Physocephala, Schiner, 1861

Stuke, Jens-Hermann & Clements, David K., 2019, New conopid records from the Afrotropical Region (Diptera) - Part 3: Physocephalini, Bonn zoological Bulletin 68 (2), pp. 209-273 : 212-214

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.20363/BZB-2019.68.2.209
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:70A02482-0040-4136-ABB0-9C840A4D771A
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/173187E9-DD13-FFC9-25F2-49A2FD1D60BE
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Physocephala
status

Treatment

Key 1 – Identification of Afrotropical Physocephala View in CoL species-groups

1. Mediotergite with distinct setae (e.g. Fig. 148 View Figs 147–151 ); tibiae may have black setulae arranged to form a dorsal line (e.g. Fig. 140 View Figs 138–142 ); vertex occupying almost half length of frons (except in brevivertex ); semi-circular, setose and may have distinct ocellar scar (e.g. Figs 129 View Figs 126–130 , 131 View Figs 131–133 ); apical aristomere may be extremely long in some species, twice as long as first aristomere including ventral projection (e.g. Figs 132 View Figs 131–133 , 149 View Figs 147–151 ); wing completely covered with microtrichia; cell r 2+3, basal cell and basal medial cell completely dark brown to black (e.g. Fig. 142 View Figs 138–142 ); facial carina medially black to brown.............. P. pubescens View in CoL species - group

– Mediotergite at most with some barely visible short setae; tibiae lack black setulae arranged in dorsal lines; vertex clearly shorter than half length of frons; other characters variable (e.g. Fig. 15 View Figs 13–16 ); apical aristomere never extremely long, much less than twice length of first aristomere including ventral projection; wing in some species with areas lacking microtrichia; wing less darkened in some species; facial carina completely yellow in some species .... 2

2. Knob of haltere at least partly velvety black (e.g. Fig. 67 View Figs 67–70 ); arista three-segmented (e.g. Fig. 39 View Figs 37–41 ); pleura lacks vertical dusting stripe..................................... 3

– Knob of haltere at most with some obscure darkening but never velvety black; arista with two or three distinct aristomeres; pleura may have vertical dusting stripe (e.g. Fig. 25 View Figs 25–29 ) ..................................... 4

3. Frontoclypeal tubercle larger than adjoining lateral facial groove, dorsally rounded and lacking keel ( Fig. 37 View Figs 37–41 ); hind margin of eye lacks a shining triangular indentation; scape shorter, about 2.5 times as long as high, apical aristomere as shown in Fig. 39 View Figs 37–41 ; vertex short, and with longitudinal grooves ( Fig. 38 View Figs 37–41 ); wing as in Fig. 41 View Figs 37–41 : basal cell and basal medial cell completely brown and covered with microtrichia; vena spuria starts in middle of crossvein rm and reaches the hind margin of cell r 4+5, therefore separating off a narrow triangular area; ♂ with distinctly pointed tip to abdomen in side view ( Fig. 40 View Figs 37–41 ); larger species, abdomen not so obviously narrow and elongated ( Fig. 40 View Figs 37–41 ); wing length 15– 20 mm ................. P. bimarginipennis View in CoL species-group

– Frontoclypeal tubercle smaller than adjoining lateral facial groove, dorsally with sharp keel (e.g. Fig. 66 View Fig ); hind margin of eye has distinct shining triangular indentation (e.g. Fig. 80 View Figs 76–83 ); scape long, about four times as long as broad (e.g. Fig. 66 View Fig ), apical aristomere elongated; vertex not obviously short and at most with a few longitudinal grooves; wing as e.g. Fig. 70 View Figs 67–70 : basal cell and basal medial cell partly hyaline and partly without microtrichia; vena spuria starta close to hind margin of cell r 4+5, therefore not separating off any distinct area; ♂ abdomen with rounded tip in side view (i.e. lacking distinct point; e.g. Fig. 67 View Figs 67–70 ); smaller species with very narrow and elongated abdomen reaching well beyond wing tips (e.g. Fig. 67 View Figs 67–70 ); wing length 7–10 mm ........................................ ........................................ P. halterata View in CoL species-group

