In two recent studies, Li et al. (2022) and Zhang et al. (2023) treated various species from various localities in Palaearctic and Oriental China assigned to the genus Macquartia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830. Collectively, the two works describe seven new species of Macquartia and provide diagnoses to genus, full descriptions, and differential diagnoses for 16 species, as well as full mitogenomic sequences for the new species. However, closer examination of the original descriptions and re-examination of the type material led to doubts regarding the correct generic assignment of these species. The purpose of this note is to highlight and discuss some inconsistencies between the current circumscription of the genus Macquartia and the shared characteristics of the aforementioned species. Our aim is to provide systematic arguments for reassigning two of these species to genera whose boundaries better accommodate their morphological characters, and to move five of them to Tachinidae incertae sedis. This decision is based on the integration of the cox1 barcode sequence data and morphological characters, which provide no clues to their possible affiliation at either the genus or subfamily level, other than conclusively excluding them from the genus Macquartia as currently circumscribed.

Both studies (LI et al. 2022; Zhang et al. 2023) provide diagnoses of the genus Macquartia. However, these diagnoses do not completely align and omit key characters of the male terminalia, which could lead to potential misunderstandings. Additionally, the reported variation in the thoracic chaetotaxy, such us the presence of two or three presutural dorsocentral setae and two or three postsutural intra-alar setae, effectively incorporates morphological traits characteristic of related genera, including Macroprosopa Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1889 (Macquartiini) and Gnadochaeta Macquart, 1851 (Myiophasiini) among others. As reported by Tschorsnig & Richter (1998), the presence of three presutural dorsocentral setae and three postsutural intra-alar setae is diagnostic for distinguishing Palaearctic Macquartia from Macroprosopa and Palaearctic Gnadochaeta (as Angiorhina Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1889). Nevertheless, LI et al. (2022) and Zhang et al. (2023) assigned to Macquartia species that fall outside these boundaries.

Macquartia and related genera exhibit extraordinary morphological variation, which does not aid in inferring their phylogenetic relationships (Tschorsnig 1985), but the general shape of the phallus is helpful for distinguishing specimens of the myiophasiine Gnadochaeta and the macquartiine Pseudebenia Shima & Tachi, 2010 from the rest of the Macquartiini. A reanalysis of the barcode sequences (cox1) presented by LI et al. (2022) and Zhang et al. (2023) has further supported our morphological conclusions. In the absence of a comprehensive review of the World Macquartiini, we highlight the possibility that the future study of this material will lead to reconsideration of some other East Asian species.

Macquartia setifacies Zhang & Li, 2023

This species was described from eight male and four female specimens from Qinghai province (China). Macquartia setifacies, in addition to having an overall facies compatible with known species of Gnadochaeta from the Palaearctic and Nearctic regions, has a very broad parafacial (2.5–3.0 times as wide as postpedicel) entirely covered with long setae, a moderately developed genal dilation, two presutural acrostichal setae, two presutural dorsocentral setae, two postsutural intra-alar setae, and second costal sector bare ventrally. Also, and most importantly, the structure of the phallus in M. setifacies (Zhang et al. 2023, fig. 4d) clearly corresponds to that of Gnadochaeta (see Tschorsnig 1985: 96; Blaschke et al. 2018, fig. 2A), having the epiphallus in a basal position and distiphallus long, with well-developed and sclerotized extensions of both the dorsal and ventral sclerites. Following Tschorsnig (1985), Tschorsnig & Richter (1998), and Cerretti et al. (2012), this combination of character states suggests that Macquartia setifacies Zhang & Li, 2023 should be reassigned to the genus Gnadochaeta in the tribe Myiophasiini (unplaced to subfamily in Tachinidae), as Gnadochaeta setifacies (Zhang & Li, 2023), comb. nov.

