Megaselia opacicornis Schmitz is reported parasitizing the pupae of Melasoma lapponica (L.). The hitherto unknown male of the fly is described and the recognition of the female clarified. Life history data are summarised.
Megaselia leucozona Schmitz (Diptera, Phoridae) is reported from nests of Lasioglossum malachurum Kirby and Halictus scabiosae (Rossi) in Central Italy. The flies patrolled two nesting sites of the hosts and sometimes mated close to their nest entrances before entering. Observations agree with the general behaviour reported for other Megaselia species associated with fossorial bees and wasps. The hitherto unknownmale of M. leucozona is described, and the original description of a female is augmented and modified. This is the first report of a scuttle fly associated with nests of Halictidae in the Palaearctic Region.
New species of Neotropical Puliciphora described are P. cacaulandiae, P. laranjae, P. longitergum, P. macrolunarum, P. mexicanae, P. reevesi, which is also recorded from the Nearctic Region, and P. parsetosa. Pachyneurella is returned to being a subgenus of Puliciphora. P. rata and P. tambopata are synonymised with P. venata. A new key to the females of the Neotropical species is provided.
Fresh material of the inadequately described male of Gymnophora lapidicola (Bezzi, 1922), which is flightless in both sexes, has allowed illustration of critical details, including correction of an error in the description of the female by Ghidini (1934). The possibility that populations on different mountains may have diverged to form separate subspecies or sibling species is raised.
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