Marleyimyia xylocopae

Marleyimyia xylocopae
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Bombyliidae
Genus: Marleyimyia
Species: M. xylocopae
Binomial name
Marleyimyia xylocopae
Marshall & Evenhuis, 2015

Marleyimyia xylocopae is a species of bee fly from South Africa that has a similarity to the patterning of a carpenter bee Xylocopa flavicollis (De Geer) found in the region. The species is unusual in being described on the basis of two high quality photographs, without the collection, designation of a holotype specimen and deposition in a suitable repository. The species is considered to be distinctive and only one of three within the genus Marleyimyia. The other members of the genus are Marleyimyia goliath described from Peninsular Malaysia and M. natalensis from southern Africa. Members in the genus have been presumed to be crepuscular or nocturnal but this species was found to be diurnal.[1]

References

  1. Marshall SA; Evenhuis NL (2015). "New species without dead bodies: a case for photo-based descriptions, illustrated by a striking new species of Marleyimyia Hesse (Diptera, Bombyliidae) from South Africa". ZooKeys. 525: 117–127. doi:10.3897/zookeys.525.6143.
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