Exoprosopa Macquart, 1840

Greathead, D. J. & Evenhuis, N. L., 2001, Annotated keys to the genera of African Bombylioidea (Diptera: Bombyliidae; Mythicomyiidae), African Invertebrates 42 (1820), pp. 105-224 : 197

Exoprosopa Macquart

Exoprosopa Macquart, 1840: 35 [1841: 313]. Type species: Anthrax pandora Fabricius, 1805 , by subsequent designation (Coquillett, 1910: 544) [Designation conserved by Opinion 1632 (I.C.Z.N., 1991: 82).]

Litorhynchus Macquart, 1840: 78 [1841: 356]. Type species: Litorhynchus hamatus Macquart, 1840 [= Anthrax heros Wiedemann, 1819 ], by subsequent designation (Coquillett, 1910: 562).

Trinaria Mulsant, 1852: 20 . Type species: Anthrax interrupta Mulsant, 1852 [= Anthrax rutila Pallas & Wiedemann, 1818 ], by subsequent designation (Coquillett, 1910: 617).

Argyrospila Rondani, 1856: 162 , 202. Type species: Anthrax jacchus Fabricius, 1805 , by original designation (as ‘ jaccus ’).

Defilippia Lioy, 1864: 733 . Type species: Anthrax minos Meigen, 1804 , by subsequent designation ( Griffini, 1896: 42).

Litorrhynchus Verrall in Scudder, 1882: 192 (unjustified emendation of Litorhynchus Macquart, 1840 ). Type species: Litorhynchus hamatus Macquart, 1840 [= Anthrax heros Wiedemann, 1819 ], automatic.

Litomyza Hull, 1973:426. Type species: Litorhynchus hamatus Macquart, 1840 [= Anthrax heros Wiedemann, 1819 ], by subsequent designation (Evenhuis, 1991: 48). Nomen nudum .

Comments: In spite of the removal of several of Bezzi’s (1924) subgenera and species groups, Exoprosopa remains a very large genus, which is particularly diverse and speciose in the Afrotropical Region. There remains a bewildering diversity of wing patterns and vestiture, as a result of convergent evolution of cryptic and disruptive colour patterns ( Lambkin 2001), that are not congruent with differences in male and female genitalia, which are considered to be of phylogenetic significance.

Keys: Palaearctic, Engel (1932 –7), Paramonov (1928); Afrotropical, Bezzi (1924);

Ghana, Bowden (1964); Senegal, François (1972); Exoprosopa busiris group, Greathead

(2001 a).

Hosts: There are a few records of rearings from cocoons of Hymenoptera , and some dubious records ( du Merle 1975).

Distribution: Cosmopolitan. Palaearctic. North Africa: about 16 species. Africa South of the Sahara: 172 species, including new species described below. Cape Verde Islands: 1 species; E. biguttata (Macquart) . Socotra: 1 species; Exoprosopa guttipennis Bezzi. Aldabra : 1 species; E. aldabrae Greathead. Madagascar: 7 species.