Calolydella Townsend, 1927a: 278. Type-species: Calolydella geminata Townsend, 1927, by original designation.

Olindopsis Townsend, 1927a: 274. Type-species: Olindopsis andinensis Townsend, 1927, by original designation. Synonymy proposed by Wood (1985).

Pygophorinia Townsend, 1927a: 274. Type-species: Pygophorinia peruviana Townsend, 1927, by original designation. Synonymy proposed by Wood (1985).

Prodexodes Townsend, 1927a: 280. Type-species: Prodexodes rufiventris Townsend, 1927, by original designation. Synonymy proposed by Wood (1985).

Calolydella belongs to the tribe Blondeliini. Wood (1985) defined the tribe by thethe following combination of character states: prosternum setose; first postsutural supra-alar seta smaller than first postsutural dorsocentral seta; bend of vein M rounded, obtuse; subapical scutellar setae long, stout, and divergent, their bases situated close together; wing veins R₄₊₅ and M ending at or near wing tip; often elongate and narrow body plan; mid-dorsal depression of syntergite 1+2 (ST1+2) rarely reaching hind margin of syntergite; mid tibia, in many genera, with a single long anterodorsal seta.

The following redescription applies to both males and females of Calolydella; any differences between the sexes are noted. Head: males lacking proclinate orbital setae, females with 2 pairs of proclinate orbital setae; first reclinate orbital seta either equal to or longer than uppermost frontal seta; ocellar setae long; eye bare, if haired then hairs minute and inconspicuous; parafacial bare; facial margin level with vibrissa and not visible in profile, with a few small supra-vibrissal setae; subvibrissal ridge short, with three or fewer setae; margin of postgena straight or slightly convex anteriorly, genal dilation weak or absent; palps normally slender and yellow, some species with black or inflated palps; postpedicel of similar length in both sexes; arista minutely pubescent, slightly thickened at base. Thorax: prosternum setose; proepisternum bare; postpronotum with 2–4 setae in a narrow triangle or a straight line (rarely inner basal seta absent); acrostichal setae 1–3:3–4; dorsocentral setae 1–3:2–3; intra-alar setae 1–3:2–3; supra-alar setae 1–2:3; katepisternal setae 2–3 [Wood (1985) described the genus as having three katepisternal setae; however, we show that this trait can vary in females]; lateral scutellar setae shorter than subapical setae and curved medially; fore tibia with one posterior seta; mid tibia with one anterodorsal seta; wings ranging from smoky gray to pale translucent brown; wing vein R₄₊₅ with 2–7 setulae dorsally at base, these sometimes extending to crossvein R-M. Abdomen: ST1+2 with one pair of median marginal setae, mid-dorsal depression not extending to hind margin of syntergite; 3rd and 4th abdominal tergites with 1–2 pairs of discal setae. Abdominal tergites marginally banded with gold pollinosity; in some species banding interrupted by a dark median stripe; male abdomen elongated, conical, tapering to a sharp point; in females, abdomen rounded and downwardly curved; in some species the coloration and pattern of pollinosity are sexually dimorphic.

Other species included in Calolydella Townsend

andinensis Townsend, 1927: 339 (Olindopsis). Holotype female (USNM), by original designation [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Peru, Cordillera Oriental, near Tabalosas, 3000ft.

blandita Wulp, 1890: 142 (Hypostena). Lectotype male (NHMUK), by fixation of Wood (1985:28). Type locality: Mexico, Guerrero, Sierra de las Aguas Escondidas, 7000ft.

cingulata Schiner, 1868: 327 (Meigenia). Holotype male (NMW), by original designation [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Brazil.

cylindriventris Wulp, 1890: 145 (Hypostena). Lectotype male (NHMUK), by fixation of Wood (1985:28). Type locality: Mexico, Guerrero, Sierra de las Aguas Escondidas, 7000ft.

geminata Townsend, 1927: 293 (Calolydella). Multiple syntypes (USNM) [1 female and several males examined by DMW]. Type locality: Brazil, São Paulo, Itaquaquecetuba.

gentica Walker, 1860: 302 (Masicera). Lectotype male (NHMUK), by fixation of Wood (1985:28) (examination of “Holotype: ♂” from Mexico in NHMUK is regarded as a lectotype fixation [JE O'Hara, pers. comm.]) [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Mexico.

lathami Curran, 1925: 284 (Lydella). Holotype male (CNC), by original designation [examined by DMW]. Type locality: USA, New York, Long Island, Greenpoint.