4. Vena spuria in cell r 4+5 usually well developed, starting in anterior half of radial-medial crossvein and therefore distinctly separated from media at least in basal ⅓ of cell r 4+5 (e.g. Fig. 118 View Figs 114–118 ). In occasional specimens where the radial-medial crossvein is reduced, this character may not be distinct; cell r 4+5 hyaline between media and vena spuria (e.g. Fig. 118 View Figs 114–118 , 122 View Figs 122–125 ) and sometimes lacking microtrichia there; dark species lacking distinct colour pattern (e.g. Fig. 108 View Figs 108–113 , 122 View Figs 122–125 ); scutum and scutellum black to brown, tergites 1–3 dark brown to reddish-brown, tergites 3–6 black to dark brown (except in P. rufa View in CoL , which is principally reddish-brown); abdomen lacks obvious dense dusting, only tergite 3 may have posterolateral silver-grey dusted spots (e.g. Fig. 108 View Figs 108–113 , 122 View Figs 122–125 ); anterior part of abdomen obviously narrow and elongated (e.g. Fig. 122 View Figs 122–125 ); hind margin of eye with distinct shining triangular indentation, and occiput obviously bulging forward at this point; scape elongated, at least as long as protruding part of face; gena very narrow, not broader than maximum width of proboscis; frons with darker black or brown mark, or indistinct light brown marking; mediotergite usually has some barely visible short setae; ♀ fore tarsi sometimes obviously broad and/or with unusual structures such as long setae (e.g. Fig. 114 View Figs 114–118 ) or long and narrow or spine-like pulvilli (e.g. Fig. 120 View Figs 119–121 ); hind tarsi sometimes extremely short (e.g. Fig. 111 View Figs 108–113 ); ♀ theca reduced, aberrant and not protruding far ventrally (e.g. Figs 110 View Figs 108–113 , 115 View Figs 114–118 , 124 View Figs 122–125 ); ♂ sternite 5 sometimes v-shaped or u-shaped posteriorly ............ ......................................... P. pilitarsis View in CoL species-group

– Characters never in the above combination; vena spuria in cell r 4+5 sometimes indistinct or missing (e.g. Fig. 100 View Figs 94–101 ); cell r 4+5 sometimes completely brown between media and vena spuria, if vena spuria is developed at all; several species are paler and have a distinct colour pattern, e.g. orange scutum with black markings; abdomen usually with obvious dusting, tergites 3–4 with densely dusted hind margin and at least tergites 5–6 with obvious golden dusting; nterior part of abdomen sometimes wider and shorter (e.g. Fig. 57 View Figs 55–59 ); if hind margin of eye has a distinct shining triangular indentation, then occiput usually less obviously bulging forward at this point;scape sometimes shorter than protruding part of face; gena sometimes wider than maximum width of proboscis; frons may lack dark marking; mediotergite lacks any short setae in several species; ♀ tarsi lacking unusual characters; ♀ theca in almost all species normally developed and obviously protruding ventrally; ♂ sternite 5 straight-edged or only slightly concave posteriorly ............................................................... 5

5. ♀ postabdomen ventrally with unique protruding spoon-shaped structure (e.g. Fig. 3 View Figs 1–5 ), theca absent; ♂ abdomen slightly pointed in side view (e.g. Fig. 2 View Figs 1–5 ); epandrium long, small cerci reaching only about 1/4 of the length of epandrium (e.g. Fig. 4 View Figs 1–5 ); hypandrium sheath narrow and elongated; distiphallus elongated and aedeagus may therefore be obviously extruded (e.g. Fig. 5 View Figs 1–5 ); cell r 2+3 only dark in apical half (e.g. Fig. 1 View Figs 1–5 ) or cell r 4+5 completely dark (e.g. Fig. 6 View Fig ) ........ ................................... P. abdominalis View in CoL species-group

– ♀ postabdomen ventrally lacks protruding spoon-shaped structure, but has theca; ♂ abdomen not pointed in side view but rounded (e.g. Fig. 66 View Fig , 71 View Figs 71–74 ); epandrium smaller and therefore cerci reaching more than 1/4 of the length of epandrium; hypandrium sheath different (as far as is known) and distiphallus less elongated; wing pattern may be different, or same as above.......................................................... 6

