Revision of Belvosia Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera, Tachinidae) and 33 new species from Area de Conservación Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica with a key to known North and Mesoamerican species.

Abstract

Background: This revision is part of a continuing series of taxonomic work aimed at the description of new taxa and the redescription of known taxa of the Tachinidae of Area de Conservación Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica. Here we describe 33 new species in the genus Belvosia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (Diptera: Tachinidae). All species described here were reared from this ongoing inventory of wild-caught caterpillars spanning a variety of families (Lepidoptera: Erebidae, Eupterotidae, Noctuidae, Notodontidae, Saturniidae, and Sphingidae). We provide a morphological description of each species with limited information on life history, molecular data, and photographic documentation. In addition to the new species, the authors provide a redescription of the genus Belvosia, as well as provide a key to the identification of the species present in the Meso- and North-American fauna.

New information: The following 33 new species of Belvosia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830, all authored by Fleming & Woodley, are described: Belvosiaadrianguadamuzi Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiaanacarballoae Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiaangelhernandezi Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiabrigittevilchezae Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiaalixtomoragai Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiacarolinacanoae Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiaciriloumanai Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiadiniamartinezae Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiaduniagarciae Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiaduvalierbricenoi Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiaeldaarayae Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiaeliethcantillanoae Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiafreddyquesadai Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiagloriasihezarae Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiaguillermopereirai Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiaharryramirezi Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiahazelcambroneroae Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiajorgehernandezi Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiajosecortezi Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiajoseperezi Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiakeinoraragoni Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosialuciariosae Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiamanuelpereirai Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiamanuelriosi Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiaminorcarmonai Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiaosvaldoespinozai Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiapabloumanai Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiapetronariosae Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiaricardocaleroi Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiarobertoespinozai Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiarostermoragai Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiaruthfrancoae Fleming & Woodley sp. n., Belvosiasergioriosi Fleming & Woodley sp. n.Belvosiacanalis Aldrich, 1928 is reared and recorded from the inventory; new information relative to host is provided and the species is rediscribed.The following are proposed by Fleming & Woodley as new synonyms of Belvosia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830: Brachybelvosia Townsend, 1927 syn. n., Belvosiomimops Townsend, 1935 syn. n.The following three new combinations are proposed as a result of the new synonymies: Belvosiabrasilensis (Townsend, 1927), comb. n.; and Belvosiabarbiellinii (Townsend, 1935), comb. n.The authors also propose the following new synonymies: Belvosiabrasilensis (Townsend, 1927) = Belvosiaaurulenta (Bigot, 1888), syn. n.; Belvosiapollinosa Rowe, 1933 = Belvosiaborealis Aldrich, 1928 syn. n.; Belvosiaweyenberghiana (Wulp, 1883) = Belvosiafuliginosa (Walker, 1853) syn. n.; Belvosiabrasiliensis Townsend, 1927 = Belvosiafuliginosa (Walker, 1853) syn. n.; Belvosialuteola Coquillett, 1900 = Belvosiaochriventris (Wulp, 1890) syn. n.; Belvosiasocia (Walker, 1853) = Belvosiaproxima (Walker, 1853) syn. n.; Belvosiachrysopyga (Bigot, 1887) = Belvosiaunifasciata (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830) syn. n.; Belvosiachrysopygata (Bigot, 1888) = Belvosiaunifasciata (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830) syn. n.