The genus Cephalops Fallén, 1810

Cephalops Fallén, 1810: 10 . Type species Cephalops aeneus Fallén, 1810 (monotypy); Rafael, 1990: 353, figs 1–133; De Meyer, 1989a: 725, figs 1–149; De Meyer, 1989b: 99, figs 1–49; De Meyer, 1994: 8, figs 1–49; Rafael, 1996: 363, figs 12–17.

Pipunculus (group II); Becker, 1897: 36, 58 (partim); 1900: 226 (partim); 1921: 149 (partim); Cresson, 1911: 296 (partim); Motamedinia et al. 2021: 14 (phylogeny).

Dorilas Hardy, 1943: 54 (partim); 1950a: 13 (partim); 1959: 391; Aczél, 1952: 240 (partim).

Witella Hardy, 1950b: 41. Type species Dorylas candidulus Hardy, 1949 (original designation); synonymized by Rafael & De Meyer, 1992: 649.

Pipunculus (Pipunculus) Hardy, 1965a: 230 (partim); 1965b: 16; 1965c: 552 (partim); 1966: 6 (partim).

Pipunculus (Cephalops) Hardy, 1972: 10; 1975: 298; 1980: 484.

Diagnosis [adapted from De Meyer (1994)]. In the Neotropical Region, small to medium size species (2.3–6.2 mm). Eyes holoptic in males, dichoptic in females; ocellar setae absent. Face equal or subequal to the width of the lower part of the frons. Postpedicel with acuminate apex (rarely rounded). Scutum with inconspicuous uniserial dorsocentral setae (acrostichal setae absent). Proepisternum with fan-like setal tuft. All femora with ventral ctenidia. Hind tibia with one or more erected anterior spines on the median part, fore and mid tibiae with distinct apical spines. Wing with pterostigma, vein M 2 absent; cross-vein r-m placed at basal third of discal cell or even more basally. Abdomen broad and short with inconspicuous setae; tergite 1 with fan-like lateral setae (rarely absent). Apex of phallic guide stout, long, simple, or with lateral or dorsal lobes. Phallus usually stem-shaped, trifid, rarely with ejaculatory ducts clearly separated, most species with a reduction of the number of ejaculatory ducts to two (often covered with small teeth) or even one membranous structure. Ejaculatory apodeme usually funnel-shaped or needle-shaped (rarely mushroom-shaped, fan-shaped, tubiform or pin-shaped).