Zosteromeigenia

Zosteromeigenia mima is a species of fly in the family Tachinidae and the sole representative of the genus Zosteromeigenia.[2][3] Like the vast majority of tachinid flies, Z. mima is expected to be a parasitoid of other arthropods, likely the larvae of Lepidoptera, however few or no host records exist.

Zosteromeigenia mima
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Tachinidae
Subfamily:	Exoristinae
Tribe:	Blondeliini
Genus:	Zosteromeigenia Townsend, 1919
Species:	Z. mima
Binomial name
Zosteromeigenia mima (Townsend, 1919)
Synonyms
Zosteromyia longicornis (Hardy 1933)[1]

Identification

Z. mima is morphologically similar to a number of other flies in the tribe Blondeliini, namely those in the genus Trigonospila. Like Trigonospila, Z. mima is distinctive for the alternating black and white transverse bars on the thorax. There are two whitish bars on the thorax; one adjacent to the transverse suture, and the second adjacent to the scutellum. There may also be a white triangle on the tip of the scutellum, and the subscutellum is usually white. Abdominal colouration distinguishes Z. mima from Trigonospila; the abdomen is largely brown or fulvous-yellow on the sides of the abdomen with a broad black stripe extending along the dorsal surface of the abdomen, terminating about the fourth segment.[1][4]

Z. mima is also easily distinguished from Trigonospila by other characters, including a heavy suffusion of black or brown along the wing margin, giving the appearance of a brown stripe adjacent to the wing margin and much longer antennae.[1][4]

References

1. Hardy, G.M. (1934). "Notes on Australian Muscoidea (Calyptrata)". Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland. The Royal Society of Queensland. 45: 30–37.
2. Crosskey, R.W. (1973). "A conspectus of the Tachinidae (Diptera) of Australia, including keys to the supraspecific taxa and taxonomic and host catalogues". Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology Series. London: British Museum (Natural History). Supplement 21: 1–221.
3. O'Hara, James E.; Shima, Hiroshi; Zhang, Chuntian (2009). "Annotated Catalogue of the Tachinidae (Insecta: Diptera) of China" (PDF). Zootaxa. Magnolia Press, Auckland, New Zealand. 2190: 1–236. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
4. Townsend, Charles Henry Tyler (1919). "New genera and species of muscoid flies". Proceedings of the United States National Museum. The United States National Museum. 56: 541–592. doi:10.5479/si.00963801.2301.541. Retrieved 10 March 2015.