
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, Suwmpigaster 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 Swmpigaster) and it seems best to retain Minthoxia 
in the Minthoini for the time being. Minthoxia is known only from Australia, 
but Swmpigaster (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 +0 
or I + 1; 2 + 3 or 3 + 3 dc setae; pre-alar seta absent or minute; two or three fost ia setae, 
pyrst 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 R,,;, veins otherwise 
bare; cell R; open or short-petiolate; second costal sector bare or haired ventrally; bend of 
vein M varied, usually rather abrupt, with or without /, appendix, sometimes gently rounded; 
wings usually very long, apical part of Cw, shorter or much shorter than m-cu; Ti + 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 + 0, 
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 ; : : ; ; : : : : : ; : 
— 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 . : t : : : ‘ - : : 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, 
appendix. Pre-alar seta almost always completely absent SUMPIGASTER Macquart 
E 
