Empis (Coptophlebia) chrysocera, Collin, 1930

Esa, C. Daugeron, 2001, Cladistics and taxonomy of the Afrotropical Empis (Coptophlebia) chrysocera-group (Diptera, Empididae), Journal of Natural History 35, pp. 583-616 : 585-586

Empis (Coptophlebia) chrysocera -group

Diagnosis

Species brown to blackish in general colour; ¯agellum styliform; proboscis about twice the head height, labium slender, strongly sclerotized, with distinct annulations; proepisternum bare; laterotergite with fan of strong black bristles; R41 5 branched at right-angle, veins M1 and M2 abbreviated; presence of pennate bristles on legs of females; male pregenital segments always strongly modi®ed. Male cerci made up of anterior almost bare lobe and posterior bristled lobe; epandrial lamellae connected anteriorly. Spermatheca unsclerotized (®gure 14).

Discussion

With the relatively short proboscis, rather short scutal bristles, the entirely brown legs, the transformed male pregenital segments and the characteristic structure of male genitalia, species of the E. (C.) chrysocera -group are very distinct from those belonging to the subgenus Disneyempis and the E. (C.) namwamba -group. On the other hand, they can be distinguished from the remaining Afrotropical Empidini by the following combination of characters: proepisternum bare, labella as long as prementum, presence of distinct annulations on labium and spermatheca unsclerotized.

Within the E. (C.) chrysocera -group, two complexes of species can be de®ned: the E. (C.) lyra - and E. (C.) chrysocera -complexes (see the cladistic analysis). They can be distinguished by the colour of the male wing, the number of notopleurals, the tint of prescutellar depression, the shape and structure of male pregenital segments (see the key to species).

Nothing is known about mating and feeding behaviour of species of the E. (C.) chrysocera -group. However, according to their label, the holotype of E. barbitos and one female paratype of E. cuthbertsoni have been collected at ¯owers of Clematis stanleyi (Ranunculaceae) and Scabiosa (Dipsacaceae) , respectively. On the other hand males have holoptic eyes with upper ommatidia enlarged. Consequently, as most of Empidini , species of the E. (C.) chrysocera -group are probably ¯ower visitors and form swarms in which mating takes place.

Distribution

The E. (C.) chrysocera -group appears widespread in Africa, from West to East and Southern Africa, but seems absent from South Africa (®gure 47): Congo, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Zimbabwe.

Included species

E. (C.) brazzavillensis sp. n.; E. (C.) barbitos Smith, 1971 ; E. (C.) juxtaripa sp. n.; E. (C.) lyra Smith, 1967b ; E. (C.) plumata sp. n.; E. (C.) chrysocera Collin, 1929 ; E. (C.) cuthbertsoni Smith, 1971 ; E. (C.) machipandensis Smith, 1969 ; E. (C.) samaruensis sp. n.; E. (C.) singulare sp. n.