Asymphyloptera Collin

Sinclair, Bradley J., 2015, New World species of Asymphyloptera Collin (Diptera: Empididae: Clinocerinae), Zootaxa 4048 (4), pp. 553-564 : 554

Asymphyloptera Collin

Asymphyloptera Collin, 1933: 323 . Type-species: A. discrepans Collin , by original designation.

Recognition. The genus is recognized by its very small size (wing length <2.5 mm), face broad with distinct clypeus, postpedicel globular with long, slender apical extension ( Fig. 10 ), mouthparts narrow with palpus elongate and narrowly pointed, appressed to proboscis ( Fig. 1 ) and unusual wing venation, where R2+3 is branched and the upper crossvein of cell dm (= base of M2) is absent ( Fig. 2 ).

Description. See Sinclair (1995) for full description. The genus can be identified using the key to genera in Sinclair (1995) and Cumming & Sinclair (2009).

Distribution. There are many undescribed species known from Australasia, specifically: Australia (incl. A. quadriseta Smith ), New Caledonia, New Zealand and Philip Is. ( Norfolk) ( Sinclair 1995). In the New World, Asymphyloptera is known from Chile, Costa Rica, Dominica , Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, and USA (Arizona) ( Fig. 17 ). The genus is also known from Puerto Rico ( Cumming & Sinclair 2009), but the specimens have not be re-located.

Phylogenetic relationships. Asymphyloptera , together with the genera Afroclinocera Sinclair and Proagomyia Collin are the sister group to the remaining clinocerine genera and are confined primarily to the Southern Hemisphere ( Sinclair 1995, 1999) (see Sinclair 2011, for discussion of former clinocerine genera). The remaining clinocerine genera appear to have originated in the Northern Hemisphere and only a few have dispersed south of the equator.

Figures

FIGURE 17. Distribution of Asymphyloptera in the New World.

FIGURES 8 – 12. Antenna and terminalia of Asymphyloptera, lateral views. 8, A. cajanuma sp. nov., male; 9, A. chilensis sp. nov., male; 10, A. chiricahua sp. nov., antenna; 11, A. chiricahua sp. nov., male; 12, A. chiricahua sp. nov., female. Scale bars = 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: cerc—cercus; ej apod—ejaculatory apodeme; epand—epandrium; hypd—hypandrium; ph—phallus; sur—surstylus.

FIGURES 1 – 3. 1, Habitus of Asymphyloptera chilensis sp. nov., male holotype, prior to drying, mounting and dissection; 2, A. chiricahua sp. nov., female wing; 3, type locality of A. chilensis sp. nov., PN Puyehue, Rio Anticura (photograph G. W. Courtney). Scale bars = 1.0 mm. Abbreviations: plp—palpus; M—medial veins; R—radial veins.