leucophaea Wulp, 1890: 141 (Hypostena). Lectotype female (NHMUK), by fixation of Wood (1985:28). Type locality: Mexico, Guerrero, Sierra de las Aguas Escondidas, 9500ft.

peruviana Townsend, 1927: 355 (Pygophorinia). Holotype female (USNM), by original designation [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Peru, [Puno], Casahuiri.

frugale Curran, 1934: 511 (Lydella). Holotype female (AMNH), by original designation [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Guyana, Bartica, Kartabo. Syn n., comb. n.

rufiventris Townsend, 1927: 350 (Prodexodes). Holotype male (USNM), by original designation [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Brazil, Sao Paulo, Itaquaquecetuba.

summatis Reinhard, 1974: 1158 (Calolydella). Holotype male (CNC), by original designation [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Mexico, Durango, 14 miles southwest of El Salto, 8000ft.

triangulifera Bigot, 1889: 268 (Homodexia). Holotype male (NHMUK), by monotypy [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Mexico.

pictigaster Bigot, 1889: 261 (Ceromasia). Holotype female (NHMUK), by monotypy [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Mexico (NHUMK).

trifasciata Walker, 1837: 350 (Tachina). Lectotype female (NHMUK), by fixation of Wood (1985:29) (examination of “Holotype: ♀” from South America in NHMUK is regarded as a lectotype fixation [JE O'Hara, pers. comm.]) [examined by DMW]. Type locality: South America, precise locality uncertain (Austen 1907).

quadrivittata Bigot, 1889: 261 (Ceromasia). Holotype male (NHMUK) [published as female], by monotypy [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Mexico.

quadristriata Wulp, 1890: 146 (Hypostena). Holotype male (NHMUK), by original designation [examined by DMW]. Type locality: Costa Rica, Volcán de Irazu, 6000ft.

Calolydella are slender-bodied flies characterized by an abdomen longer than it is wide, with bold abdominal markings of yellow-gold pollinose stripes on a black background. According to Wood (1985), they lack distinctive chaetotactic characters and are difficult to characterize to genus except by their general appearance. Wood (1985) suggested the presence of only two pairs of presutural acrostichal setae as a diagnostic character; however, our current examination of this trait suggests that it varies among species, as does the rest of the thoracic chaetotaxy. Sternite 5 with only short hair-like setae, all more or less equal in size. Sternites 6 and 7 of female larger and more heavily sclerotized.

Essentially a Neotropical genus save for one species, Calolydella lathami, which is present in the eastern USA and adjacent Canada.

All species of Calolydella are parasitoids of Lepidoptera larvae in the families Crambidae, Erebidae, Geometridae, Hesperiidae, Lycaenidae, Notodontidae, Nymphalidae, Pieridae, Riodinidae, and Sphingidae.

Male (Fig. 1a, b, c). Length: 5–8mm. Head (Fig. 1b): frontal setae extending to base of postpedicel; fronto-orbital plate gold and sparsely setulose; parafacial silver throughout. Thorax (Fig. 1a, c): gold on dorsal surface, silver laterally (>50% coverage); four thoracic vittae, these becoming almost fused postsuturally; postpronotum with three setae in a narrow triangle; 3:3 acrostichal setae; 2:4 dorsocentral setae; 1:3 intra-alar setae; 1:3 supra-alar setae; three katepisternal setae; anatergite bare (rarely setose, one specimen with two hair-like seta); scutellar discal setae situated as wide apart as subapical scutellar setae. Wing vein R₄₊₅ with at most four small setulae dorsally at base. Abdomen (Fig. 1a, c): ground color dark brown-orange, with transverse marginal pollinose bands; abdominal pollinosity gold dorsally, silver ventrally, with an orange spot lateroventrally at base of ST1+2; T3 with one pair of median marginal setae and 1–2 pairs of discal setae; T4 with 1–2 pairs of discal setae. Terminalia (Fig. 2): sternite 5 with two small lobes and a wide U-shaped median cleft, 0.39X the length of the sternite from lobe to apex (Fig. 2c); inner margin covered by dense pollinosity, appearing darker than surrounding cuticle; lobes of sternite with many short stout setae marginally. Cerci, in dorsal view (Fig. 2b), separated by a narrow gap; cercus, in lateral view, long, upturned, slender and pointed, slightly tapered apically from its already narrow base; cercus setose along its anterior 1/2. Surstylus (Fig. 2a), short and spatulate, 4/5 length of cercus, appearing rounded at apex when viewed laterally; apical half with multiple short setae; tip of surstylus slightly angled inwards when viewed dorsally.

