Thelairini
Guides
Spathidexia
Spathidexia is a New World genus of tachinid flies in the tribe Thelairini, characterized by females possessing a blade-like ovipositor (from Latin 'spatha', sword). The genus contains approximately 24 nominal species distributed across the Americas, with seven species north of Mexico and 12 in the Neotropics showing minimal geographic overlap. All species studied from Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica are parasitoids of caterpillars in Nymphalidae (Satyrinae) and Hesperiidae (Hesperiinae) that feed on monocots. Males and females exhibit sexual dimorphism in orbital bristles and abdominal coloration patterns.