A Venezuelan delivery…

This week I have been working on a batch of Venezuelan tachinids, kindly sent to me by Manuel Ayala (see right). They are a lovely mixture of species collected my Manuel since the 1960s – all hand netted so they are in quite a good condition.

The highlights of the batch are definitely the male & female Bibiomima handlirschi, a very widespread neotropical tachinid but very rare in collections. See here for a photo of the one in the NHM collection.

Identification of material like this is tricky but I am using Monty Wood’s keys in the Manual of Central American Diptera (volume 2), which are a good basis for work in other neotropical regions but you do have to remember that the name that you reach in the key (at best) should be taken as a potential close relative of your specimen.

The list of name so far reads: Beskia aelops, Bibiomima handlirschi, Belvosia, Quadratosoma, Hystricia, Anepalpus, Bombyliomyia, Jurinella, Epalpus, Parepalpus, Lindigepalpus, Archytas, Cylindromyia, Macromya, Trichopoda, Acaulona, Telothyria, something close to Neosophia, some things close to Calolydella, a Goniini, Winthemia and Chrysoexorista.

I will try to do some close-up photos later 🙂