Neoephydra dasycephala, Mathis, Wayne N. & Marinoni, Luciane, 2016

Mathis, Wayne N. & Marinoni, Luciane, 2016, Revision of Ephydrini Zetterstedt (Diptera: Ephydridae) from the Americas south of the United States, Zootaxa 4116 (1), pp. 1-110 : 36

The dasycephala Group

Species Included: Neoephydra dasycephala sp. nov.; N. mallonota sp. nov.; and N. shewelli sp. nov..

Diagnosis. Members of the dasycephala group are characterized by the following characters: medium-sized to moderately large shore flies, body length 3.50–5.00 mm; body with pronounced hairiness, appearing pilose.

Head: Mesofrons shiny, with metallic luster, contrasted with microtomentose parafrons; postocular setae well developed, particularly along the posteroventral margin of the eye; lateroclinate, fronto-orbital setae at least 5; antennal groove distinct but not deeply impressed.

Thorax: Anterior dorsocentral setae well developed, conspicuous; female lacking dense patch of setae between posterior 2 dorsocentral setae; disc of scutellum concolorous with posterior portion of scutum; supra-alar seta present.

Distribution. Species of the dasycephala group occur at higher elevations throughout the southern range of the Andes Mountains. Most specimens were collected at elevations between 3700 and 4100 m, along the Argentine- Chilean border and northward into Peru.

Remarks. The distributions for the three known species are broadly sympatric, with all three species occurring at a specific locality. As nothing is known concerning the natural history of any of the included species, how they partition the habitat is unknown.