Family groups of Diopsoidea and Nerioidea (Diptera: Schizophora) - Definition, history and relationships
Author
Lonsdale, Owen
text
Zootaxa
2020
2020-02-17
4735
1
1
177
journal article
24000
10.11646/zootaxa.4735.1.1
ffaf3b73-8bfe-499d-9073-0ce8c104e078
1175-5326
3670762
BD52DF91-3A7E-46FB-8975-38A67BFBBD61
Cypselosomatidae
Hendel, 1931
(
Figs 205–232
,
413–414
)
Type
genus:
Cypselosoma
Hendel 1913: 105
, by
Hendel (1931: 5)
.
Type
species of genus:
Cypselosoma gephyrae
Hendel, 1913: 105
, by original designation.
Cypselosomatidae
inlcudes 13 species of small-bodied flies in three extant genera—
Clisa
McAlpine
(2 species),
Cypselosoma
(2 species) and
Formicosepsis
(9 species). Species are known from
Australia
, Lord Howe Island (
Clisa
),
Nepal
(
Cypselosoma
) and Southeast Asia (
Cypselosoma
,
Formicosepsis
) to
Taiwan
(
Formicosepsis
). The monotypic fossil genus
Cypselosomatites
Hennig
was described for
Cypselosomatidae (
Hennig, 1965
)
, but later moved to
Micropezidae
by D.K.
McAlpine (1998b)
.
D.K.
McAlpine (1966)
reviewed and keyed the two cypselosomatid genera known at the time, and later briefly treated the family for description of his new genus
Clisa
(D.K.
McAlpine, 1993
)
. His 1966 paper also contrasted the
Cypselosomatidae
to the
Neriidae
and
Micropezidae
, compared the species of
Cypselosoma
, and provided thorough notes on the cave-dwelling
Clisa australis
(as
Cypselsoma australe
).
Cypselosomatidae
was catalogued in the
Oriental
and Australian Regions by
Steyskal (1977a)
and
Mathis (1989a)
, respectively. The two species of of
Cypselosoma
are differentiated by
Shatalkin (2014)
.
Formicosepsis
was last revised in
Andersson (1976)
, who divided the six species known at the time into two subgenera (
Formicosepsis
Meijere
s.s.
and
Lycosepsis
Enderlein
), mostly on the basis of an apical tooth on the scutellum and fore femoral spines in
Lycosepsis
;
Formicosepsis
s.s.
was split into two species groups.
Papp
et al.
(2006)
described three Thai species for
Formicosepsis
and
Lycosepsis
, but did not provide an explanation as to why the two genera were given equal generic standing. Recognition of
Lycosepsis
is probably unwarranted, at least as a full genus, considering both the small number of described species and the uncertain monophyly of both groups.
Biology.
Adults, puparia and larvae of the Australian
Clisa australis
(McAlpine)
were discovered by D.K.
McAlpine (1966)
in a high-humidity section of a cave hosting a colony of the bat
Miniopterus schreibersi
(Kuhl)
. Larvae were found in dung piles on the cave floor, and dung was recovered from the larval gut; adults were observed on and above the cave floor, with specimens sometimes observed copulating on the dung. Specimens have also been recovered over latrines at the edge of forest reserves (D.K.
McAlpine, 1993
), providing a similar “enclosed, humid environment”.
Clisa disneyi
McAlpine
was collected on Lord Howe Island in a “stunted, mossy rainforest on the summit of Mount Gower”. Larvae of a
Cypselosoma
species tentatively identified as
C. gephryae
, some of which formed puparia, were recorded on rotting banana plants by
Curran (1931)
.
Formicosepsis
species have been found at elevations above
900m
near streams in ravines, sometimes near tea plantations (
Andersson, 1976
), on foliage in rainforests (D.K.
McAlpine, 1998a
) and on a cut banana stem (
Marshall, 2012
); specimens have also been cultured on dung (S. Marshall, pers. comm.). Malaise trap samples from
Thailand
suggest that
Formicosepsis
can sometimes be locally abundant and collected in pans baited with dung.
Immature stages.
Puparia and third instar larvae of the Australian
Clisa australis
were described by
McAlpine (1966)
.
Adult Diagnosis.
