Sinops, Zhang, Junhua, Yang, Ding & Mathis, Wayne N., 2005

Zhang, Junhua, Yang, Ding & Mathis, Wayne N., 2005, A new genus and species of Ephydridae (Diptera) from the Oriental Region, Zootaxa 1040, pp. 31-43 : 34

Sinops gen. nov.

Type species. Sinops sichuanensis sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Male body length 2.2–2.4 mm, wing length 2.5–2.7 mm. Head black, subshiny; frons dark colored, usually contrasted with lighter facial coloration. Two pairs of strong lateroclinate orb; medial facial area and lower facial margin with setae, of which 3–4 setae are lengthened laterally; oral setae well developed; gena with 1 distinct seta longer and stronger than other genal setae. Arista with short pubescent­like hairs.

Thorax generally black, subshiny. Three pairs of postsutural dc, presutural dc absent (except in S. nepalensis ); acr weak and short, continuing in a posts row to base of scutellum; 1 strong presutural seta; posterior npl much farther from notopleural suture than anterior npl; katepisternal seta weaker than anepisternal seta; 1 strong sa, psa absent; 2 pairs of sc. Legs subshiny black. Forefemur with row of pv, and without row of spine­like setae, midfemur with row of av. Pulvilli well developed; claws short and distinctly curved. Wing: C extended to apex of M; distance between R2+3 and R4+5 less than that between R4+5 and M but more than 1/2 that between R4+5 and M.

Abdomen generally black, subshiny. Male genitalia: Epandrium large and broad, parallel­sided in posterior view; cerci long, thickened at base and slender at apex; gonite falcate at base in lateral view. Female genitalia: Cerci rather thick, nearly trapezoidal in lateral view, brownish yellow at base and yellow at apex. Sternite 8 divided into 2 nearly triangular sclerites.

Distribution. The genus is known only from Asia and is currently represented by four species.

Etymology. Sinops is a Latinized combination of sino, meaning of or pertaining to China and the Chinese, and ops, meaning eye or face and which is a common generic ending in the tribe Dagini.

Remarks. Sinops is in the tribe Dagini and comprises what was formerly known as “the fluvialis group” of Psilephydra ( Mathis and Zatwarnicki 1988) , and the species of that group are here transferred to Sinops as new combinations: S. fluvialis ( Miyagi 1977; Japan), S. kaskiensis ( Mathis 1988; Nepal) and S. nepalensis ( Mathis 1988; Nepal).

Sinops and Psilephydra are similar in having three postsutural dc. Sinops is distinguished from Psilephydra and other genera of the tribe Dagini by the well­developed lateral facial setae; the well­developed anterior notopleural seta; the distance between R2+3 and R4+5 being less than that between R4+5 and M but more than 1/2 that between R4+5 and M; the robust epandrium that is higher than wide; the gonite that is retracted and invisible from a posterior view and that is separated beneath the aedeagus, and the thick phallapodeme. In Psilephydra , the facial setae are reduced, hair­like, the distance between R2+3 and R4+5 is equal to that between R4+5 and M, the epandrium is as long as wide and the gonite is visible from a posterior view, the gonites loop beneath the aedeagus, and the phallapodeme is slender ( Mathis 1982, Mathis and Zatwarnicki 1988).