Seven new species of Spathidexia Townsend (Diptera: Tachinidae) reared from caterpillars in Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Researchers have identified seven new species of Spathidexia, a genus of tachinid flies, from the Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) in Costa Rica. These discoveries were made through an extensive study combining morphological analysis, photographic documentation, life history data, and molecular evidence. The new species—Spathidexia atripalpus, Spathidexia juanvialesi, Spathidexia marioburgosi, Spathidexia luisrobertogallegosi, Spathidexia luteola, Spathidexia hernanrodriguezi, and Spathidexia aurantiaca—were reared from various caterpillar species within the ACG. Additionally, Minthodexiopsis Townsend was proposed as a new synonym of Spathidexia, with a revised combination for S.flavicornis (Brauer & Bergenstamm). This study contributes significantly to the understanding of biodiversity in the ACG and the taxonomy of tachinid flies.

Fleming, A., Wood, D. M., Janzen, D., Hallwachs, W., & Smith, M. A. (2015). Seven new species of Spathidexia Townsend (Diptera: Tachinidae) reared from caterpillars in Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Biodiversity Data Journal, 3. https://doi.org/10.3897/bdj.3.e4597