Synopsis of the Mesembrinellidae (Diptera: Oestroidea) from Honduras

Abstract

Abstract: Mesembrinellidae (Diptera: Oestroidea) is a family of medium size (7–17 mm) neotropical flies. The taxonomic status of the group has been debated but at present it is treated as a family with 53 extant species. Currently, 19 species are recorded in Central America and Mexico with, until now, only two species known from Honduras: Mesembrinella bicolor (Fabricius, 1805) and Souzalopesiella facialis (Aldrich, 1922). For this study, material from the Insect Collection at the Pan-American Agricultural School, Zamorano (EAPZ), was examined. Six species distributed in three genera were found to occur in Honduras. The genus Laneella and the species: Laneella fuscosquamataWhitworth, 2019, Laneella perisi (Mariluis, 1987), Mesembrinella nigrocoeruleaWhitworth, 2019, and Mesembrinella socors (Walker, 1861), are recorded for the country for the first time. All species are illustrated, and a map with the known distribution in Honduras is provided.