Trismegistomya Reinhard, 1967 - Reinhard 1967b:600, nomen novum for Trismegistus Reinhard, 1967.

Trismegistus Reinhard, 1967 - Reinhard 1967a:100, junior homonym of Trismegistus Johnson & Snyder, 1904.

Male. Head: strongly conical in shape, 1.3× wider than tall in frontal view, in profile 1.35× wider at level of pedicel than at level of vibrissa; fronto-orbital plate and parafacial dull grey-silver tomentose; frontal vitta of reddish-brown color, 1.2× width of fronto-orbital plate; eye bare, occupying 0.75× height of head; postpedicel 1.18× pedicel; pedicel brilliant orange; arista slightly longer than postpedicel, abruptly tapered apically; antennal insertion level with middle of eye; gena almost 0.25× height of eye, strong genal groove of deep dull red color, contrasting with silver gena; two pairs of vertical setae, inner vertical setae convergent, almost 2x as long as outer vertical setae, which are strongly divergent; ocellar setae weak but present and strongly divergent; fronto-orbital plate with single row of frontal setae, at most one frontal seta below upper margin of pedicel and two rows of short setulae outside of frontal setae; parafacial bearing one row of weak proclinate parafacial setae directly adjacent to facial ridge (so close that the facial ridge appears as setulose), appearing as a continuation of frontal setae; one row of scattered setulae on remainder of parafacial, extending to lower proclinate orbital seta; two pairs of proclinate orbital setae, one pair of lateraloclinate or reclinate upper orbital setae; palpus yellow-orange, only slightly haired. Thorax: entirely black; dorsally with a very slight grey tomentum presuturally, only visible under certain angles of light, otherwise appearing as glabrous black; chaetotaxy: three postpronotal setae arranged in a straight line; two notopleural setae; three postsutural acrostichal setae; 3–4 postsutural dorsocentral setae; 2–3 postsutural intra-alar setae; three postsutural supra-alar setae; 2–3 katepisternal setae; anepimeron bare, with 2–4 short and stout hair-like setae, lacking any strong elongate anepimeral setae; scutellum with 1–2 pairs oflateral setae; one pair of apical setae; discal scutellar setae ranging from one pair to absent. Wings: hyaline with a slight yellow tinge; bend of vein M obtuse, ending at wing margin; crossvein dm-cu slightly oblique; wing vein R₄₊₅ bearing 4–6 setulae dorsally, extending 0.75× distance from node to crossvein r-m. Legs: short and stout; entirely glabrous black, densely covered in appressed short setulae. Abdomen: ground color appearing glabrous reddish-black; very slight silver tomentum visible on anterior margins of tergites when viewed under different angles of light; mid-dorsal depression of ST1+2 extending only halfway across syntergite, not reaching tergal margin; marginals present only as a complete row of setae on both T4 and T5; one row of discal setae on T5. Females differ from males only in their terminalia.

Trismegistomya is distinguished from other voriines by the following combination of characters: small, 3–3.5 mm long; habitus glabrous black, with only light tomentum presuturally only evident under certain angles of light; conical head profile with axis of pedicel subequal to head height; deeply excavated clypeus; vibrissa inserted above lower margin of face; yellowish wing reaching beyond tip of abdomen; abdomen ovate with mid-dorsal depression of ST1+2 not reaching tergal margin, possessing median marginal setae on T4 and T5 and median discal setae on T5 only.

New World genus ranging from Arizona in the USA south to Costa Rica.

Male (Fig. 2). Length: 3 mm. Head (Fig. 2b): postpedicel orange basally, directly adjacent to pedicel; arista orange on apical half; ocellar setae well-developed, proclinate and divergent, arising behind anterior ocellus; fronto-orbital plate with two regular rows of short setulae outside of frontal setae; frontal setae appearing as continuous with parafacial setulae; two pairs of proclinate orbital setae, one pair of reclinate upper orbital setae. Thorax (Fig. 2a, c): three postsutural supra-alar setae, middle seta twice as long as outer two; two postsutural intra-alar setae; four postsutural dorsocentral setae; scutellum with one pair of basal scutellar setae, two pairs of lateral scutellars and one pair of weaker divergent apical scutellar setae; scutellum bearing one pair of weak but evident discal setae slightly wider than apical scutellars. Legs (Fig. 2c): entirely glabrous black, as in generic description. Wing (Fig. 2a): hyaline, very slightly darkening basally; basicosta dark brownr; wing vein R₄₊₅ bearing 5–6 setulae extending 0.75× distance from node to crossvein r-m on dorsal surface; ventral surface bearing at most 0–2 setulae; calypters pale white translucent. Abdomen (Fig. 2a, c): ground color of abdomen glabrous maroon or reddish-black; very slight silver tomentum only visible when observed under different angles of light, appearing as a silver sheen on dorsal surface of tergites; complete row of marginal setae present on both T4 and T5; median discal setae absent on all tergites except row on T5.

