A new species of Trismegistomya Reinhard (Diptera: Tachinidae) from Area de Conservación Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica

Researchers have identified a new species of tachinid fly, Trismegistomya jimoharai, from the Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) in northwestern Costa Rica. This discovery expands the known range and diversity of the genus Trismegistomya, which was previously represented by only one species from Arizona, USA. The new species was reared from wild-caught caterpillars of the moth Melipotis januaris (Erebidae), providing insights into its life history and ecological interactions. The study integrates morphological, molecular, and photographic data to describe the species comprehensively. Additionally, it includes a redescription of the genus and its type species, Trismegistomya pumilis, contributing to the taxonomic understanding of this group within the Tachinidae family.

Fleming, A., Wood, D. M., Smith, M. A., Dapkey, T., Hallwachs, W., & Janzen, D. (2019). A new species of Trismegistomya Reinhard (Diptera: Tachinidae) from Area de Conservación Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica. Biodiversity Data Journal, 7. https://doi.org/10.3897/bdj.7.e29130