Abstract
Thirty-five species of the genus Houghia Coquillett (Tachinidae, Exoristinae, Goniini) are described, 34 new and one previously described, all reared from -various species of caterpillars collected in Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG), northwestern Costa Rica. A matrix of character states and a key for the identification of the species are also provided. By coupling morphology, life history and molecular data, with photographic documentation, a clear and concise description of each species is provided. The following 34 new species of Houghia are described, all authored by Fleming and Wood: H. aerata sp. nov., H. aurifera sp. nov., H. biseriata sp. nov., H. bivittata sp. nov., H. blancoi sp. nov., H. brevipilosa sp. nov., H. chavarriae sp. nov., H. confinis sp. nov., H. delospilota sp. nov., H. destituta sp. nov., H. fimbriata sp. nov., H. gracilis sp. nov., H. graciloides sp. nov., H. griseifrons sp. nov., H. inflatipalpis sp. nov., H. latigena sp. nov., H. latilobus sp. nov., H. longicercus sp. nov., H. longipilosa sp. nov., H. luteiventris sp. nov., H. macilenta sp. nov., H. marini sp. nov., H. matarritai sp. nov., H. nigrofemur sp. nov., H. ochrofemur sp. nov., H. omissa sp. nov., H. pallida sp. nov., H. parmata sp. nov., H. pilosifrons sp. nov., H. romeroae sp. nov., H. sexmaculata sp. nov., H. spathulata sp. nov., H. triangularis sp. nov., and H. velutina sp. nov.
The following are proposed by Wood as new synonyms of Houghia: Actinoprosopa Townsend syn. nov., Agrarialia Curran syn. nov., Anhangabahuia Townsend syn. nov., Aridalia Curran syn. nov., Bolohoughia Townsend syn. nov., Carceliocephala Townsend syn. nov., Chrysohoughia Townsend syn. nov., Eumacrohoughia Townsend syn. nov., Macrohoughia Townsend syn. nov., Orohoughia Townsend syn. nov., Pammaerus Aldrich syn. nov., Pararrhinactia Townsend syn. nov., Petrargyrops Townsend syn. nov., Sisyrohoughia Townsend syn. nov., Tapajohoughia Townsend syn. nov., and Verrugomyia Townsend syn. nov. New combinations are proposed by Wood as a result of the new synonymies, as follows: H. analis (Townsend) comb. nov., H. approximata (van der Wulp) comb. nov., H. aurata (Townsend) comb. nov., H. aurometallica (Townsend) comb. nov., H. bistrigata (van der Wulp) comb. nov., H. calcarata (van der Wulp) comb. nov., H. chlorescens (Townsend) comb. nov., H. crypta (Townsend) comb. nov., H. facialis (Townsend) comb. nov., H. impedita (van der Wulp) comb. nov., H. lateralis (Curran) comb. nov., H. leptotrichopa (Brauer & Bergenstamm) comb. nov., H. maris (Townsend) comb. nov., H. marmorata (Townsend) comb. nov., H. minor (Thompson) comb. nov., H. nuda (Townsend) comb. nov., H. orbitalis (Townsend) comb. nov., H. orbitalis (Curran) comb. nov., H. parva (Townsend) comb. nov., H. plagioides (van der Wulp) comb. nov., H. punctiger (Townsend) comb. nov., H. quadra (Wiedemann) comb. nov., H. sexualis (Curran) comb. nov., H. similis (Townsend) comb. nov., H. simillima (Thompson) comb. nov., H. sordida (van der Wulp) comb. nov., H. tenuiseta (Macquart) comb. nov., and H. tropica (Townsend) comb. nov.
Houghia orbitalis (Curran, 1934a, described in Sturmia), junior homonym of H. orbitalis (Townsend, 1927, described in Verrugomyia) is synonymized by Wood with Houghia leptotrichopa (Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1891), and need not be renamed while in synonymy. Lectotypes are designated by Wood for the following ten valid species of Houghia: Anisia approximata van der Wulp, 1890, Actinoprosopa facialis Townsend, 1927, Masicera impedita van der Wulp, 1890, Macrohoughia marmorata Townsend, 1927, Eumacrohoughia minor Thompson, 1963, Prospherysa plagioides van der Wulp, 1890, Petrargyrops punctiger Townsend, 1927, Carceliocephala simillima Thompson, 1963, Masicera sordida van der Wulp, 1890, and Masicera tenuiseta Macquart, 1846: 292.