6. Arista extremely short, appearing as if broken (e.g. Figs 16 View Figs 13–16 , 32 View Figs 30–35 ); aristomeres all shorter than height of basal aristomere; in most species only two visible aristomeres; scape in most species shorter, about twice as long as high (e.g. Fig. 13 View Figs 13–16 ); shining triangular area at hind margin of eye barely developed or absent; vertex anteriorly with more or less distinct longitudinal groove (e.g. Fig. 15 View Figs 13–16 ); radial-medial crossvein usually not obviously short and never completely reduced (e.g. Figs 12 View Fig , 20, 21 View Figs 17–21 ); basal cell may be partially bare of microtrichia (e.g. Figs 9, 10 View Figs 7–10 ); anepimeron may have setulae; ♂ sternite 8 slightly to distinctly bulging over protandrium; typically with very fine black setulae (distinctly smaller than the scattered setulae on protandrium) arranged in distinct line at border between protandrium and sternite 8; ♂ epandrium as e.g. Figs 7–8 View Figs 7–10 , 22–23 View Figs 22–23 : blackish teeth on posterior margin of epandrium with more or less broad blackened bases; epandrium with long setulae anteromedially and dorsally; in lateral view large apically and almost semi-circular; postgonite evagination on inner side with broad-based spines giving this structure a fish-scaled appearance (may be hard to see in strongly macerated specimens, character not proven in all species); ♀ postabdomen lacking obvious reductions or aberrant theca (e.g. Fig. 14 View Figs 13–16 , 19 View Figs 17–21 ), tergite 6 always large and elongated (e.g. Fig. 19 View Figs 17–21 ) ............................................................ 7

– Arista usually longer and v-shaped (e.g. Figs 48 View Figs 46–49 , 65 View Figs 63–65 ), both aristomeres distinctly longer than high; scape sometimes more than twice as long as high (e.g. Figs 47 View Figs 46–49 , 66 View Fig ); distinct shining triangular area at hind margin of eye (e.g. Figs 72 View Figs 71–74 , 80 View Figs 76–83 ); vertex lacks anterior longitudinal groove in some species (e.g. Figs 84, 85, 87 View Figs 84–90 ); radial-medial crossvein sometimes very short or absent (e.g. Fig. 100 View Figs 94–101 ); basal cell completely covered with microtrichia; anepimeron lacks setulae; ♂ shining sternite 8 not usually bulging over protandrium; border between protandrium and sternite 8 usually lacks line of fine black setulae; ♂ epandrium sometimes different to above (but is unknown in some species); ♀ postabdomen may have obvious reductions or an aberrant theca, tergite 6 sometimes very small (e.g. Fig. 55 View Figs 55–59 ) ..................... 8

7. Hind coxa not dusted, or at least not more densely dusted than middle and fore coxae; pleura usually lacks dense dusting; if dusting stripe is present it starts at a point clearly separated from middle coxa and becomes narrower before reaching notopleuron; typically, mediotergite dorsally lacks dense dusting connecting with dense dusted spot on katatergite; costal cell and subcostal cell always hyaline, obviously paler than base of cell r 2+3; cell r 2+3 typically hyaline distally, with isolated spot around vein R 4+5 +M 1 ........................ P. vittata View in CoL species-group

– Hind coxa more densely dusted than middle and fore coxae (e.g. Fig. 14 View Figs 13–16 ); pleura usually with dusting stripe running vertically from middle coxa and often reaching notopleuron without narrowing; typically, mediotergite dorsally with dense dusting connecting with dense dusted spot on katatergite; wing with different colour pattern..... P. antiqua View in CoL species-group

8. Ventral projection of basal aristomere towers over apical aristomere (e.g. Figs 48 View Figs 46–49 , 50 View Figs 50–54 , 58 View Figs 55–59 ); radial-medial crossvein always distinct; vena spuria in cell r 4+5 distinct, starting at radius R 4+5 and usually fused with or closely approximated to media; wing membrane between vena spuria and media hyaline (e.g. Fig. 49 View Figs 46–49 ); scutum usually with two sublateral dusting stripes starting at inner side of postpronotum and fused before scutellum (e.g. Fig. 42 View Figs 42–45 ); ♀ theca normally developed but usually depressed towards or against the abdomen (i.e. not projecting perpendicularly, e.g. Fig. 54 View Figs 50–54 ); ♀ abdomen obviously short, tergites 5 and 6 much shorter than tergite 4 (e.g. Figs 55, 57 View Figs 55–59 ) ........ .................................... P. caenoneura View in CoL species-group

– Apical aristomere usually longer than ventral projection of basal aristomere (e.g. Fig. 79 View Figs 76–83 ); radial-medial crossvein sometimes reduced or absent (e.g. Fig. 100 View Figs 94–101 ); vena spuria in cell r 4+5 absent, or if developed then membrane between vena spuria and media not hyaline (e.g. Fig. 83 View Figs 76–83 ); scutum may lack sublateral dusting stripes; ♀ theca sometimes very reduced, or projects more perpendicularly from abdomen (e.g. Fig. 77 View Figs 76–83 , 102 View Figs 102–105 ); ♀ abdomen may be short or long ................. P. microvena View in CoL species-group