Cypselosoma
(
Figs 205–210
) and
Clisa
relatively compact;
Formicosepsis
(
Figs 211–215
) more ant-like, somewhat resembling
Strongylophthalmyiidae
but with head sleeker and wing narrower; 2.5–5.0mm long. Face membranous, at least ventromedially. Interfrontal present (
Fig. 209
) (likely homologous with anterior fronto-orbital), sometimes minute to absent; 3 latero- to anteroclinate fronto-orbitals; postocellars divergent, removed from ocellar tubercle; vibrissa present. 4–6 dorsocentrals, with 1–2 smaller setae along dorsocentral line anteriorly; 0–6 acrostichal setae, with at least 1 presutural when present. Pleuron only with proepisternal seta and sometimes one or two very small katepisternals. Katepisternum bulging with dorsal margin sharply angled inwards (white region in
Fig. 206
). Femora usually with distinct ventroapical spines; mid tibia with numerous setae. Vein bm-m absent; ultimate section of M
4
usually absent (short in some
Cypselsoma
) and posterodistal corner of cell dm rounded (angulate in
Cypselsoma
, but with apex of M bowed); veins R
4+5
and M
1
converging; costa with sc break; vein sc ending freely in subcostal cell (
Figs 413–414
).
Adult Definition
. Body length 2.5–5.0mm. Colour mostly brown to black, often with yellow and white or brownish patches, mostly on head, legs, anterior surface of thorax and dorsum of katepisternum; halter brown to light brown with apex of knob brownish to white. Body relatively small; compact in
Cypselosoma
(
Figs 205–210
) and
Clisa
; very slender and ant-like in
Formicosepsis
(
Figs 211–215
).
Chaetotaxy
: 1 inner vertical; 1 outer vertical; 3 fronto-orbitals (proclinate with posterior seta reclinate); 1 ocellar; 1 postocellar (divergent to subparallel, relatively large); 1 interfrontal (smaller than fronto-orbitals and hair-like to inconspicuous in
Formicosepsis
, but nearly as large as anterior fronto-orbital in
Cypselosoma
(
Fig. 209
); likely homologous with fronto-orbital); vibrissa present; back of head sometimes with additional paravertical seta dorsolaterally (
Fig. 208
); pedicel with line of marginal setae including one large dorsal; several small weak genals, 1 subgenal (possibly enlarged posterior genal setula); postoculars in single line, sometimes setula-like or only present dorsally (
Cypselosoma
); labium usually with one large basal pair of setae and at least one apical pair. 1 presutural intra-alar; 0–2 postpronotals; 2 notopleurals; 2 posterior supra-alars; 0 posterior intra-alars; 4, 5 (
Formicosepsis
,
Clisa disneyi
) or 6 dorsocentrals (
Cypselosoma
and
Clisa australis
), including at least one presutural, and
Clisa
and
Cypselosoma
with one or two smaller setae in front of anterior dorsocentral; 6 acrostichal setae in
Cypselosoma
, 1 or 2 presutural to sutural pairs in
Clisa
,
and 0–6 finer pairs in
Formicosepsis
; 1 apical scutellar on small tubercle; lateral scutellar smaller than apical if present, sometimes setula-like, sometimes shifted medially; 1 proepisternal (reduced to absent in
Formicosepsis
); 0 anepisternals; 0 katepisternals (if 1 or 2 present, then very small and setulalike); prosternum bare. Fore femur with row of stout anteroventral spines, and with at least 1 long, stout, posteriorly directed seta subapically (
Fig. 207
); mid and hind femora often with 2–5 spine-like anteromedial and anteroventral setae distally (length variable), often on distinct tubercle (
Formicosepsis
with only 0–2 spines); hind femur usually with anteroventral of spines distally with one or two of these enlarged (
Formicosepsis
also with row of similar posteroventral spines that are sometimes indistinct to absent, and sometimes lacking anteroventral setae). Fore tibial brush discrete, pale, contrasting surrounding dark setulae (
Fig. 214
). Mid tibia with medial setae dorsally and posteriorly (sometimes reduced to only 1–3 on one or both sides in
Formicosepsis
); ventrally with one to several medial setae; apically with at least one distinct anteroventral seta, but sometimes also with several additional small to moderately sized setae around margin.
Head
. Antenna porrect to slightly elbowed; first flagellomere discoid; arista bare, inserted basally to submedially. Frons truncated along anterior margin and slightly projecting, slightly narrowing anteriorly; pilose medially, sometimes excluding part or all of ocellar triangle; notum (except
Cypselosoma
) and frontal vitta with fine to coarse microsculpturing; ocellar triangle shining, elongate with margins usually indistinct; ocelli shifted anteriorly, removed from postocellars. Ommatidia slightly larger anteromedially in some
Formicosepsis
. Face membranous (sometimes only weakly sclerotized), excluding well-sclerotized dorsolateral or lateral regions. Gena usually shining and bulging, more than 1/3 eye height, but reduced to narrow strip in
Formicosepsis
; postgena and occiput welldeveloped, sometimes broad. Back of head with semicircular carina that is produced into small dorsomedial lobe in
Formicosepsis
. Clypeus large, broadly rounded; palpus subcylindrical.