Female (Fig. 1d, e, f). Length: 5–7mm. As male, except for the following characters: fronto-orbital plate 1.6X as wide as in male; 2:3 acrostichal setae; wing vein R₄₊₅ with 6–7 setulae extending to crossvein R-M, and ground color of abdomen appearing slightly darker than in male.

Calolydella adelinamoralesae can be distinguished from all other species of Calolydella by the following combination of traits: parafacial all silver, frontal setae extending to base of postpedicel, anatergite bare, and T4 with 1–2 pairs of discal setae.

The specific epithet is in honor of Adelina Morales Chaves of La Cruz, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, in recognition of the many years she dedicated to sorting ACG Malaise trap samples, many of which contained Calolydella flies.

Costa Rica, ACG, Alajuela and Guanacaste provinces, 96–527m.

Calolydella adelinamoralesae has been reared 53 times from Agaraea minuta (Schaus, 1892) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), in rain forest and dry-rain lowland intergrade.

Male (Fig. 3a, b, c). Length: 7mm. Head (Fig. 3b): frontal setae extending to base of postpedicel; fronto-orbital plate gold, sparsely setulose throughout; parafacial at least 50% silver pollinose. Thorax (Fig. 3a, c): gold pollinose dorsally with a gold tinge on lateral surfaces; outermost two thoracic vittae twice as wide as innermost two, these becoming fused postsuturally; postpronotum with two setae (inner basal seta absent); 3:3 acrostichal setae; 3:4 dorsocentral setae; 2:2 intra-alar setae; 2:3 supra-alar setae; three katepisternal setae; anatergite bare; scutellar discal setae situated as wide apart as subapical scutellar setae. Wing vein R4+5 with at most three small setulae dorsally, near base. Abdomen (Fig. 3a): ground color dark brown-orange with uninterrupted transverse marginal pollinose bands; abdominal pollinosity gold dorsally, silver ventrally, with an orange spot lateroventrally at base of ST1+2; T3 with one pair of median marginal setae and one pair of discal setae; T4 with one pair of discal setae. Terminalia: not examined.

Female: not known at this time.

Calolydella alexanderjamesi can be distinguished from all other species of Calolydella by the following combination of traits: parafacial mostly gold, fronto-orbital plate with small black setulae interspersed among frontal setae, anatergite bare, and thoracic pollinosity gold on both dorsal and lateral surfaces.

The specific epithet is in honor of Alexander James of Levittown, Pennsylvania, in recognition of the moral and family support of his mother, Tanya Dapkey, in her efforts curating and preparing ACG parasitoid flies for DNA barcoding.

Costa Rica, ACG, Guanacaste Province, Area Administrativa, 295m.

Calolydella alexanderjamesi has been reared once from Correbia undulata (Druce, 1884) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), in dry forest.

Female (Fig. 4a, b, c). Length: 6mm. Head (Fig. 4b): frontal setae extending to base of postpedicel; fronto-orbital plate all silver, sparsely setulose throughout; parafacial silver throughout. Thorax (Fig. 4a, c): silver pollinose on both dorsal and lateral surfaces; with four regular thoracic vittae; postpronotum with three setae; 3:3 acrostichal setae; 2:3 dorsocentral setae; 2:3 intra-alar setae; 2:3 supra-alar setae; three katepisternal setae; anatergite with three or more setae, often in a small tuft; scutellar discal setae situated slightly wider apart than subapical scutellar setae. Wing vein R₄₊₅ with 6–7 setulae dorsally, reaching from base almost to crossvein R-M. Abdomen (Fig. 4a): ground color black with uninterrupted transverse marginal pollinose bands covering anterior marginal 2/3 of tergites; both abdominal surfaces (dorsal and ventral) concolorous; base of ST1+2 black lateroventrally; T3 with one pair of median marginal setae and one pair of discal setae; T4 with one pair of discal setae.

Male: not known at this time.

Calolydella argentea can be distinguished from all other species of Calolydella by the following combination of traits: parafacial and fronto-orbital plate entirely silver, frontal setae extending to base of postpedicel with intermingled small setulae, 3:3 acrostichal setae, anterior 2/3 of abdominal tergites with silver pollinose bands, anatergite with three or more hair-like setae, and wing vein R₄₊₅ with 6–7 setulae, almost reaching to crossvein R-M.

