A new species of Phosocephala Townsend, 1908 (Diptera: Tachinidae) from Area de Conservación Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica

Researchers have identified a new species of Phosocephala fly, Phosocephala alexanderi, within the Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) in northwestern Costa Rica. This discovery, authored by Fleming and Wood, was made through a combination of morphological analysis, life history observations, and molecular data. Additionally, the study provides the first description of the male Phosocephala metallica species, previously unknown. Both species were reared from wild-caught Lepidoptera larvae, highlighting their ecological significance in the ACG ecosystem.

Fleming, A., Wood, D. M., Smith, M. A., Janzen, D., Hallwachs, W., & Dapkey, T. (2016). A new species of Phosocephala Townsend, 1908 (Diptera: Tachinidae) from Area de Conservación Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica. Biodiversity Data Journal, 4. https://doi.org/10.3897/bdj.4.e7863