Macquartia dispar, copyright James K. Lindsey.
Belongs within: Oestroidea.
Contains: Exoristinae,
Tachininae,
Dexiinae, Phasiinae.
The Tachinidae are a group of flies with larvae that are endoparasitic on other arthropods. They can generally be recognised by the presence of an enlarged subscutellum at the back of the thorax. The majority of tachinids parasitise Coleoptera or Lepidoptera but a wide range of hosts are known including Heteroptera, Hymenoptera, earwigs or even centipedes. Female tachinids do not usually have a piercing ovipositor; instead, larvae are more commonly laid on the host or amongst host habitat, and the larva burrows through the host cuticle or hatches from the egg after the host swallows it. In many species, described as ovolarviparous, the female possesses an elongate vagina (the uterus or ovisac) in which eggs are retained until close to hatching. In other, oviparous species, the female deposits unembryonated eggs at an earlier stage of development.
Subfamilies within the Tachinidae have been poorly defined historically with divisions often based on ecology rather than morphology. Nevertheless, molecular phylogenetic analysis has mostly corroborated the previously recognised subfamilies. Two tribes of parasites on Coleoptera, the Macquartiini and Myiophasiini, were suggested by Stireman
et al. (2019) to represent the sister group of other Tachinidae. Members of the genus
Macquartia have the medial margin of the lower calypter deflected anterolaterally, a relatively large genal groove formed by separation of a parafacial and genal dilation from the vibrissal angle, eye height about two-thirds the height of the head, and three postsutural intra-alar bristles (Wood 1987).
Characters (from Wood & Zumbado 2010): Small to large flies (body length 3-25 mm), extremely varied in shape and proportions. Frons of male either narrower than that of female and usually lacking proclinate orbital bristles, or about as wide as that of female and usually also with proclinate orbital bristles; first flagellomere of latter type usually much longer in male than in female, in some species bifurcate, trifurcate or multibranched. Arista usually bare, or short to long plumose. Eye usually with ommatrichia; ommatrichia usually longer in male than in female and often longer dorsally than ventrally. Ocelli and ocellar bristles usually present, the latter sometimes directed laterally (lateroclinate) or posteriorly (reclinate). Upper orbital bristles usually present, anterior one(s) reclinate, posteriormost sometimes lateroclinate. Occipital setae usually long and fine, delineated laterally by evenly spaced vertical row of stouter postoccipital bristles, either extending ventrally to meet lower cranial margin or curving forward on genal dilation, that may also have one or more large bristles. Vibrissa usually well developed, usually accompanied by one or more smaller bristles both below and above it. Face concave or convex, often protruding between and/or below vibrissae. Facial ridge, especially in species with long antennae, usually with row of erect bristles. Proboscis usually short and straight, with padlike labella, but may be long and curved, with small labella. Postpronotum with two or usually three major bristles in transverse row, sometimes preceded by fourth smaller bristle or with middle bristle displaced anteriorly. Postsutural supra-alar bristles typically three. Scutellum with one to four paires of bristles, lateral bristles sometimes duplicated. Subscutellum well developed, evenly rounded in profile. Posterior thoracic spiracle small, confined to region behind uppermost meral bristles, and well behind katepisternum, separated from latter by regular katepimeron. Meral bristles present. Vein M with distinct bend.