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin adjective "argentum", meaning silver, in reference to its entirely silver parafacial and fronto-orbital plate, a feature unique to this species.

Costa Rica, ACG, Alajuela Province, Finca Esmeralda, 123m.

Calolydella argentea has been reared once from Antiblemma Poole33 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in rain forest.

Female: 6mm (Fig. 5). Head (Fig. 5b): frontal setae extending to base of postpedicel; fronto-orbital plate gold, sparsely setulose along upper half; parafacial almost entirely gold (>90% coverage); palps black basally. Thorax (Fig. 5a, c): gold on both dorsal and lateral surfaces; four regular thoracic vittae; postpronotum with three setae; 2:3 acrostichal setae; 2:3 dorsocentral setae; 2:3 intra-alar setae; 2:3 supra-alar setae; three katepisternal setae; anatergite with three or more hair-like setae, often in a small tuft; scutellar discal setae absent. Wing vein R₄₊₅ with 5–7 setulae dorsally, extending almost to crossvein R-M. Abdomen (Fig. 5a): ground color black, typically with uninterrupted transverse marginal pollinose bands (these can sometimes appear interrupted by a thick median stripe under certain angles of light); both dorsal and ventral surfaces concolorous, silver; base of ST1+2 black lateroventrally; T3 with one pair of median marginal setae and one pair of discal setae; T4 with a pair of discal setae.

Male: not known at this time.

Calolydella aureofacies can be distinguished from all other species of Calolydella by the following combination of traits: parafacial mostly gold, female palps black basally, anatergite with three or more hair-like setae, and scutellar discal setae absent.

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin adjective "aurum", meaning gold, and "facies", meaning face, in reference to its gold parafacial and fronto-orbital plate.

Costa Rica, ACG, Guanacaste Province, Sendero Ponderosa, 1060m.

Calolydella aureofacies has been reared once from Cyclophora Janzen23 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), in cloud forest.

Female (Fig. 6a, b, c). Length: 7mm. Head (Fig. 6b): frontal setae extending to base of postpedicel; fronto-orbital plate gold throughout, ranging from bare to almost bare; parafacial silver throughout. Thorax (Fig. 6a, c): gold on dorsal surface, silver laterally (>50% coverage); vittae fused into two prominent dark stripes; postpronotum with three setae; 3:3 acrostichal setae; 2:3 dorsocentral setae; 1:3 intra-alar setae; 2:3 supra-alar setae; three katepisternal setae; anatergite with three or more hair-like setae, often in a small tuft; scutellar discal setae situated slightly closer together than subapical scutellar setae. Wing vein R₄₊₅ with at most 2–3 setulae dorsally at base, not extending to crossvein R-M. Abdomen (Fig. 6a): ground color orange-yellow, with median dark stripe breaking up pollinose marginal banding; abdominal pollinosity gold dorsally, silver ventrally; base of ST1+2 black lateroventrally; T3 with a row of marginal setae and one pair of discal setae; T4 with one pair of discal setae.

Male: not known at this time.

Calolydella bicolor can be distinguished from all other species of Calolydella by the following combination of traits: fronto-orbital plate entirely gold, parafacial entirely silver, anatergite with three or more hair-like setae, and gold abdominal pollinose bands interrupted by a median dark stripe.

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin adjective “bicolor”, meaning two-toned, in reference to its gold fronto-orbital plate and silver parafacial.

Costa Rica, ACG, Guanacaste Province, Sendero Bernales, 660m.

Calolydella bicolor has been reared once from Callicore lyca (Doubleday, 1847) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), in rain forest.

