Belongs within: Oestroidea.
Contains: Exoristinae, Tachininae, Dexiinae, Phasiinae.
The Tachinidae are a group of flies with larvae that are endoparasitic on other arthropods. They can generally be recognised by the presence of an enlarged subscutellum at the back of the thorax. The majority of tachinids parasitise Coleoptera or Lepidoptera but a wide range of hosts are known including Heteroptera, Hymenoptera, earwigs or even centipedes. Female tachinids do not usually have a piercing ovipositor; instead, larvae are more commonly laid on the host or amongst host habitat, and the larva burrows through the host cuticle or hatches from the egg after the host swallows it. In many species, described as ovolarviparous, the female possesses an elongate vagina (the uterus or ovisac) in which eggs are retained until close to hatching. In other, oviparous species, the female deposits unembryonated eggs at an earlier stage of development.
Subfamilies within the Tachinidae have been poorly defined historically with divisions often based on ecology rather than morphology. Nevertheless, molecular phylogenetic analysis has mostly corroborated the previously recognised subfamilies. Two tribes of parasites on Coleoptera, the Macquartiini and Myiophasiini, were suggested by Stireman et al. (2019) to represent the sister group of other Tachinidae. Members of the genus Macquartia have the medial margin of the lower calypter deflected anterolaterally, a relatively large genal groove formed by separation of a parafacial and genal dilation from the vibrissal angle, eye height about two-thirds the height of the head, and three postsutural intra-alar bristles (Wood 1987).
The Myiophasiini are parasites of weevil larvae living embedded in living plant tissue. The New World genus Gnadochaeta includes robust, shiny black flies with a bluish or greenish luster, and with parafacial setae differentiated into two sizes with a single row of longer bristles along or in front of the anterior margin. Cholomyia have scattered, often pale and inconspicuous hairs on the broad parafacials (Wood & Zumbado 2010).
The North American Imitomyia sugens has an extremely long and slender, forward-curving proboscis and a pruinose face with a thickened, flat-topped carina separating the short antennae (Wood 1987).
Characters (from Wood & Zumbado 2010): Small to large flies (body length 3-25 mm), extremely varied in shape and proportions. Frons of male either narrower than that of female and usually lacking proclinate orbital bristles, or about as wide as that of female and usually also with proclinate orbital bristles; first flagellomere of latter type usually much longer in male than in female, in some species bifurcate, trifurcate or multibranched. Arista usually bare, or short to long plumose. Eye usually with ommatrichia; ommatrichia usually longer in male than in female and often longer dorsally than ventrally. Ocelli and ocellar bristles usually present, the latter sometimes directed laterally (lateroclinate) or posteriorly (reclinate). Upper orbital bristles usually present, anterior one(s) reclinate, posteriormost sometimes lateroclinate. Occipital setae usually long and fine, delineated laterally by evenly spaced vertical row of stouter postoccipital bristles, either extending ventrally to meet lower cranial margin or curving forward on genal dilation, that may also have one or more large bristles. Vibrissa usually well developed, usually accompanied by one or more smaller bristles both below and above it. Face concave or convex, often protruding between and/or below vibrissae. Facial ridge, especially in species with long antennae, usually with row of erect bristles. Proboscis usually short and straight, with padlike labella, but may be long and curved, with small labella. Postpronotum with two or usually three major bristles in transverse row, sometimes preceded by fourth smaller bristle or with middle bristle displaced anteriorly. Postsutural supra-alar bristles typically three. Scutellum with one to four paires of bristles, lateral bristles sometimes duplicated. Subscutellum well developed, evenly rounded in profile. Posterior thoracic spiracle small, confined to region behind uppermost meral bristles, and well behind katepisternum, separated from latter by regular katepimeron. Meral bristles present. Vein M with distinct bend.
