Chymophila fulgens Wiedemann, 1830:82

Chymophila is a Neotropical subgenus with vein R4+5 with an appendix extending posteriorly into cell R4+5; vein M1 strongly recurrent on anterior 1/3, usually with an appendix; postmetacoxal bridge complete; second abdominal segment with anterior margin rectangular; abdomen broadly triangular, broadest at base; face not carinate, evenly convex from eye to eye; and terga and sterna not overlapping; metatibia without long pile along dorsal edge, forming a distinct brush.

From original description (Wiedemann 1830) in German.

Viridaureus, alis fuscanis. Grüngolden, mit bräunlichen Flügeln. [Female]. Aus Neugeorgien.

Fühler schwarz. untergesicht stahlblau, dünn gelblich weiß behaart. Mittelleib grüngolden, in gewisser richtung erscheinen darauf fast kupferrote Striemen. Vorflügeldreieck stahlblau. Stirn zwischen grün und stahblau. Flügel fast rein braun, doch an den dünnen Rändern nur bräunlich; Schüppchen weiß, mit schwarz gewimpertem Rande. Beine grün oder blau.

New description:

MALE.

Head: Face convex, without tubercle, broad, metallic green with long pale pile, some dark pile ventrally; gena narrow; frontal triangle metallic green, black pilose, separated from vertex by sulcus; dichoptic, eye bare; antenna long, scape and basoflagellomere subequal, 4 to 6 times longer than pedicel, black; arista subbasal, bare; occiput narrow, with pale and dark pile.

Thorax: Scutum metallic green, punctate, with short, appressed black pile, with some yellow pile on anterior margin; postpronotum yellow pilose; scutellum metallic green, punctuate, subsquare with two spinae (spurs, spines) at the posterolateral corners, subscutellar fringe absent, yellow pilose with black pile on anterior margin. Pleuron metallic green, punctuate, yellow and black pilose; dosromedial and posterior anepimeron, meron and katepimeron bare; metasternum bare; postmetacoxal bridge complete; calypter yellow, fringe with black pile; plumula absent; halter yellow; spiracular fringes dark. Wing: Wing membrane infuscated, brown; microtrichose except cells CuP and R bare basally; veins dm-cu and M1 sinuous, vein M1 recessive on anterior 1/3 with appendix; vein R4+5 with appendix into cell R4+5. Alula broad, bare medially, microtrichose apically. Legs: Entirely metallic green, punctuate, with black pile.

Abdomen: Broadly triangular, broadest at base, with second abdominal tergum with anterior margin rectangular; unmargined. Dorsum metallic green, strongly punctuate, black pilose; strongly convex. Male genitalia and terga 5 to 8 yellowish-orange.

Chymophila was based on a composite type species. The holotype is a body of fulgens with the head of a conopid glued on. To avoid disrupting the generic nomenclature of Conopidae, Thompson (in litt.) selected the body as the lectotype for the species and genus-group name. This action, however, made Eumicrodon a junior objective synonym (Cheng and Thompson 2008).

Eumicrodon was established by Curran for those larger New World species of Microdon in which the
anterior portion of vein M1 is recurrent and has an appendix at the point where the vein is redirected basally. Also, the abdomen is of a particular shape, with the 2nd tergum rectangular with anterobasal corners square. This is a very distinctive species group, unfortunately it has a senior synonym, Chymophila (Cheng and Thompson 2008).

Microdon (Chymophila) fulgens Wiedemann, 1830.

Wiedemann, C.R.W. (1830) Aussereuropaische zweiflugelige Insekten. Zweiter Theil. Schulz, Hamm. xii + 684 pp., 5 pls. [1830.09.22]

Body lenght: 7 lines = 15.75 mm.

Thompson (1981) reported several species of ants that are host of M. fulgens. These ant species are: Camponotus abdomincdis (Fabricius), Formica schaufusi Mayr and Polyergus lucidus Mayr.

Pennsylvania to New Jersey, south to Mexico.

Pupae found in decayed pine logs (Johnson 1895).