PHYSOCEPHALINI SMITH & PETERSON, 1987

Gibson, Joel F. & Skevington, Jeffrey H., 2013, Phylogeny and taxonomic revision of all genera of Conopidae (Diptera) based on morphological data, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 167 (1), pp. 43-81 : 65

PHYSOCEPHALINI SMITH & PETERSON, 1987

Type genus Physocephala Schiner, 1861: 137 . Included genera: Dacops Speiser, 1923: 99 , Physocephala , Pseudophysocephala Kröber, 1939a: 374 . Uncontroverted morphological autapomorphies: prominent row of setae on mesofemur absent (54). The ocellar tubercle is absent (4); this character state is also observed in Asiconopini + Euconops + Mallachoconops and Heteroconops gracilis + Tanyconops + Setosiconops . The ventral half of the proepisternum is bare in all members of Physocephalini (58); this character state is also observed in Baruerizodion and Scatoccemyia .

Gibson et al. (2012) also recover a monophyletic Physocephalini using molecular and morphological analysis and including representatives of only Physocephala . A characteristic shape of the metafemur is listed as an autapomorphy of the clade, but this character is recovered in the present analysis as an autapomorphy of Physocephala + Pseudophysocephala .

The original usage of this tribal classification by Camras (1965) was in a Nearctic catalogue without diagnosis. Sabrosky (1999) notes that this makes the name unavailable. Smith & Peterson (1987) include Physocephalini in their key to Nearctic genera and this action makes them the authors of the name. They include only Physocephala in the tribe and list the following as key characteristics: crossvein r-m well beyond the middle of cell dm; prosepisternum bare; metafemur thickened in basal half; ocelli absent.

While Physocephala has been included in Conopini in some classifications, the tribe Physocephalini has included members of the present Pleurocerinellini and Tropidomyiini in past catalogues. In addition to the apomorphies of the tribe, Physocephalini can be distinguished from Conopini by the absence of maxillary palpi, the absence of scutellar bristles, the petiolate male abdomen, the notched posterior margin of the eye, and a characteristic wing pattern that is dark anteriorly and hyaline posteriorly. Differences between Physocephalini , Pleurocerinellini , and Tropidomyiini are discussed below.

Species examined – Dacops abdominalis ; Dacops kaplanae ; Physocephala bimarginipennis ; Physocephala maculipes ; Physocephala madagascariensis ; Physocephala marginata ; Physocephala rufipes ; Physocephala tibialis ; Pseudophysocephala constricta ; Pseudophysocephala platycephala .