Myopinae

Stuke, Jens-Hermann, 2014, A new genus of Conopidae from Europe (Diptera), Zootaxa 3795 (4), pp. 472-482 : 481

Key for the identification of the genera of the Myopinae

(including the Sicini , now proposed as a separate subfamily by Gibson & Skevington (2013))

1 Subcosta Sc reaches costa C well before ends of both radius R1, and radius R2+3; presternum broad, oval; femora and tibiae without rows of thick black bristles ventrally; ♂ hypandrium sheath hardly sclerotised and therefore indistinct; ♂ distiphallus about as long as epandrium, with obvious strips of sclerotised microtrichia and an area of strong black bristles; widely distributed in the Palaearctic Region only................................................................. 2 [ Sicini ]

- Subcosta Sc reaches costa C near end of radius R1, both well before the end of radius R2+3; presternum only a narrow sclerotised strip; femora and tibiae may have distinct rows with thick short black bristles ventrally; ♂ hypandrium sheath sclerotised and distinct (less obvious in Merziella ); ♂ distiphallus shorter than epandrium, with a different pattern of microtrichia and bristles, if there are any at all; species may be widely distributed in other biogeographical regions.. 3 [ Myopini & Thecophorini]

2 Most species more or less orange brown, covered with short and usually adpressed black hairs; gena, anepisternum and anepimeron without hairs, at maximum a few scattered hairs on anepisternum; pedicellus without long anteroventral bristles.............................................................................................. Sicus Scopoli

- Completely black abdomen, thorax and legs, all covered with long erect black hairs; gena, anepisternum and anepimeron with several obvious long black hairs; pedicellus with 1–2 long anteroventral bristles which project distinctly beyond basal flagellomere............................................................................. Carbonosicus Zimina

3 Proepisternum with hairs dorsally; ♂ hypandrial membrane with obvious setae; arista consisting of 1 aristomere.......... 4

- Proepisternum without hairs dorsally; ♂ hypandrial membrane without obvious setae; arista consisting of 2–3 aristomeres.. 6

4 Arista obviously white in the apical half; gena distinctly broader than half eye height, without black hairs; face convex in lateral view, without protuding mouth edge; facial grooves extending downwards from antennal bases for about half of face length only; fore and middle tibiae basally without rows of short thick adpressed black bristles on the ventral surface; genus restricted to the Palaearctic Region.............................................. Melanosoma Robineau-Desvoidy

- Arista completely brown; gena at maximum only slightly broader than half eye height, with scattered black hairs; face concave in lateral view, with protuding mouth edge; facial grooves extending from antennal bases to mouth opening; fore and middle tibiae basally with a more or less distinct row of short thick adpressed black bristles on the ventral surface............... 5

5 Pedicellus and basal aristomere shorter than head length (sensu Schneider 2010: 186), length of scape at most two times longer than maximum width; arista with a distinctly broader basal part, becoming abruptly narrower towards apex; tergite 2 not elongated, at most as long as tergites 3 and 4 together; genus widely distributed (including Madagascar)..... Thecophora Rondani

- Pedicellus and basal aristomere slightly longer than than head length, length of scape about 4 times longer than maximum width; arista narrowing uniformly, without a distinctly broader base; tergite 2 elongated, distinctly longer than tergites 3 and 4 together; monotypic genus endemic to Madagascar.......................................... Pseudoconops Camras

6 Two rare genera occuring only in the Neotropical Region ( Argentina, Brazil). [I have not seen any of the few known specimens of these genera and the characters mentioned here are adopted from the original descriptions by Camras (1957, 1981), Pearson (1974) and the additions reported by Gibson & Skevington (2013).]............................................. 7

- Widely distributed genera absent from the Neotropical region, except one metallic shining species which occurs south of Mexico................................................................................................ 8

7 Proboscis more than two times length of head; black frontofacial spots; palps not obviously short; proepisternum ventrally without hairs or bristles; obviously long-haired species; ♀ without an ovipositor but with a distinct theca.................................................................................................... Scatoccemyia Camras

- Proboscis very short, labium at maximum 1/2 head height, labellum about 1/2 length labium; palps very short; no black frontofacial spots; proepisternum ventrally with hairs or bristles; not obviously long-haired species; ♀ with an ovipositor-like structure and without theca................................................................ Pseudomyopa Pearson

8 Mesoscutum anteriorly with two short submedial stripes of reduced dusting within denser dusted mesoscutum (fig. 1); thorax completely black; small species (wing length up to 6.2 mm); genera occuring only in the Palaearctic Region............ 9

- Mesoscutum anteriorly lacking submedial stripes of reduced dusting; thorax at least partly orange brown to brown in most species; several (but not all) species larger than indicated above; distribution of genera not restricted to the Palaearctic Region...................................................................................................... 10

9 Proboscis not obviously elongated, at maximum only slightly longer than head height; gena broad, more than half of eye height; ♂ bases of anterior and posterior surstyli with obvious black bristles; ♂ without long sclerotised postgonite evagination; ♂ hypandrium sheath without a hyaline window; ♀ theca with only a narrow field of bristles........ Myopotta Zimina

- Proboscis obviously elongated (figs 1, 5); gena narrow, less than half of eye height (fig. 1); ♂ bases of anterior and posterior surstyli without obvious black bristles (figs 13–14); ♂ with long sclerotised postgonite evagination (figs 15: poe, 18: poe, 19: poe); ♂ hypandrium sheath with obvious window (fig. 18: whys); ♀ theca with broad field of bristles (fig. 10).................................................................................................. Merziella gen. nov.

10 Scutellum without submedial patches of dense black hairs; wing with radial cell r4+5 either open or closed; knob of haltere lacking silver dusting; tergites lacking protuberances; ♀ tip of abdomen not elongated nor forming a ovipositor-like structure; genus widely distributed................................................................... Myopa Fabricius

- Scutellum with two submedial patches of dense black hairs; between these patches lies a depression lacking hairs; wing with radial cell r4+5 wide open; knob of haltere with obvious silver dusting; tergites 3–6 (♂) or 3–5 (♀) with more or less shining protuberances which are densely covered with hairs; ♀ tip of abdomen elongated and forming a ovipositor-like structure; genus restricted to the Afrotropical Region................................................... Paramyopa Kröber