Africaterphis Schlinger, 1968

Schlinger, Evert I., 1968, Africaterphis, a new genus for the African species of Terphis; and a redescription of the Brazilian genus Terphis Erichson (Diptera: Acroceridae), ANNALS OF THE NATAL MUSEUM 20, pp. 59-62 : 61-62

Africaterphis Schlinger , new genus

Terphis species from Africa by various authors (not Erichson, 1840).

Type species: Terphis acroceroides Sabrosky (1950) , by present designation.

Description: Small flies (3-6 mm.), black or brown with distinct yellow or light brown markings. Head small, higher than long; eyes holoptic above and below antannae, apilose; antennae three-segmented, short, inserted on ventral forward margin of head: segment I hardly discernable underneath antennal tubercle, segment II round, short, covered with short pubescence; segment III swollen basally, extending into thin apical style from once to twice as long as base, ending without or with one to four short setae; two distinct sensoria present on swollen base of segment Ill; antennal tubercle small, weakly or strongly protruding out and over base of antennal segment I, shiny and bare, or with few long setae present on lateral ventral margin; frons inconspicuous, not projecting; postclypeus small hardly projecting below occipital margin; mouth parts small, only a short blunt rostrum visible; ocellar tubercle flat or somewhat raised laterally, with or without median ocellus, but lateral ocellus visible; occiput rugose, broad and swollen above, with distinct median depression behind ocellar tubercle.

Thorax rugose with large irregular depressions most common on prothoracic lobes and on anterior part of mesonoturn; prothoracic lobes come close together behind head, but do not join, a deep groove which separates them continues back onto mesonotum; postscutellum visible under scutellum, but not greatly swollen; squama large, higher than head height, joined to thorax along upper 2/3 of anterior margin; legs short, slender; three pulvilli present; wing long, thin, weakly veined except along anterior margin; vein R2+ 3 reaches margin well before apex, no longitudinal veins beyond R 2+ 3 reach wing margin, even R4+ 5 and M 1 only distinct basally (venation as given in Schlinger, 1960a, fig. 24, for Terphis gertschi Sch. ).

Abdomen short, inflated, dorsum smooth or incisures present between segments; sternum flat or slightly convex, sternites separated from tergites; spiracles present in tergites II-VI, but apparently functional only in ll-IV; genitalia small, mostly concealed under caudal tergites.

Distribution: The genus is now known only from Africa: Belgian Congo, Cape Province Southern Rhodesia and Portuguese East Africa.

The two included species in AJricaterphis can be separated as follows:

Mesonotum black with some indication or distinct yellow vittae starting behind prothoracic lobes and running to scutellum .. .. acroceroides (Sabrosky)

Mesonotum black with brown spot behind prothoracic lobe.. gertschi (Schlinger)