TACHINIDAE: Tachininae: Proscissionini: Plethochaetigera Malloch, 1938

Plethochaetigera fenwicki Malloch, 1938, orig. des. [Type missing, supposedly in Malloch collection USNM (Miller, 1950). Paratype in NZAC].

Diagnosis

Characteristics of Plethochaetigera include: 1. Body size 9 –13mm. Note: This genus keys out together with Chaetopletha, Neotachina, Phaoniella, Platytachina, and Tachineo. It is considerably difficult to find satisfactory external characters to distinguish these genera in a dichotomous key. This difficulty is expressed by Malloch 1938 several times over as well as by Dugdale 1969. A thorough revision at the genus level is needed that includes molecular analysis, rearing and collecting of new material.

Distribution in NZ

North Island: TO, WN; South Island: BR, CO, FD, MB, NN, OL.

Species in New Zealand

Plethochaetigera fenwicki Malloch, 1938; P. isolate Malloch, 1938; P. setiventris Malloch, 1938; possibly 4 n. spp.

Biology and Hosts

Unknown

Citation

Schnitzler F-R 2016. Tachinidae of New Zealand. Genus Plethochaetigera
http://tachinidae.landcareresearch.co.nz
Accessed: 6 November 2024

Revised

v1.0. Schnitzler F-R. 2016