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b

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Figure 2.

Trismegistomya jimoharai sp. n.; holotype male, voucher n. DHJPAR0018620.

a: dorsal view  
b: frontal view  
c: lateral view  

Female: unknown at this time, assumed to be similar to male as is the case with the type species.

Trismegistomya jimoharai sp. n. is easily differentiated from its only congener, the type species T. pumilis Reinhard, by the following combination of traits: basal portion of postpedicel distinctly orange; arista orange apically; and four postsutural dorsocentral setae.

Trismegistomya jimoharai sp. n. is named in honor of Dr. James O’Hara of Ottawa, Canada in recognition of his many years of support to the curation, taxonomy and administrative logistics of the on-going effort to inventory the caterpillar-attacking species of Tachinidae of ACG and secure the residence of their voucher specimens in the Canadian National Collection.

Costa Rica, ACG, Prov. Guanacaste, coastal margin dry forest, 10 m elevation.

T. jimoharai has been reared two times, from only four larvae of Melipotis januaris (Guenée, 1852) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) reared by the inventory to date and collected while feeding on Pithecellobium oblongum Benth. (Fabaceae) in ACG dry forest. It should be noted that Trismegistomya has not been noted out of the other 808 rearings of Melipotis spp. reared by the inventory.

Trismegistus pumilis Reinhard, 1967: 101. Type data: Holotype ♀ (CNC). U.S.A., Arizona, Portal. Type label: Holotype ♀: “Porta, Arz. VIII–17–65/ H J Reinhard Collector/ HOLOTYPE Trismegistomya pumilis/ Trismegistomya pumulis [sic] R (RNH).”

Female (Fig. 3). Length: 3–4 mm. Head (Fig. 3b): pedicel bright orange; postpedicel dark brown throughout; arista concolorous with postpedicel, abruptly tapering apically; ocellar setae well-developed, proclinate and divergent, arising behind anterior ocellus; fronto-orbital plate with two irregular rows of short setulae outside of frontal setae; frontal setae appearing as continuous with parafacial setulae; two pairs of proclinate orbital setae, one pair of reclinate upper orbital setae. Thorax (Fig. 3a, c): three postsutural supra-alar setae (anteriormost seta weak, nearly half as long other two), three postsutural intra-alar setae; three postsutural dorsocentral setae; scutellum with one pair of basal scutellar setae, one pair of lateral scutellar setae and one pair of weaker divergent apical scutellar setae; scutellum bearing one pair of weak but evident discal setae slightly more widely separated than apical scutellar setae. Legs (Fig. 3c) entirely glabrous black, as in generic description. Wing (Fig. 3a): transparent with slight yellow tinge basally; basicosta of slightly burnt orange color; wing vein R₄₊₅ bearing 5–6 setulae extending 0.75× distance from node to crossvein r-m on dorsal surface, ventral surface bearing 0–2 setulae; calypters pale white translucent, slightly cream colored basally. Abdomen (Fig. 3a, c): ground color of abdomen glabrous maroon or reddish-black; very slight silver tomentum only visible when observed under different angles of light, almost absent; complete row of marginal setae present on both T4 and T5; median discal setae absent on all tergites except row on T5.

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Figure 3.

Trismegistomya pumilis (Reinhard), habitus images; holotype female.

a: dorsal view  
b: frontal view  
c: lateral view  

Male: as female, except for terminalia.

Trismegistomyia pumilis can be differentiated from its only congener, T. jimoharai sp. n., by the following distinctive combination of traits: basal portion of postpedicel not distinctly orange; arista concolorous with postpedicel; and three postsutural dorsocentral setae instead of four.

USA, Arizona, Portal.

Unknown; specimens of T. pumilis were collected via Malaise traps and sweeping.