07 January 2008 PROC. ENTOMOL. SOc. WASH. 110(1), 2008, pp. 234-241 THE PUPAL CASE OF MALLOPHORA ATRA MACQUART (DIPTERA: ASILIDAE) FROM SOUTH AMERICA D . STEVE DENNIS, JEFFREY K . BARNES, AND LLOYD KNUTSON (DSD) 1105 Myrtle Wood Drive, St. Augustine, FL 32086-4838, U.S.A. (e-mail:
[email protected]); (JKB) Department of Entomology, University of Arkan sas, 319 Agriculture Building, Fayetteville, AR 72701, U.S.A. (e-mail: jbarnes@ uark.edu); (LK) Salita degli Albito 29, 04024 Gaeta (LT), Italy (e-mail: lvknutson@ tiscali. it) Abstract.-The pupal case of Mallophora atra Macquart from South America is described, illustrated, and compared with the South American species M media Clements and Bennett, M. ruficauda (Wiedemann), and NI sylveirii Macquart, and the North American species M. bomboides (Wiedemann), M fautrix Osten Sacken, M leschenaulti Macquart, and M. orcina (Wiedemann). Key Words: Diptcra, Asilidae, robber flies, Mallophora, Mallophora atra, pupal case, South America Limited descriptive infonnation has The species of Mallophora Macquart been published on the pupal cases of have had a checkered taxonomic history. robber flies from South America. Co Most recently, Artigas and Angulo pello (1927, 1942), in his study of the life (1980) reduced the 122 nominal species cycle of Mallophora ruficauda (Wiede of Mallophora recognized at that time to mann) in Argentina, included a descrip 51 valid species. They stated that NI atra tion and photographs of the pupal case. has many synonyms: M. albifrons Clements and Bennett (1969) described Walker, M. coeruleiventris Thompson, and illustrated the pupal case of M. M. curiosa Curran, M.