TACHINIDAE OF AUSTRALIA 65 



usually the female fore tarsi are flattened and dilated laterally, but in a few forms 

 (for instance the Australian Minthoxia) the flattening is from side to side only on 

 the basal part with the apical segments flattened and widened dorsoventrally. 

 The Australian fauna contains only two genera at present, Sumpigaster and 

 Minthoxia; the first of these is a completely typical minthoine closely similar to 

 the type-genus, Mintho Robineau-Desvoidy (from the Palaearctic and Ethiopian 

 Regions), but the second has a facies rather different from typical minthoines and 

 may resemble them at all only convergently. In the original description of 

 Minthoxia it was placed in the Minthoini and compared with Tachinodexia Townsend 

 (an Oriental genus very similar to Sumpigaster) and it seems best to retain Minthoxia 

 in the Minthoini for the time being. Minthoxia is known only from Australia, 

 but Sumpigaster (originally described from Queensland) occurs widely in the 

 Oriental Region eastwards to New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands. The genus 

 Megistogastropsis Townsend occurs in Papua, but has not yet been found in 

 Queensland; its occurrence there seems possible, however, and it is therefore included 

 in the key to the Australian genera of Minthoini. 



The main characteristics of the Minthoini are as follows. Eyes usually bare or almost so; 

 parafacials bare; epistome flat; vibrissae about level with the epistomal margin; antennal 

 axis level with or below the eye middle; arista pubescent or plumose; proboscis short, palpi 

 fully developed; prosternum bare (except in Minthoxia), prosternal membrane bare; propleuron 

 bare; two or three sternopleural setae; acrostichal setae almost always reduced to 1 -f- o 

 or 1 -f 1 ; 2 -|- 3 or 3 -f 3 & setae; pre-alar seta absent or minute; two or three post ia setae, 

 prst ia seta usually absent; humeral callus almost always with two setae, occasionally a small 

 third seta in addition; infrasquamal hairs usually absent; pteropleural seta present, but fine; 

 scutellum rather flattened, without preapical (discal) setae, marginal setae not exceeding 

 three pairs (always without laterals) ; fore coxa largely bare on anterior surface or haired on 

 outer half of anterior surface ; mid tibia with a v seta (often very small) ; hind coxa bare 

 posterodorsally, usually rather remote from abdominal base; hind tibia usually with distinct 

 pv apical seta ; upper surface of wing with a few minute setulae on base of -f? 4+5 , veins otherwise 

 bare; cell R 5 open or short-petiolate ; second costal sector bare or haired ventrally; bend of 

 vein M varied, usually rather abrupt, with or without M 2 appendix, sometimes gently rounded ; 

 wings usually very long, apical part of Ctc l shorter or much shorter than m-cu; Ti -f- 2 usually 

 not excavate to hind margin; some abdominal tergites usually with discal setae; sternites 

 (except basal sternite) concealed ; abdomen usually very long and slender. 



Key to Australian Genera of Minthoini 



1 Eyes bare or virtually so. Prosternum bare. Acrostichal setae usually 1 + o, 



occasionally 1 + 1. Three post ia setae (sometimes weak, middle one undeveloped 

 in occasional specimen). Mid tibia with one ad seta. Very slender forms with 

 elongate legs ............ 2 



— Eyes conspicuously haired. Prosternum setulose. Acrostichal setae variable but 

 numerous, at least 2 + 3- Two post ia setae (both strong, wide apart). Mid 

 tibia with two ad setae. Not such slender forms, legs (especially fore tarsi) 

 robust MINTHOXIA Mesnil 



2 Abdomen with strong discal setae on last visible tergite (T5), similar to those on 



T3 and T4. Arista plumose (Text-fig. 32). Second costal sector bare ventrally. 

 Scutellum with two pairs of marginal setae (either basals or apicals or both 

 present in addition to subapicals). Bend of vein M sharp, with or without M 2 

 appendix. Pre-alar seta almost always completely absent SUMPIGASTER Macquart 

 E 