Male (Fig. 7a, b, c). Length: 5–6mm. Head (Fig. 7b): frontal setae extending to base of postpedicel; frontal vitta tapering apically; fronto-orbital plate gold throughout, with a single row of fine setulae outside of frontal setae; parafacial at least 50% silver pollinose. Thorax (Fig. 7a, c): gold on dorsal surface, silver laterally (>50% coverage); vittae fused into two prominent dark stripes; postpronotum with two setae (inner basal seta absent); 1:3 acrostichal setae; 2:2 dorsocentral setae; 1:3 intra-alar setae; 1:3 supra-alar setae; three katepisternal setae; anatergite with three or more hair-like setae, often in a small tuft; scutellar discal setae situated slightly closer together than subapical scutellar setae. Wing vein R₄₊₅ with at most 2–3 setulae dorsally at base, not extending to crossvein R-M. Abdomen (Fig. 7a): ground color dark brown-orange with uninterrupted transverse marginal pollinose bands; pollinosity gold dorsally, silver ventrally, with an orange spot lateroventrally at base of ST1+2; T3 with one pair of median marginal setae and one pair of discal setae; T4 with one pair of discal setae. Terminalia (Fig. 8): sternite 5 (Fig. 8c) with a wide U-shaped median cleft, 0.46X the length of the sternite from lobe to apex; each lobe with a smaller protrusion along upper margin of median cleft; inner margin covered by light pollinosity, appearing slightly darker than surrounding cuticle; lobe of sternite entirely covered with short setae, of varying lengths. Cerci with a fused base and cleft apex, slightly pinched at center (Fig. 8b); cercus, in lateral view, broad and with a slight downward bend. Surstylus digitiform and straight (Fig. 8a), appearing subequal to length of cercus when viewed laterally; surstylus with short setae along entire length; tip of surstylus appearing curved inwards when viewed dorsally.

Female (Fig. 7d, e, f). Length: 5mm. As male, except for the following characters: fronto-orbital plate 3X as wide as in male; frontal vitta not tapered, apically 1.2X as wide as in male; two katepisternal setae.

Calolydella bifissus can be distinguished from all other species of Calolydella by the following combination of characters: two bold thoracic vittae, abdominal pollinosity concolorous on both dorsal and ventral surfaces, anatergite with a small tuft of hair-like setae, and abdominal ground color dark brown-orange.

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin adjective "bifissus", meaning cleft or cloven, in reference to cleft nature of the cerci, which are fused basally, a character state unique to this species.

Costa Rica, ACG, Alajuela and Guanacaste provinces, 400–1150m.

Calolydella bifissus has been reared twice, from two separate hosts, Dircenna kluggii (Geyer, 1837) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) and Phyllodonta latrata (Guenée, 1857) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), in rain forest and cloud forest ecosystems.

Male (Fig. 9a, b, c). Length: 6mm. Head (Fig. 9b): frontal setae extending to base of postpedicel; fronto-orbital plate entirely gold, and sparsely setulose only along upper half; parafacial silver. Thorax: (Fig. 9a, c) gold on both dorsal and lateral surfaces; thorax with four vittae visible only under certain angles of light; postpronotum with three setae; 3:3 acrostichal setae; 3:3 dorsocentral setae; 2:3 intra-alar setae; 2:3 supra-alar setae; three katepisternal setae; anatergite bare; scutellar discal setae absent. Wing vein R₄₊₅ with 3–4 setulae dorsally at base. Abdomen (Fig. 9a): ground color black, with thin median dark stripe breaking up pollinose marginal banding; abdominal pollinosity gold dorsally, silver ventrally; base of ST1+2 black lateroventrally; T3 with one pair of median marginal setae and one pair of discal setae; T4 with one pair of discal setae. Terminalia (Fig. 10): sternite 5 (Fig. 10c) with two small lobes and a wide U-shaped median cleft, 0.39X the length of the sternite from lobe to apex; inner margin covered by dense pollinosity, appearing darker than surrounding cuticle; upper margin of sternite with many stout, outwardly-pointing setae. Cerci (Fig. 10b) separated by a narrow gap basally, widening to an oval about midway; cercus, in dorsal view, long and rounded and not significantly tapering from base to tip; cercus, in lateral view, straight and setose along basal half, with a slight bulb at its tip. Surstylus (Fig. 10a) short, 2/3 length of cercus, and knife-like, appearing sharply pointed when viewed laterally; apical half of surstylus with short setae; tip of surstylus slightly angled outwards when viewed dorsally.

Female: not known at this time.

Calolydella crocata can be distinguished from all other species of Calolydella by the following combination of traits: fronto-orbital plate mostly gold-pollinose but with some silver pollinosity and sparsely setulose, thorax with four vittae visible only under certain angles of light, anatergite bare, and abdomen with transverse marginal pollinose bands interrupted by a thin dark median stripe.

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin adjective "crocatum", meaning yellow, in reference to the gold pollinosity present over most of the body of the new species.

Costa Rica, ACG, Guanacaste Province, Estación Quica, 470m.

Calolydella crocata has been reared once from Semaeopus Janzen05 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), in rain forest.