Mystacella
Wulp, 1890
Mystacella is a of established by Wulp in 1890. It comprises nine described distributed primarily in the Neotropical region. As members of the tribe Goniini within Exoristinae, these flies are whose develop inside other . The genus is characterized by distinctive morphological features including facial bristle patterns.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Mystacella: /mɪˈstækɛlə/
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Identification
Mystacella are distinguished from related by their facial bristle arrangement (mystax), which gives the genus its name. Species within the genus can be separated by coloration patterns, including metallic green, , or purple body coloration in some species, and differences in frontal vitta and parafacial coloring. Mystacella aurea and M. violacea exhibit distinctive metallic coloration referenced in their species epithets.
Distribution
Neotropical region, with records from Mexico, Central America, and South America. Specific locality data is sparse due to limited collection effort.
Ecological Role
As , in this function as . The tribe Goniini is known for larval development as within , though specific host records for Mystacella species are not well documented.