Tayrona, Brown, Brian V. & Kung, Giar-Ann, 2004

Brown, Brian V. & Kung, Giar-Ann, 2004, Two new genera of Phoridae (Insecta: Diptera) from the Neotropical Region, Zootaxa 554, pp. 1-7 : 6

Tayrona new genus

Type species: Tayrona nitifrons new species.

Diagnosis. Frons broad, shining black, lacking setae. Foretarsomeres 1–3 greatly enlarged. Tibiae of all legs with dorsal, longitudinal setal palisade; lacking large, isolated setae. Costal margin of wing basally convex.

Derivation of name. The name is that of the National Park at the type locality, which is in turn based on the name of the ancient culture of the indigenous people living there. Its gender is here considered to be feminine.

Phylogenetic Relationships. Based on the divided anepisternum and lack of tibial setae, this genus is classified in the subfamily Metopininae . Its body structure is highly unusual in many respects, however, and its relationships within this subfamily are unknown.

Recognition. In the latest key to phorid genera ( Disney 1994), Tayrona does not key satisfactorily because the presence of R2+3 (= vein 3 forked) is equivocal. It runs to couplet 88, where we are forced to accept the first lead (R2+3 present) because other characters in the second lead do not match. If we accept that R2+3 is present in the later couplet 90, Tayrona differs from all other genera by the lack of frontal setae. It is a highly distinctive genus, however, and unlikely to be confused with any other phorid.