Bessa
Robineau-Desvoidy, 1863
Species Guides
1Bessa is a of tachinid flies (Diptera: Tachinidae) established by Robineau-Desvoidy in 1863. The genus belongs to the Exoristinae and tribe Exoristini. It contains five described distributed across parts of Europe and Africa. As with other tachinids, members of this genus are , though specific associations remain poorly documented.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Bessa: /ˈbɛs.sa/
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Identification
Bessa can be distinguished from related exoristine tachinids by features of the male genitalia and chaetotaxy (bristle arrangement). Bessa parallela and B. selecta, both described by Meigen in 1824, are European species. B. africana is known from Africa. Detailed external morphological characters separating Bessa from closely related such as Exorista require examination of specific bristle patterns on the and .
Distribution
Distribution records indicate presence in Denmark (DK), Norway (NO), and Sweden (SE), with additional known from Africa (B. africana). The appears to have a disjunct distribution spanning parts of Europe and Africa.
Ecological Role
As members of the Tachinidae, in this function as , though specific have not been documented in the available literature.
Similar Taxa
- ExoristaBoth belong to Exoristini and share general body plan; separation requires examination of male terminalia and thoracic chaetotaxy
- PseudopermaAnother exoristine with overlapping morphological features; Bessa distinguished by specific arrangements of dorsocentral and intra-alar bristles
More Details
Species composition
The contains five described : Bessa africana (Curran, 1941), Bessa harveyi (Townsend, 1892), Bessa parallela (Meigen, 1824), Bessa remota (Aldrich, 1925), and Bessa selecta (Meigen, 1824). Two species were described in the 19th century, with additional African and North American species described in the early-to-mid 20th century.
Taxonomic history
The was established by French dipterist Jean-Baptiste Robineau-Desvoidy in 1863. Robineau-Desvoidy was a prolific author who described numerous tachinid genera, many of which have undergone subsequent revision and synonymy. The current circumscription of Bessa reflects modern systematic work on the Exoristini.