Thorax
. Notum entirely microsetulose to glossy, or with fine pruinose pattern (some
Formicosepsis
); pleuron smooth, mostly glossy with setulae and pruinosity largely restricted to venter of katepisternum. Greater ampulla present. Coxopleural streak usually weak to absent; posterior margin of anepisternum grooved; katepisternum and meron fused; katepisternum bulging with dorsal 1/3 directed inwards, forming broad “shelf” (note white area in
Fig. 206
) (similar but much shallower shelf seen in some
Neriidae
); dorsal katepisternal suture short, ending in broad proepisternum.
Formicosepsis
with developed pronotal collar, and anterodorsal margin of katepisternum and postpronotum wrapping around scutum; thorax and abdomen, long, slender and exhibiting extensive fusion of sclerites. Precoxal and postmetacoxal bridges absent. Prosternum fused to anteroventral margin of fused katepisterna, with discrete bulge between base of widely separated coxae and anteromedial fossa. Presternum sometimes reduced. Scutellum flat to convex, sometimes relatively short; some
Formicosepsis
with upturned apical spine.
Wing
. (
Figs 413–414
) Clear to lightly infuscated, or clouded with clear bands. Anal lobe and alula well-developed (
Clisa
,
Cypselosoma
) or strongly reduced (
Formicosepsis
). Vein R
2+3
closely following costa along length; veins R
4+5
and M
1
converging. Vein bm-m absent. Vein r-m sometimes oblique; sometimes short. Cell
cu
a short, but sometimes nearly reaching level of subcostal vein apex. Ultimate section of vein M
4
usually absent (short in
Cypselsoma
) and posterodistal corner of cell dm rounded (angulate in
Cypselsoma
, but with apex of M
4
bowed). Vein CuA slightly rounded to straight.
Costa
with sc break (sometimes indistinct); vein sc ending freely in subcostal cell. Calypter hairs short.
Legs
. Legs slender; femora slender to relatively stout; hind tibia sometimes slightly compressed laterally. Mid tibia swollen in
Cypselosoma
.
Abdomen
. Spiracles
1–6 in
membrane, 7
th
spiracle enclosed by sclerite (
Figs 217
,
223, 230
).
Formicosepsis
with T3 fused to T1+2. Pregenitalic sternites slightly longer or shorter than wide; S1 particularly short in
Clisa
and
Cypselosoma
; sternites of
Formicosepsis
considerably narrower with midline bare.
Male genitalia
. (
Figs 216–222
) Terminalia essentially symmetrical. S6 with reduced setation; overlapping and partially articulating with S7. S7 ventral, fused with S8 to form complete ring. S8 large, dome-like, with dorsomedial surface pronounced and posterolateral margins with small emargination; with one pair of large, stout setae. Subepandrial sclerite flat, V-shaped, with apical seta. Epandrium shallow and narrow, usually with one pair of larger posterodorsal setae. Cerci narrow, fused via membrane, distal to margin of epandrium. Surstylus as long as cercus, narrow. Hypandrium, narrow, arms fused. Phallic plate very long, narrow, unbroken. Phallapodeme rod-like, without extensions to hypandrium; base deviated and plate-like. Postgonite narrow, band-like, and meeting each other at or near point of fusion to hypandrium. Postgonite short, band-like, with small setose apical bulb; base textured, meeting apex of postgonite. Epiphallus absent. Distiphallus flat and rod-like, sometimes with membranous apical flagellum. Ejaculatory apodeme stout base grading into short, weakly sclerotized and asymmetrical blade; sperm pump clear.
Female genitalia
. (
Figs 223–232
) T7 and S7 fused into complete oviscape that is widest subbasally and strongly tapered apically; 7
th
spiracles ventrolateral. Remaining terminalia very narrow, entirely telescoped within oviscape. T8 and S8 divided longitudinally, roughly textured with tooth-like denticles that are also found along intersegmental membrane to segment 10. T10 with two apical setae; S10 with few apical setae and numerous empty sockets extending along most of length onto short internal process with apical disc. Cerci short, approximate and minutely setose. Genital chamber sometimes with weakly sclerotized transverse folds. Ventral receptacle linear, and narrow to relatively broad. 2 clear or pigmented spermathecae; shape sac- or rod-like, with one sometimes atrophied; duct long and thin, or short, flat and folded.