Tricharaea (Tricharaea) brevicornis (Wiedemann, 1830)

Tachina brevicornis Wiedemann, 1830: 299 . Dexia ? albicans Walker, 1858: 204 .

Tricharaea scatophagina Thomson, 1869: 541 . Sarcophaga caescens Thomson, 1869: 539 . Leucoravinia quadraticephala Townsend, 1928: 143 . Euleucomyia australis Townsend, 1934b: 202 . Xenagria mallogaster Blanchard, 1939: 800 . Tricharaea penai Dodge, 1965: 90 .

Tricharaea bilineata Dodge, 1966: 700 .

Tricharaea engeli Dodge, 1966: 699 .

Distribution: Nearctic, Neotropical – Argentina (Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos), Brazil (Amazonas, Ceará, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo), Chile (Llanquihue), Peru, Uruguay – Australasian/ Oceanian.

Material studied: Buenos Aires: 2 ɗ, 1 Ψ Burzaco, Alte. Brown, I–VIII.2002, Mulieri leg. (ANLIS); 1 ɗ Villa Elisa, La Plata, III.1980, Mariluis leg. (ANLIS); 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ Villa Elisa, La Plata, II.1982, Mariluis leg.

(ANLIS); 1 ɗ Ciud. Aut. Buenos Aires, 13.I.2000 on Coriandrum sativum (FAUBA); 4 ɗ, 1 Ψ Ciud. Aut. Buenos Aires, 13.XI.2003 on Coriandrum sativum (FAUBA); 4 ɗ, 1 Ψ Mar del Tuyú, De la Costa, 25. II.2006 on faeces, Mulieri leg. (ANLIS); 3 ɗ Santa Clara del Mar, Mar Chiquita, XII.2006, Mulieri leg. (ANLIS).

Remarks: This species is highly variable in size, chaetotaxy, and body coloration (Lopes 1973a). The specimens collected in Buenos Aires have yellowish-gray colour, like Brazilian specimens. Illustrations of male terminalia were provided by Blanchard (1939), Dodge (1966) and Lopes (1973a). The female terminalia were described and illustrated by Lopes (1973a).

Biology: This species is associated with sandy beaches (Lopes 1973a), and presumably has saprophagous habits (Pape 1996). Flower visitor of Apiaceae ( Coriandrum sativum).