THE SUBTUSRADIATA SPECIES GROUP (NEW GROUP)

DIAGNOSIS: Large flies; thorax dark blackish brown, with typical white markings; aristal branches medium ( tibialis) to very long ( byersi); frons largely dull, anterior portion dark yellow in A. byersi, entirely dark in A. tibialis; mid and hind tibia with comb. Male genitalia distinctive: Subepandrial sclerite with distinctive subepandrial appendage having toothed apex and lateral pair of striate membranous lobes.

NEARCTIC SPECIES: Amiota byersi, A. subtusradiata Duda, and A. tibialis .

COMMENTS: Chen and Toda (2001) erected the alboguttata species group, which accommodated A. subtusradiata Duda. Parsimony analysis of morphological data (fig. 3) suggests a rather distant relationship between Old World species of the alboguttata species group and what is now designated as the subtusradiata species group. While the alboguttata species group was originally defined exclusively by leg characters, the distinctiveness of the male genitalia warrants the separation of A. subtusradiata Duda, as well as other closely related Nearctic species, A. byersi and A. tibialis . These species seem infrequently collected, usually as individuals rather than series. It is unknown whether members of this species group are attracted to the eyes and face as in other Amiota, although specimens have been caught in banana traps or found on fungi (see Comments under various species).