Leptopsilopa Cresson

Zatwarnicki, Tadeusz, Cielniak, Magdalena & Pochrząst, Katarzyna, 2016, A revision of the Old World species of Leptopsilopa Cresson (Insecta: Diptera: Ephydridae), Zootaxa 4093 (3), pp. 343-362 : 345-346

Genus Leptopsilopa Cresson

Leptopsilopa Cresson, 1922: 136 . Type species: Psilopa similis Coquillett, 1900 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. Small to moderately small shore flies; microtomentum generally sparse or absent, appearing subshining to shining; most species blackish ( Fig. 1 ).

Head: Frons conspicuously wider than long, at least twice; a strong reclinate and proclinate fronto-orbital seta; pseudopostocellar setae weakly developed, lateroclinate; both inner and outer vertical setae present. Antenna with basiflagellomere longer than pedicel; arista with 6–8 dorsal rays. Facial vestiture variable, surface mostly flat, lacking pits but with transverse microrugosity or striae; 1–2 strong facial setae, inclinate, dorsal seta cruciate; proboscis normally developed, not elongate.

Thorax: Generally black to deep bluish black, microtomentum sparse to lacking; the supra-alar seta absent; prescutellar acrostichal setae present, well developed; scutellum only slightly wider than long, disc sparsely setulose; anepisternum with 2 large setae; halter white to yellowish. Wing mostly hyaline, frequently with crossveins or anterior margin darkened; vein R2+3 lacking a stump vein; R stem vein bare of setulae dorsally. Legs with fore basitarsus concolorous with remaining tarsomeres.

Abdomen: Generally bare of microtomentum, shining, blackish. Male terminalia: Epandrium with outer margin hemisphaerical, band of epandrium narrow posteriorly, 1/4–1/6 of epandrial length, wider laterally. Cerci hemispherical or elongate. Pregonostylus rarely atrophied, if present strongly chitinized, elongate, finger-like, sometimes with inner projection basally, which bears 2–4 setae. Medandrium (subepandrial plate) narrow, bandlike fused indistinguishably with postgonostyli. Postgonostylus vicariously shaped, triangular, finger-like, straight or arcuately curved. Aedeagus in dorsal view subtriangular and elongate with rounded posterior margin or bottleshaped or rounded, in lateral view tringular, hemisphaerical, sometimes with posterior margin deeply incised. Phallapodeme in dorsal view flat with terminal widenings; in lateral view more or less triangular. Pre- and postgonites fused or separated from each other, if separated, pregonites small and lobate, postgonite finger-shaped, bears two-three apical setae; if fused lobate with three apical setae. Hypandrium in dorsal view elongate, trapezoidal in outline, in lateral view slightly depressed.

Natural history. A note about a host: Laphygma ( Lepidoptera : Noctuidae ) on locality label of L. pollinosa collected in India is accidental, and not evidence of a parasitoid relationship. Saprophagous habits of the Nearctic Leptopsilopa atrimana was described by Scheiring and Foote (1973), then Steinly and Runyan (1979).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Leptopsilopa africana Cresson (Kenya: Timboroa Forest Station).