J. Wilcox’s research while affiliated with University of São Paulo and other places

Resumo Messiasia d'Andretta occurs exclusively in the Americas, ranging from the south­western United States to Uruguay and northern Argentina; it is found both in forests and in open formations. Species considered as valid in this revision are: 1. californica (Cole, 1970; s.w. USA, n. Mexico); 2. carioca, sp. n. (= decor Osten Sacken of d'Andretta, 1951, misident.; Brazil: Guanabara); 3. carrerai d'Andretta, 1951 (Brazil: Santa Catarina); 4. dalcyana d'Andretta, 1951 (Brazil: Guanabara and Rio de Janeiro); 5. decor (Osten Sacken, 1886; Costa Rica, Panama); 6. lanei d'Andretta, 1951 (coastal Peru and Ecuador); 7. mocoronga, sp. n. (polita Wiedemann of d'Andretta, 1951, misident.; Brazil: Pará;? Bolivia); 8. notospila (Wiedemann, 1828; = cingulatus Williston, 1898; s. Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, n. Argentina); 9. painteri, sp. n. (Mexico: Guerrero and Morelos); 10. penai, sp. n. (Peru); 11. perpolita (Johnson, 1933; = polita Wiedemann of d'Andretta, 1951, part, misident.; s. Mexico); 12. pertenuis (Johnson, 1926; USA: Arizona; Mexico: Sonora); 13. testaceiventris (Macquart, 1850; = puniceus Séguy, 1928; Uruguay, Argentina); 14. uaupes, sp. n. (= zikani d'Andretta, 1951, part, misident.; Brasil: Amazonas); 15. virgata (Wiedemann, 1830; = sarpedon Séguy, 1928c; Brazil: Amazonia); 16. yacochuya, sp. n. (Argentina: Salta); 17. zikani d'Andretta, 1951 (Brazil: Mato Grosso; Paraguay). A key to the species, descriptions, a speculative history of the evolution, data on ecology, biology, and distribution, are given.

Resumo A preliminary classification of the world Mydidae in 9 subfamilies is proposed: 1. Anomalomydinae, subfam. n. (only genus, Anomalomydas, gen, n., for Miltinus mackerrasi Norris); exclusively Australian; 2. Apiophorinae, subfam. n. (5 genera); Chile and Australia; 3. Cacatuopyginae, subfam. n. (only genus, Cacatuopyga, gen. n., for Mydas fruhstorferi Wulp); Oriental; 4. Diochlistinae Bequaert (3 genera); Chile and Australia; 5. Ectyphinae Wilcox & Papavero (3 genera); South Africa, s. To." United States and Mexico; 6. Leptomydinae, subfam. n. (5 genera); Palearctic, Nearctic, invading n. w. corner of South America; 7. Mydinae Latreille (5 genera); exclusively American; 8. Rhopaliinae, subfam. n. (4 genera); Palearctic (Mediterranean subregion), one genus in n. e. Brazil; 9. Syllegomydinae Bequaert (23 genera); predominantly Ethiopian, a few elements invading the Palearctic and Oriental regions; 10. One unplaced genus, Parectyphus Hesse (South West Africa, Namib Desert), insufficiently characterized. A preliminary key to the subfamilies, a list of their respective genera, their distribution and hypothetical history of phylogeny, are given.