<==Tachinidae [Larvaevoridae, Macquartiinae]
|--+--+--Exoristinae SC19
| | `--Tachininae SC19
| `--+--+--Dexiinae SC19
| | `--Phasiinae SC19
| `--+--Imitomyia [Imitomyiini] SC19
| | `--I. sugens W87
| `--Palpostomatini SC19
| |--Isidotus incanus WZ10
| |--Palpostoma CM70
| `--Eutrixopsis SC19
`--+--Myiophasiini SC19
| |--Cholomyia SC19
| | |--C. inaequipes WZ10
| | `--C. luteipennis WZ10
| `--Gnadochaeta SC19
| |--G. clistoides WZ10
| |--G. metallica SC19
| `--G. nigrifrons SC19
`--Macquartiini SC19
|--Porphyromus SC19
`--Macquartia Robineau-Desvoidy 1830 (see below for synonymy) F92
|--*M. dispar (Fallén 1820) F92
|--M. atrata K01
|--M. obscura W87
|--M. plumbea SC19
|--M. tenebricosa Meigen 1824 (see below for synonymy) F92
`--M. tessellum SC19
Tachinidae incertae sedis:
Protohystricia PPE03
Plagiomyia longicornis M83
Eucarcelia rutilla A71
Trichopareia A71
Chaetophleps setosa [incl. Neocelatoria ferox] A71
Thrixion A71
Centeter A71
|--C. cinerea A71
`--C. unicolor A71
Eupeleteria magnicornis A71
Thereseia A71
Diplostichus janitrix A71
Bigonicheta setipennis A71
Diatraeophaga striatalis B88
Koralliomyia portentosa B88
Rossimyiopsis whiteheadi Mesnil 1953 R00
Perumyia embiaphaga Arnaud 1963 R00
Prodiaphania ZS10
Macropodexia C94
Ceromasia hybreas W87
Masistylum W87
|--M. arcuatum CW09
`--M. stenommatum W87
Cleonice bigelowi W87
Blepharomyia tibialis W87
Alophora aurigera CM91, L90
*Borgmeiermyia brasiliana WZ10
Athrycia cinerea WZ10
Cyrtophleba WZ10
|--C. coquilletti WZ10
`--C. horrida WZ10
Metaplagia WZ10
Pyrrhodexia WZ10
Thelairodes WZ10
Crocinosoma cornuale WZ10
Myiomima sarcophagina WZ10
Prosenoides flavipes WZ10
Plagiomima similis WZ10
Ischyrophaga WZ10
|--I. ischyri WZ10
`--I. polita [=Pseudochaetona polita] WZ10
Minthoplagia setifrons WZ10
Xanthodexia WZ10
Chaetodoria WZ10
Thelairodoriopsis maracasi WZ10
Italaspidea WZ10
Polygaster egregia WZ10
Spathidexia WZ10
|--S. clemonsi WZ10
`--S. elegans [=Minthodexiopsis elegans, Gymnopalpus elegans] W87
Neosolieria sila WZ10, W87
Lixadmontia WZ10
Thelyoxynops WZ10
Lydinolydella rasilis WZ10
Ophirion tersum WZ10
Bibiomima handlirschi WZ10
Euantha litturata WZ10
Euscopoliopteryx externa WZ10
Oberonomyia palpalis WZ10
Tropidopsiomorpha tropica WZ10
Eudexia dreisbachi WZ10
Trichodura WZ10
Neosophia WZ10
Meleterus WZ10
Stenodexia WZ10
Phasiophyto fumifera WZ10
Homogenia WZ10
Trochiloleskia loriola WZ10
Xanthomelanopsis WZ10
Polistiopsis mima WZ10
Itaplectops antennalis WZ10
Icelia triquetra WZ10
Arrhinactia WZ10
Istochaeta aldrichi WZ10
Clastoneura WZ10
Embiomyia WZ10
Chrysopasta elegans CM91
Tarassus W87
Chaetoplagia atripennis W87
Androeuryops W87
Phasiops flavus W87
Chaetocrania antennalis W87
Eucnephalia gonoides W87
Onychogonia magna W87
Torosomyia parallela W87
Oraphasmophaga pictipennis W87
Asseclamyia sphenofrons W87
Atactopsis reinhardi W87
Diotrephes atriventris W87
Chesippus notialis W87
Eumasicera W87
|--E. coccidella W87
`--E. setinervis W87
Myatelemus trossulus W87
Gymnophryxe claripennis W87
Eucoronimyia hastata W87
Tsugaea nox W87
Tryphera W87
