Helosciomyzidae

McAlpine, David K., 2012, Notes and Descriptions of Australian Helosciomyzidae or Comb-winged flies (Diptera: Schizophora), Records of the Australian Museum 64 (1), pp. 51-70 : 56

Key to Australian genera of Helosciomyzidae

1 Dorsocentral bristles four large pairs; costa near mid-length with spaced dorsal spines in addition to anterior ones; male: surstylus without posterobasal foot, with simple almost horizontal basal articulation with lateral margin of epandrium, and much removed from base of cercus posteriorly .............................................................................. Eurotocus , p. 57

—— Dorsocentral bristles usually two large pairs; costa with an anterior series of spaced spines only; male: surstylus with broad or narrow posterobasal foot, articulating with posterior margin of epandrium, and approaching base of cercus .................................................................................. 2

2 Anterior bristle of hind femur absent, at least in male, small if present in female; sternopleuron on upper half or more with very generally distributed numerous fine hairs, sometimes forming long mollisetae in males; mesopleuron densely greyish pruinescent, without tawny orange zone; subapical anterior bristle of hind tibia absent or much smaller and thinner than preapical dorsal bristle (Figs 1,3) .................................................................................................................. 3

—— Anterior bristle of hind femur large (sometimes duplicated); sternopleuron on upper part usually with narrower oblique tract of hairs, leaving bare anterodorsal and posterior zones; mesopleuron generally with tawny orange zone on mid or upper part; subapical anterior bristle of hind tibia present, about as stout as preapical dorsal bristle, though shorter ( Fig. 2 ) ............................................................................................ 4

3 Scutellum concave mid-dorsally; antennal segment 3 short, sub- circular; antennal segment 5 (preapical segment of arista) rounded, not much longer than its maximum diameter; male: hind basitarsus without scopula, with dense ventral setulae .......................................................... Cobergius , p. 69

—— Scutellum convex dorsally; antennal segment 3 rounded oval, markedly longer than deep; antennal segment 5 cylindrical, c. twice as long as its diameter; male: hind basitarsus with dense ventral scopula for almost whole length ( Fig. 9 ) .......................................................... Neosciomyza , p. 68

4 Halter with brown capitellum; antennal segment 2 black (dark brown in faded specimens); height of cheek not more than 0.25 of height of eye; wing membrane deep yellow; male postabdomen:

Figures

Figures 1–3. Left hind tibia, anterior view of apical part. (1) Neosciomyza peckorum. (2) Helosciomyza bickeli. (3) Cobergius vittatus. as, apical ventral spurs; pd, preapical dorsal bristle; sa, subapical anterior bristle.

Figures 8–10. Neosciomyza peckorum, ventral views of male left hind tarsus. (8) entire tarsus. (9) detail of basitarsus showing scopula. (10) microstructure of scopula; scale = 10 µm.