Calolydella Townsend, 1927

Fleming, AJ, Wood, D. Monty, Smith, M. Alex, Hallwachs, Winnie & Janzen, Daniel H, 2018, Revision of the Mesoamerican species of Calolydella Townsend (Diptera: Tachinidae) and description of twenty-three new species reared from caterpillars in Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, northwestern Costa Rica, Biodiversity Data Journal 6, pp. 11223-11223 : 11223

Calolydella Townsend, 1927

Calolydella Townsend, 1927a: 278. Type-species: Calolydella geminata Townsend, 1927, by original designation.

Olindopsis Townsend, 1927a: 274. Type-species: Olindopsis andinensis Townsend, 1927, by original designation. Synonymy proposed by Wood (1985).

Pygophorinia Townsend, 1927a: 274. Type-species: Pygophorinia peruviana Townsend, 1927, by original designation. Synonymy proposed by Wood (1985).

Prodexodes Townsend, 1927a: 280. Type-species: Prodexodes rufiventris Townsend, 1927, by original designation. Synonymy proposed by Wood (1985).

Calolydella Calolydella geminata Townsend, 1927

Description

Calolydella belongs to the tribe Blondeliini . Wood (1985) defined the tribe by thethe following combination of character states: prosternum setose; first postsutural supra-alar seta smaller than first postsutural dorsocentral seta; bend of vein M rounded, obtuse; subapical scutellar setae long, stout, and divergent, their bases situated close together; wing veins R4+5 and M ending at or near wing tip; often elongate and narrow body plan; mid-dorsal depression of syntergite 1+2 (ST1+2) rarely reaching hind margin of syntergite; mid tibia, in many genera, with a single long anterodorsal seta.

The following redescription applies to both males and females of Calolydella ; any differences between the sexes are noted. Head: males lacking proclinate orbital setae, females with 2 pairs of proclinate orbital setae; first reclinate orbital seta either equal to or longer than uppermost frontal seta; ocellar setae long; eye bare, if haired then hairs minute and inconspicuous; parafacial bare; facial margin level with vibrissa and not visible in profile, with a few small supra-vibrissal setae; subvibrissal ridge short, with three or fewer setae; margin of postgena straight or slightly convex anteriorly, genal dilation weak or absent; palps normally slender and yellow, some species with black or inflated palps; postpedicel of similar length in both sexes; arista minutely pubescent, slightly thickened at base. Thorax: prosternum setose; proepisternum bare; postpronotum with 2-4 setae in a narrow triangle or a straight line (rarely inner basal seta absent); acrostichal setae 1 –3:3– 4; dorsocentral setae 1 –3:2– 3; intra-alar setae 1 –3:2– 3; supra-alar setae 1-2:3; katepisternal setae 2-3 [ Wood (1985) described the genus as having three katepisternal setae; however, we show that this trait can vary in females]; lateral scutellar setae shorter than subapical setae and curved medially; fore tibia with one posterior seta; mid tibia with one anterodorsal seta; wings ranging from smoky gray to pale translucent brown; wing vein R4+5 with 2-7 setulae dorsally at base, these sometimes extending to crossvein R-M. Abdomen: ST1+2 with one pair of median marginal setae, mid-dorsal depression not extending to hind margin of syntergite; 3rd and 4th abdominal tergites with 1-2 pairs of discal setae. Abdominal tergites marginally banded with gold pollinosity; in some species banding interrupted by a dark median stripe; male abdomen elongated, conical, tapering to a sharp point; in females, abdomen rounded and downwardly curved; in some species the coloration and pattern of pollinosity are sexually dimorphic.

