A new species of Voria Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Tachinidae) from Area de Conservación Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica

Scientists have identified a new species of parasitic fly, Voria erasmocoronadoi, within the genus Voria (Diptera: Tachinidae), discovered in Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) in northwestern Costa Rica. This discovery was part of an ongoing inventory of wild-caught caterpillars, encompassing diverse moth and butterfly families. The research provides a detailed morphological description, life history data, molecular analysis, and photographic documentation of the species. Additionally, the study reclassifies several previously recognized genera as synonyms under Voria, including Xenoplagia, Hystricovoria, Afrovoria, Anavoria, and Itavoria, and proposes new combinations for three species. This work not only expands our understanding of fly biodiversity in ACG but also sheds light on host-parasite relationships within this ecologically significant region.

Fleming, A., Wood, D. M., Smith, M. A., Dapkey, T., Hallwachs, W., & Janzen, D. (2017). A new species of Voria Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Tachinidae) from Area de Conservación Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica. Biodiversity Data Journal, 5. https://doi.org/10.3897/bdj.5.e20123