<==Tachinidae [Larvaevoridae, Macquartiinae]
|--+--+--ExoristinaeSC19
| | `--TachininaeSC19
| `--+--+--DexiinaeSC19
| | `--PhasiinaeSC19
| `--+--Imitomyia [Imitomyiini]SC19
| | `--I. sugensW87
| `--PalpostomatiniSC19
| |--Isidotus incanusWZ10
| |--PalpostomaCM70
| `--EutrixopsisSC19
`--+--MyiophasiiniSC19
| |--CholomyiaSC19
| | |--C. inaequipesWZ10
| | `--C. luteipennisWZ10
| `--GnadochaetaSC19
| |--G. clistoidesWZ10
| |--G. metallicaSC19
| `--G. nigrifronsSC19
`--MacquartiiniSC19
|--PorphyromusSC19
`--Macquartia Robineau-Desvoidy 1830 (see below for synonymy)F92
|--*M. dispar (Fallén 1820)F92
|--M. atrataK01
|--M. obscuraW87
|--M. plumbeaSC19
|--M. tenebricosa Meigen 1824 (see below for synonymy)F92
`--M. tessellumSC19
Tachinidae incertae sedis:
ProtohystriciaPPE03
Plagiomyia longicornisM83
Eucarcelia rutillaA71
TrichopareiaA71
Chaetophleps setosa [incl. Neocelatoria ferox]A71
ThrixionA71
CenteterA71
|--C. cinereaA71
`--C. unicolorA71
Eupeleteria magnicornisA71
ThereseiaA71
Diplostichus janitrixA71
Bigonicheta setipennisA71
Diatraeophaga striatalisB88
Koralliomyia portentosaB88
Rossimyiopsis whiteheadi Mesnil 1953R00
Perumyia embiaphaga Arnaud 1963R00
ProdiaphaniaZS10
MacropodexiaC94
Ceromasia hybreasW87
MasistylumW87
|--M. arcuatumCW09
`--M. stenommatumW87
Cleonice bigelowiW87
Blepharomyia tibialisW87
Alophora aurigeraCM91, L90
*Borgmeiermyia brasilianaWZ10
Athrycia cinereaWZ10
CyrtophlebaWZ10
|--C. coquillettiWZ10
`--C. horridaWZ10
MetaplagiaWZ10
PyrrhodexiaWZ10
ThelairodesWZ10
Crocinosoma cornualeWZ10
Myiomima sarcophaginaWZ10
Prosenoides flavipesWZ10
Plagiomima similisWZ10
IschyrophagaWZ10
|--I. ischyriWZ10
`--I. polita [=Pseudochaetona polita]WZ10
Minthoplagia setifronsWZ10
XanthodexiaWZ10
ChaetodoriaWZ10
Thelairodoriopsis maracasiWZ10
ItalaspideaWZ10
Polygaster egregiaWZ10
SpathidexiaWZ10
|--S. clemonsiWZ10
`--S. elegans [=Minthodexiopsis elegans, Gymnopalpus elegans]W87
Neosolieria silaWZ10, W87
LixadmontiaWZ10
ThelyoxynopsWZ10
Lydinolydella rasilisWZ10
Ophirion tersumWZ10
Bibiomima handlirschiWZ10
Euantha litturataWZ10
Euscopoliopteryx externaWZ10
Oberonomyia palpalisWZ10
Tropidopsiomorpha tropicaWZ10
Eudexia dreisbachiWZ10
TrichoduraWZ10
NeosophiaWZ10
MeleterusWZ10
StenodexiaWZ10
Phasiophyto fumiferaWZ10
HomogeniaWZ10
Trochiloleskia loriolaWZ10
XanthomelanopsisWZ10
Polistiopsis mimaWZ10
Itaplectops antennalisWZ10
Icelia triquetraWZ10
ArrhinactiaWZ10
Istochaeta aldrichiWZ10
ClastoneuraWZ10
EmbiomyiaWZ10
Chrysopasta elegansCM91
TarassusW87
Chaetoplagia atripennisW87
AndroeuryopsW87
Phasiops flavusW87
Chaetocrania antennalisW87
Eucnephalia gonoidesW87
Onychogonia magnaW87
Torosomyia parallelaW87
Oraphasmophaga pictipennisW87
Asseclamyia sphenofronsW87
Atactopsis reinhardiW87
Diotrephes atriventrisW87
Chesippus notialisW87
EumasiceraW87
|--E. coccidellaW87
`--E. setinervisW87
Myatelemus trossulusW87
Gymnophryxe claripennisW87
Eucoronimyia hastataW87
Tsugaea noxW87
TrypheraW87
