Terphis Erichson

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 : 60-61

Terphis Erichson

Terphis Erichson, 1840 , Entomographien 1:168; Sabrosky, 1950, Proc. Roy. Ent. Soc. Lond., 19(3-4):48 (Notes on T. nodosQ only): Schlinger, 1960a, Ann. Natal Mus., 14(3): 496 (notes on T. nodosQ only, not Terphis diagnosis).

Type species: Terphis nodosa Erichson (monotypic)

Redescription: Small flies (5-6 mm.) distinctly patterned with yellow, white and brown areas; head large, nearly spherical; eyes holoptic above and below antennae; covered with sparse, extremely short hairs; antennae three-segmented, short, inserted on ventral forward margin of head; segment I mostly hidden under antennal tubercle, segment II short, but about twice as long as wide, covered with short pubescence; segment III swollen basally, extending into thin apical style about twice as long as base and with single apical seta; antennal tubercle small, protruding medially over base of antennae, entirely covered with dense short hairs; frons small, but projecting; postclypeus small, protruding only slightly below occipital margin; mouthparts small, indistinct, but visible structures include rostrum with long apical setae, and a shorter prementum; only lateral ocelli present on small. flat, triangular, ocellar tubercle; occiput short, flat, rigid, above without medial depression, then strongly concave to cervical region; prothoracic lobes joined medially but for only short distance; mesonotum finely reticulated; postscutellum swollen, easily visible under scutellum; tergites of abdominal segments II-IV with obvious dorsolateral bumps; spiracles present in tergites I-VI, but apparently only functional on I-Ill; abdominal sterum somewhat concave medially; sternites II-IV fused completely with tergites; wing venation quite reduced with cell formation restricted to anterior margin of wing; even veins R 4+ 5 and m 1 faint ( Erichson, 1840, plate I, fig. 10 is quite accurate).

Discussion: The only included species under this revised concept is Terphis nodosa Erichson from Brazil.

Specimen examined for above description: Brazil, 1 ♂, Nova Teutonia, 27°-11: Lat. and 52°-23; Long., 12.ix. 1938, Fritz Plaumann ( USNM).

This species is apparently quite rare, as the only other specimens known to the writer are the holotype from " Brazil," and one male from Itaquaquecetuba, Sao Paulo, Brazil, reported by Sabrosky (1950).