining black marking of fronto-orbital plate extending below level of apex of antenna; frons rather rounded in profile; male cerci in dorsal view narrowly separated on apical 2/3..................................... M. orbitalis sp. nov.

- First flagellomere at most 1.5 times as long as pedicel; inner vertical seta longer than ocellar seta and at least 2/7 as long as eye height; shining black marking of fronto-orbital plate extending below level of apex of pedicel; frons nearly straight, at most weakly curved in profile; male cerci strongly divergent apically in dorsal view..................................... 4

4. Parafacial nearly as wide as (slightly narrower than in profile) 1st flagellomere at middle height; 1st flagellomere of antenna only slightly longer than pedicel; base of antenna nearly level with lower 1/3 of eye height; mid tibia with only 1 anterodorsal seta; wing tinged with brown especially on basal portion; male cerci divergent at apical 2/ 5 in dorsal view, narrowed at apical 1/ 3 in lateral view; surstylus nearly parallel-sided in lateral view.............................. M. fuscipennis sp. nov.

- Parafacial about 5/7 (about 3/ 5 in profile) as wide as 1st flagellomere at middle height; 1st flagellomere about 1.5 times as long as pedicel; base of antenna nearly level with lower 1/4 of eye height; mid tibia with 1–2 anterodorsal setae; wing only weakly tinged with pale brown; male cerci divergent at apical 1/ 4 in dorsal view, strongly narrowed near basal 1/ 2 in lateral view; surstylus weakly narrowed apically............................................................ M. chaoi sp. nov.