Oxysarcodexia varia (Walker, 1836)

(Figs. 3, 8)

Sarcophaga varia Walker, 1836: 353 .

Sarcophaga milleri Johnston & Tiegs, 1922: 185 . Sarcophaga chilensis Macquart, 1844: 261 . Sarcophaga flavicostata Macquart, 1844: 261 . Sarcophaga truncata Schiner, 1868: 314 .

Sarcophaga nobilis Thomson, 1869:536 .

Distribution: Neotropical – Argentina (Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Neuquen, Tucumán), Bolivia, Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul), Chile (Bío Bío, Concepción, Coquimbo, La Araucanía, Ñuble, Santiago, Valdivia), Uruguay – Australasian/Oceanian.

Material studied: Buenos Aires: 6 Ψ Campana, Campana, XI.1998, Mariluis leg. (ANLIS); 24 ɗ, 2 Ψ Campana, Campana, III–IV.2003, Mariluis leg. (ANLIS); 1 Ψ Ciud. Aut. Buenos Aires, 23.IX.1986 (FAUBA); 1 ɗ Ciud. Aut. Buenos Aires, II.2002, Mulieri leg. (ANLIS); 2 ɗ El Carretero, Magdalena, I– V.1999 (FAUBA); 1 ɗ El Carretero, Magdalena, 22.XII.2000 (FAUBA); 1 ɗ El Destino, Magdalena, 25.XI.2005 on Scutia buxifolia (FAUBA); 1 Ψ Olivos, Vicente Lopez, IX.1951 (ANLIS); 1 ɗ, 9 Ψ Mar del Plata, Gral. Pueyrredon, XII.1946 (ANLIS); 1 Ψ Mar del Plata, Gral. Pueyrredon, 27.XII.2003 on Baccharis juncea (FAUBA); 1 Ψ Moreno, Moreno 12.I.1949 (ANLIS); 1 Ψ Bahia San Blas, Patagones, II.1947 (ANLIS); 1 ɗ Punta Lara, Ensenada, 19.XI.2003 on Sebastiana brasiliensis (FAUBA); 3 ɗ, 7 Ψ Bunge, Gral. Villegas, I–III.2003 (FAUBA); 1 Ψ Balcarce, Balcarce, 9.III.1990 on Colletia paradoxa (FAUBA); 1 ɗ Balcarce, Balcarce, 9.I.2005 on Eryngium horridum (FAUBA); 15 ɗ, 8 Ψ Balcarce, Balcarce, I.2005 on faeces, Torretta leg. (ANLIS); 2 Ψ Balcarce, Balcarce, 27.I.2005 light trap, Torretta leg. (ANLIS); 1 Ψ Balcarce, Balcarce, 22.I.2005 on Helianthus annuus (FAUBA); 1 Ψ Martinez de Hoz, Lincoln, 8.I.2006 on Helianthus annuus (FAUBA); 1 Ψ La Lucila el Mar, De la Costa, 31.X.1989 on Discaria americana (FAUBA); 1 Ψ Punta Médanos, Pdo. De la Costa, 30.X.1989 on Discaria americana (FAUBA); 4 ɗ, 5 Ψ Sierra de la Ventana, Tornquist, 28.X.1989 on Discaria americana (FAUBA); 1 Ψ Chascomús, Chascomús, XI.1965, Bachmann leg. (ANLIS); 2 ɗ, 7 Ψ Santa Clara del Mar, Mar Chiquita, 25.XII.2005 on faeces, Mulieri leg. (ANLIS).

Remarks: The male terminalia were illustrated by Blanchard (1939), Lopes & Albuquerque (1955) and Dodge (1966). The female terminalia were adequately described and illustrated by Lopes & Albuquerque (1955).

Biology: Oxysarcodexia varia is more abundant during the spring and summer in Argentina and southern Brazil (Ferreira 1979; Mariluis et al. 2007; Mulieri et al. 2008). Moreover, this species showed preference for faeces bait, and is regarded as asynanthropic because of its higher abundance in rural areas (Ferreira 1979; Mariluis et al. 2007; Mulieri et al. 2008). In previous works, O. varia was reared on dung (Mendes & Linhares 2002) or dead insects (Blanchard 1939). Flower visitor of Apiaceae ( Eryngium horridum), Asteraceae ( Baccharis juncea, Helianthus annuus), Euphorbiaceae ( Sebastiana brasiliensis), Rhamnaceae ( Colletia paradoxa, Discaria americana, Scutia buxifolia).