Gymnocarcelia languida [incl. Elassomyia defecta, G. ricinorum]W87
Hesperomyia erythroceraW87
ParaphasmophagaW87
Cloacina filialisW87
HeliodorusW87
EufrontinaW87
Eribelia exilisW87
Nicephorus floridensisW87
Euceromasia spinosaW87
Townsendiellomyia nidicolaW87
Estheria cinereaW87
Hypovoria cautaW87
Uclesia zonalisW87
Gueriniopsis setipesW87
Clastoneuriopsis meralisW87
Menetus macropogonW87
Chaetovoria seriataW87
Cockerelliana capitataW87
Euptilopareia erucicolaW87
Euscopolia dakotensisW87
Paradmontia brevisW87
Eumegaparia flaveolaW87
Arctophyto marginalisW87
HypertrophoceraW87
|--H. parvipesW87
`--‘Euthyprosopa’ petiolataW87
Goniocera ioW87
MeledonusW87
|--M. californicusW87
`--M. latipennisW87
Mactomyia fracidaW87
Ostracophyto aristalisW87
Spilochaetosoma californicumW87
CampylochaetaW87
|--C. ineptaP93
`--C. semiothisaeW87
Evidomyia infidaW87
Psilopleura aridaW87
Aphria [Aphriini]W87
`--A. ocypterataW87
Impeccantia claternaW87
Hypertrophomma opacaW87
Anthomyiopsis cypseloidesW87
Megapariopsis opacaW87
BaeomyiaW87
CeranthiaW87
|--C. arizonicaW87
|--C. brevirostrisW87
|--C. conataW87
`--C. plusiaeW87
Miamimyia cinctaW87
Goniocheta plagioidesW87
Chiricahuia cavicolaW87
PararchytasW87
Rhachoepalpus olivaceusW87
Phalacrophyto sarcophaginaW87
OpsotheresiaW87
NimioglossaW87
Megaparia venosaW87
Orestilla primorisW87
Ochrocera vaginalisW87
OrthosimyiaW87
Coloradomyia eucosmaphagaW87
Hineomyia setigeraW87
Ervia triquetraW87
PseudapinopsW87
Drepanoglossa tenuirostris [=Philocalia tenuirostris]W87
Formosia speciosaC91
Myothyria fergusoniR91
MasiceraP93
|--M. pavoniaeP93
`--M. sphingivoraP93
Huebneria affinisP93
Euvespivora decipiensR78
Anacamptomyia nigriventrisR78
AnagoniaCM74
Bactromyiella fictaCM74
Hyalomyia pusillaCM70, L49 [=Phasia pusillaL49]
Latigena longicornisF92
Anachaetopsis tortricisB37
Electrotachina smithiiRJ93
Hyperectina cinereaRD77
RhacodineuraRD77
DigonochaetaRD77
Ocyptera brassicariaRD77, G20 [=Musca (Ocyptera) brassicariaG20]
SturmiaRD77
|--S. inconspicuoidesKR72
`--S. sericariaeRD77
BlepharideaRD77
VarichaetaRD77
Paleotachina smithiiP92
Dolichocelon paradoxumKR72
Exocrista fallaxKR72
Siphophyto setigeraE66
HypopygiaE66
RhampininaE66
Acroglossa hesperidarumE66
Bonellimyia subpolitaE66
FabriciellaE66
|--F. actinosaE66
|--F. egulaE66
|--F. latigenaE66
`--F. rostrataE66
Melinocera flavicornisE66
MericiaE66
|--M. albertaE66
|--M. ampelaE66
|--M. arcuataE66
`--M. bicarinaE66
ParamuscopteryxE66
Rhachogaster algensE66
SiphosturmiopsisE66
Hyalomyodes trianguliferaE66
Plagiprospherysa parvipalpisE66
Achaetoneura archippivoraE66
Macquartia Robineau-Desvoidy 1830 [incl. Albiniola Mesnil 1972, Hesionella Mesnil 1972, Proteremoplax Enderlein 1936]F92
Macquartia tenebricosa Meigen 1824 [incl. M. clausicella Rondani 1865, M. laeta Robineau-Desvoidy 1863, M. villica Robineau-Desvoidy 1836]F92
*Type species of generic name indicated
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