Other species included in Calolydella Townsend

andinensis Townsend, 1927: 339 ( Olindopsis ). Holotype female (USNM), by original designation [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Peru, Cordillera Oriental, near Tabalosas, 3000ft.

blandita Wulp, 1890: 142 ( Hypostena ). Lectotype male (NHMUK), by fixation of Wood (1985:28). Type locality: Mexico, Guerrero, Sierra de las Aguas Escondidas, 7000ft.

cingulata Schiner, 1868: 327 ( Meigenia ). Holotype male (NMW), by original designation [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Brazil.

cylindriventris Wulp, 1890: 145 ( Hypostena ). Lectotype male (NHMUK), by fixation of Wood (1985:28). Type locality: Mexico, Guerrero, Sierra de las Aguas Escondidas, 7000ft.

geminata Townsend, 1927: 293 ( Calolydella ). Multiple syntypes (USNM) [1 female and several males examined by DMW]. Type locality: Brazil, São Paulo, Itaquaquecetuba.

gentica Walker, 1860: 302 ( Masicera ). Lectotype male (NHMUK), by fixation of Wood (1985:28) (examination of "Holotype: ♂" from Mexico in NHMUK is regarded as a lectotype fixation [JE O'Hara, pers. comm.]) [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Mexico.

lathami Curran, 1925: 284 ( Lydella ). Holotype male (CNC), by original designation [examined by DMW]. Type locality: USA, New York, Long Island, Greenpoint.

leucophaea Wulp, 1890: 141 ( Hypostena ). Lectotype female (NHMUK), by fixation of Wood (1985:28). Type locality: Mexico, Guerrero, Sierra de las Aguas Escondidas, 9500ft.

peruviana Townsend, 1927: 355 ( Pygophorinia ). Holotype female (USNM), by original designation [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Peru, [Puno], Casahuiri.

frugale Curran, 1934: 511 ( Lydella ). Holotype female (AMNH), by original designation [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Guyana, Bartica, Kartabo. Syn n., comb. n.

rufiventris Townsend, 1927: 350 ( Prodexodes ). Holotype male (USNM), by original designation [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Brazil, Sao Paulo, Itaquaquecetuba.

summatis Reinhard, 1974: 1158 ( Calolydella ). Holotype male (CNC), by original designation [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Mexico, Durango, 14 miles southwest of El Salto, 8000ft.

triangulifera Bigot, 1889: 268 ( Homodexia ). Holotype male (NHMUK), by monotypy [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Mexico.

pictigaster Bigot, 1889: 261 ( Ceromasia ). Holotype female (NHMUK), by monotypy [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Mexico (NHUMK).

trifasciata Walker, 1837: 350 ( Tachina ). Lectotype female (NHMUK), by fixation of Wood (1985:29) (examination of "Holotype: ♀" from South America in NHMUK is regarded as a lectotype fixation [JE O'Hara, pers. comm.]) [examined by DMW]. Type locality: South America, precise locality uncertain ( Austen 1907).

quadrivittata Bigot, 1889: 261 ( Ceromasia ). Holotype male (NHMUK) [published as female], by monotypy [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Mexico.

quadristriata Wulp, 1890: 146 ( Hypostena ). Holotype male (NHMUK), by original designation [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Costa Rica, Volcán de Irazu, 6000ft.

Diagnosis

Calolydella are slender-bodied flies characterized by an abdomen longer than it is wide, with bold abdominal markings of yellow-gold pollinose stripes on a black background. According to Wood (1985), they lack distinctive chaetotactic characters and are difficult to characterize to genus except by their general appearance. Wood (1985) suggested the presence of only two pairs of presutural acrostichal setae as a diagnostic character; however, our current examination of this trait suggests that it varies among species, as does the rest of the thoracic chaetotaxy. Sternite 5 with only short hair-like setae, all more or less equal in size. Sternites 6 and 7 of female larger and more heavily sclerotized.

Distribution

Essentially a Neotropical genus save for one species, Calolydella lathami , which is present in the eastern USA and adjacent Canada.

Ecology

All species of Calolydella are parasitoids of Lepidoptera larvae in the families Crambidae , Erebidae , Geometridae , Hesperiidae , Lycaenidae , Notodontidae , Nymphalidae , Pieridae , Riodinidae , and Sphingidae .