Polideini

Male Lypha setifacies, copyright Tom Murray.

Belongs within: Tachininae.

The Polideini are a group of tachinid flies known to attack a wide range of hosts, including caterpillars, scorpions, spiders, centipedes, cockroaches, earwigs and webspinners. Embryonated eggs are deposited in locations where hosts are likely to pass; the hatching larvae are heavily sclerotised to resist desiccation and wait for an opportunity to attach themselves to a host (Wood & Zumbado 2010).

Characters (from Wood & Zumbado 2010): Anepimeral bristle very large, extending posteriorly beyond middle of lower calypter; metathoracic spiracle with almost equal outgrowths of hairs (lappets) along each side of opening, with V-shaped opening between them; syntergosternite 7+8 of male characteristically enlarged, bulbous and shiny, wider than hypandrium.

<==Polideini WZ10
    |  i. s.: Pseudobombyliomyia linellii WZ10
    |         Phobetromyia dumalis WZ10
    |         Chlorohystricia cyaneiventris WZ10
    |         Eucheirophaga lugubris WZ10
    |         Mauromyia pulla WZ10, W87
    |         Exoristoides WZ10
    |--+--Dolichostoma puntarenensis SC19
    |  `--+--Ecuadorana SC19
    |     `--Hystricia SC19
    |          |--H. abrupta WZ10
    |          |--H. amoena BW09
    |          `--H. testaceiventris W87
    `--+--Dichocera SC19
       |    |--D. lyrata SC19
       |    |--D. orientalis CW09
       |    |--D. robusta W87
       |    `--D. tridens M81
       `--+--Chrysotachina SC19
          |    |--C. alcedo WZ10
          |    `--C. slossonae SC19
          `--+--Micronychia invasor SC19
             `--+--Homalactia harringtoni SC19
                `--+--Lydina areos SC19
                   `--+--Nigrilypha gnoma SC19
                      `--Lypha SC19
                           |--L. dubia SC19
                           |--L. fumipennis T81
                           |--L. harringtoni W87
                           |--L. harrisi W87
                           `--L. setifacies WZ10

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[BW09] Buck, M., N. E. Woodley, A. Borkent, D. M. Wood, T. Pape, J. R. Vockeroth, V. Michelsen & S. A. Marshall. 2009. Key to Diptera families—adults. In: Brown, B. V., A. Borkent, J. M. Cumming, D. M. Wood, N. E. Woodley & M. A. Zumbado (eds) Manual of Central American Diptera vol. 1 pp. 95–156. NRC Research Press: Ottawa.

[CW09] Cumming, J. M., & D. M. Wood. 2009. Adult morphology and terminology. In: Brown, B. V., A. Borkent, J. M. Cumming, D. M. Wood, N. E. Woodley & M. A. Zumbado (eds) Manual of Central American Diptera vol. 1 pp. 9–50. NRC Research Press: Ottawa.

[M81] McAlpine, J. F. 1981. Morphology and terminology—adults. In: McAlpine, J. F., B. V. Peterson, G. E. Shewell, H. J. Teskey, J. R. Vockeroth & D. S. Wood (eds) Manual of Nearctic Diptera vol. 1 pp. 9–63. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.

[SC19] Stireman, J. O., III, P. Cerretti, J. E. O'Hara, J. D. Blaschke & J. K. Moulton. 2019. Molecular phylogeny and evolution of world Tachinidae (Diptera). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 139: 106358.

[T81] Teskey, H. J. 1981. Key to families—larvae. In: McAlpine, J. F., B. V. Peterson, G. E. Shewell, H. J. Teskey, J. R. Vockeroth & D. S. Wood (eds) Manual of Nearctic Diptera vol. 1 pp. 125–147. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.

[W87] Wood, D. M. 1987. Tachinidae. In: McAlpine, J. F. (ed.) Manual of Nearctic Diptera vol. 2 pp. 1193–1269. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.

[WZ10] Wood, D. M., & M. A. Zumbado. 2010. Tachinidae (tachinid flies, parasitic flies). In: Brown, B. V., A. Borkent, J. M. Cumming, D. M. Wood, N. E. Woodley & M. A. Zumbado (eds) Manual of Central American Diptera vol. 2 pp. 1343–1417. NRC Research Press: Ottawa.

Last updated: 3 July 2021.