Corniphora, Liu, 2023

Liu, Guangchun, 2023, A new genus of scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) from China, with description of a new species, Zoological Systematics 48 (4), pp. 361-364 : 361

Corniphora gen. nov.

Type species. Corniphora yanbianensis sp. nov.

Description. Frons higher than wide, shiny; median furrow present. Frontal setation reduced. Ocellar triangle slightly raised and ocelli developed. Compound eyes large, setulose. First flagellomere extremely long, horn-like; arista apical, short; pedicel long, rod-shaped, concealed in first flagellomere. Anepisternum bare, divided. Scuttellum with two pairs of setae. Fore tibia with a row of short setulae. Mid tibia without isolated setae. Hind tibia with a dorsal palisade, and a row of anterodorsal setulae and a row of posterodorsal setulae. Wing with vein C up to half of wing; Sc absent; R 2+3 present; Alula with setae. Male terminalia small and partially retracted into segment VI. Epandrium asymmetrical. Hypandrium bilobular, basal setulae absent. Anal tube long, with terminal setae.

Etymology. The genus name is derived from the Latin words " cornus " (horn) and " phora " (scuttle fly), which indicates the characters of antenna.

Distribution. China (Jilin).

Remarks. In the latest key to the world genera (Disney, 1994), the new genus runs to couplet 16, to the genus Iridophora Disney, 1986 , but the first flagellomere is obviously elongated, vein R 2+3 present, Rs and R 1 are not parallel, and fore tarsomere 5 is normal. In the key to Palaearctic genera (Disney, 1998), it will run to couplet 54, where neither option applies. If the first flagellomere features are ignored, this genus is similar to the genus Phalacrotophora Enderlein, 1912 , in form of frons, dorsal palisade and anterodorsal and posterodorsal rows of setulae of hind tibia, and male teminalia. However, the elongate antenna and a short apical arista can distinguish the new species from the latter. The Phylogeny of the new genus is unknown. It may belong to the subfamily Metopininae Rondani and the tribe Gymnophorini Enderlein (Disney, 2003). However, this classification requires further data support and more evidence. The discovery of female of this genus would be particularly helpful on the problem’s clarification.