Gymnocarcelia languida [incl. Elassomyia defecta, G. ricinorum] W87
Hesperomyia erythrocera W87
Paraphasmophaga W87
Cloacina filialis W87
Heliodorus W87
Eufrontina W87
Eribelia exilis W87
Nicephorus floridensis W87
Euceromasia spinosa W87
Townsendiellomyia nidicola W87
Estheria cinerea W87
Hypovoria cauta W87
Uclesia zonalis W87
Gueriniopsis setipes W87
Clastoneuriopsis meralis W87
Menetus macropogon W87
Chaetovoria seriata W87
Cockerelliana capitata W87
Euptilopareia erucicola W87
Euscopolia dakotensis W87
Paradmontia brevis W87
Eumegaparia flaveola W87
Arctophyto marginalis W87
Hypertrophocera W87
|--H. parvipes W87
`--‘Euthyprosopa’ petiolata W87
Goniocera io W87
Meledonus W87
|--M. californicus W87
`--M. latipennis W87
Mactomyia fracida W87
Ostracophyto aristalis W87
Spilochaetosoma californicum W87
Campylochaeta W87
|--C. inepta P93
`--C. semiothisae W87
Evidomyia infida W87
Psilopleura arida W87
Aphria [Aphriini] W87
`--A. ocypterata W87
Impeccantia claterna W87
Hypertrophomma opaca W87
Anthomyiopsis cypseloides W87
Megapariopsis opaca W87
Baeomyia W87
Ceranthia W87
|--C. arizonica W87
|--C. brevirostris W87
|--C. conata W87
`--C. plusiae W87
Miamimyia cincta W87
Goniocheta plagioides W87
Chiricahuia cavicola W87
Pararchytas W87
Rhachoepalpus olivaceus W87
Phalacrophyto sarcophagina W87
Opsotheresia W87
Nimioglossa W87
Megaparia venosa W87
Orestilla primoris W87
Ochrocera vaginalis W87
Orthosimyia W87
Coloradomyia eucosmaphaga W87
Hineomyia setigera W87
Ervia triquetra W87
Pseudapinops W87
Drepanoglossa tenuirostris [=Philocalia tenuirostris] W87
Formosia speciosa C91
Myothyria fergusoni R91
Masicera P93
|--M. pavoniae P93
`--M. sphingivora P93
Huebneria affinis P93
Euvespivora decipiens R78
Anacamptomyia nigriventris R78
Anagonia CM74
Bactromyiella ficta CM74
Hyalomyia CM70
Latigena longicornis F92
Anachaetopsis tortricis B37
Electrotachina smithii RJ93
Hyperectina cinerea RD77
Rhacodineura RD77
Digonochaeta RD77
Ocyptera brassicaria RD77, G20 [=Musca (Ocyptera) brassicaria G20]
Sturmia RD77
|--S. inconspicuoides KR72
`--S. sericariae RD77
Blepharidea RD77
Varichaeta RD77
Paleotachina smithii P92
Dolichocelon paradoxum KR72
Exocrista fallax KR72
Siphophyto setigera E66
Hypopygia E66
Rhampinina E66
Acroglossa hesperidarum E66
Bonellimyia subpolita E66
Fabriciella E66
|--F. actinosa E66
|--F. egula E66
|--F. latigena E66
`--F. rostrata E66
Melinocera flavicornis E66
Mericia E66
|--M. alberta E66
|--M. ampela E66
|--M. arcuata E66
`--M. bicarina E66
Paramuscopteryx E66
Rhachogaster algens E66
Siphosturmiopsis E66
Hyalomyodes triangulifera E66
Plagiprospherysa parvipalpis E66
Achaetoneura archippivora E66
Macquartia Robineau-Desvoidy 1830 [incl. Albiniola Mesnil 1972, Hesionella Mesnil 1972, Proteremoplax Enderlein 1936] F92
Macquartia tenebricosa Meigen 1824 [incl. M. clausicella Rondani 1865, M. laeta Robineau-Desvoidy 1863, M. villica Robineau-Desvoidy 1836] F92
*Type species of generic name indicated
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Last updated: 17 April 2022.
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