Macquartia sichuanensis Zhang & Zhang, 2023

This species was described based on three male specimens from the Sichuan and Chongqing provinces (China). The long plumose arista, the chaetotaxy of the scutum, the presence of setulae on the proepisternal depression, and the shape of the male sternite 5, epandrial complex, and hypandrial complex unequivocally place M. sichuanensis in the genus Pseudebenia Shima & Tachi, 2010. This genus of Macquartiini currently includes six species from the Oriental and southeastern Palaearctic regions. In addition to this generic placement, the combination of a black abdomen with only a very thin whitish microtomentum on the anterodorsal portion of tergites 3 and 4, black palpus, three katepisternal setae, and pale male lower calypter clearly indicates that Macquartia sichuanensis Zhang & Zhang, 2023 is identical to Pseudebenia trisetosa Shima & Tachi, 2010, previously already recorded from China (Shima et al. 2010). Therefore, we propose that Macquartia sichuanensis Zhang & Zhang, 2023 is a junior synonym of Pseudebenia trisetosa Shima & Tachi, 2010, syn. nov.

Macquartia barkamensis Zhang & Zhang, 2023

This species was described based on one male specimen from Sichuan province (China). Macquartia barkamensis has parafacial with fine setulae confined to the upper half and 1.5–2.0 times as wide as the postpedicel. It also has one presutural acrostichal seta, two presutural dorsocentral setae, two postsutural intra-alar setae, two postpronotal setae, and ventral side of second costal sector bare. Following Tschorsnig & Richter (1998) and Cerretti et al. (2012), this combination of character states suggests that M. barkamensis Zhang & Zhang, 2023 does not belong to Macquartia. Instead, the shallow posterior cleft of the male sternite 5, the very short phallus, and the strongly posteriorly elongated hypandrial arms suggest a strongygastrine (Phasiinae) affiliation for this species, but further study is needed to confirm this. Meanwhile, we suggest moving Macquartia barkamensis Zhang & Zhang, 2023 to Tachinidae incertae sedis.

Macquartia brunneisquama Zhang & Li, 2022, M. chinensis Zhang & Li, 2022, M. flavipedicel Zhang & Li, 2022, M. flavifemorata Zhang & Li, 2022

These four species also exhibit character states that do not align with those of Macquartia. In particular, the hypandrial complex, although not clearly represented, shows characters that do not fit the range of variation of the Macquartiini, nor that of other Tachininae. However, a more detailed study of the specimens, including of the male terminalia, is necessary before formally assigning them to a subfamily, tribe, and genus.

LI et al. (2022) provided the mitogenomes of the four species, corresponding to NCBI accession numbers OL681848–OL681851. However, in their original work and the associated metadata, they did not assign these codes to the scientific names of the species they described. We clarify this information here: OL681848 (“M. sp.1 HNL 2022a”) corresponds to Macquartia brunneisquama Zhang & Li, 2022, OL681849 (“M. sp.4 HNL 2022a”) corresponds to Macquartia flavipedicel Zhang & Li, 2022, OL681850 (“M. sp.2 HNL 2022a”) corresponds to Macquartia chinensis Zhang & Li, 2022, and OL681851 (“M. sp.3 HNL 2022a”) corresponds to Macquartia flavifemorata Zhang & Li, 2022.

We selected the mitochondrial DNA cox1 barcode fragments and analyzed them using the BOLD Identification System (Ratnasingham & Hebert 2007) and NCBI BLAST (Camacho et al. 2009). The sequences showed no matches on BOLD, and none of the top 100 BLAST hits from NCBI corresponded to the genus Macquartia. We then clustered the barcodes using Objective Clustering (Meier et al. 2006), with a 2% threshold (Srivathsan et al. 2019). OL681848 and OL681850 (i.e., Macquartia brunneisquama Zhang & Li, 2022 = “M. sp.1” and Macquartia chinensis Zhang & Li, 2022 = “M. sp.2”, respectively) clustered together as one putative species, with an intracluster distance of 1.11%.

We suggest moving Macquartia brunneisquama Zhang & Li, 2022, M. chinensis Zhang & Li, 2022, M. flavipedicel Zhang & Li, 2022, and M. flavifemorata Zhang & Li, 2022 to Tachinidae incertae sedis.

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