Callostoma Macquart, 1840

Greathead, D. J. & Evenhuis, N. L., 2001, Annotated keys to the genera of African Bombylioidea (Diptera: Bombyliidae; Mythicomyiidae), African Invertebrates 42 (1820), pp. 105-224 : 174

Callostoma Macquart

Callostoma Macquart, 1840: 77 [1841: 355]. Type species: Callostoma fascipennis Macquart, 1840 , by original designation.

Callistoma Agassiz, 1846: 60 (unjustified emendation of Callostoma Macquart, 1840 ). Type species: Callostoma fascipennis Macquart, 1840 , automatic.

Comments: The palaearctic species all have a distinctive pattern of black and white vestiture, and a brown transverse infuscated band across the middle of the wing. The single Afrotropical species, Callostoma distinctum , has a similar structure, except for minor differences in wing venation, but strikingly different pigmentation – yellowish vestiture and heavily infuscated wings, having a general resemblance to a species of Rhagio (Greathead 1972) .

Hosts: Palaearctic species reared from egg-pods of Acridoidea ( Greathead 1963; du Merle 1975).

Distribution: Middle East to Central Asia and India, Ethiopia. Not recorded from North Africa.Africa South of the Sahara: Ethiopia: Ogaden: 1 species; Callostoma distinctum Greathead.