Mesembrinellidae, Shannon, 1926

Whitworth, Terry L. & Yusseff-Vanegas, Sohath, 2019, A revision of the genera and species of the Neotropical family Mesembrinellidae (Diptera: Oestroidea), Zootaxa 4659 (1), pp. 1-146 : 20

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4659.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:57309E14-0330-4ED7-BCDA-355EE6618215
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03DA87E6-0F29-FFC6-FF19-B81531B0FA35
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Mesembrinellidae
status

Treatment

Key to subfamilies and genera of Mesembrinellidae View in CoL

1 A large, dark brown fly (13–15 mm in length); abdomen robust, shiny black or dark brown with ST2–4 wider than long; each segment with two horizontal rows of stout black setae, one row along the posterior margin, the other in the posterior third of the segment ( Fig. 281 View FIGURES 280–281 ); presutural intra-alar seta absent; setae on facial ridge ascending about half way to antennal base ( Fig. 193 View FIGURES 193–194 ); male frons width 0.02/5 of head width at narrowest. Male terminalia with surstylus slender and straight, cercus long and slender with uniform curve forward ( Figs 101–102 View FIGURES 99–102 ). Phallus in lateral view with epiphallus short and angled forward ( Fig. 191 View FIGURES 183–192 ); in dorsal view with pair of lateral processes just behind hypophallic lobes ( Fig. 192 View FIGURES 183–192 ). Female: spermathecae bulbous ( Fig. 410 View FIGURES 401–410 ); T6 of terminalia of FU shape, T7 large and rectangular, recessed midway anteriorly ( Fig. 325 View FIGURES 324–325 ); [known from Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Trinidad, Venezuela].............................................................................................. Souzalopesiellinae [genus Souzalopesiella ; one species, Souzalopesiella facialis ]

- A usually smaller fly (most species 12 mm or less in length); abdomen usually shiny, with metallic highlights; setae on sternites usually much weaker and not limited to two rows; sternites usually rounded, not quadrate. Male epandrium, cerci and surstyli as in Figs 15–100 View FIGURES 15–20 View FIGURES 21–26 View FIGURES 27–32 View FIGURES 33–38 View FIGURES 39–40 View FIGURES 41–46 View FIGURES 47–52 View FIGURES 53–56 View FIGURES 57–62 View FIGURES 63–68 View FIGURES 69–74 View FIGURES 75–80 View FIGURES 81–86 View FIGURES 87–92 View FIGURES 93–98 View FIGURES 99–102 ; phallus without lateral processes ( Figs 105–190 View FIGURES 105–114 View FIGURES 115–124 View FIGURES 125–134 View FIGURES 135–144 View FIGURES 145–152 View FIGURES 153–162 View FIGURES 163–172 View FIGURES 173–182 View FIGURES 183–192 ). Females usually with spermathecae filiform or tuberform, not bulbous (except in M. flavicrura ); T6 of terminalia usually not of FU shape (except Laneella )..................... 2

2 Male with surstylus and cercus both curving forward ( Figs 15, 17, 19 View FIGURES 15–20 , 21, 23 View FIGURES 21–26 ); phallus in lateral view with epiphallus long and slender, curving backward ( Figs 105, 107, 109, 111, 113 View FIGURES 105–114 ); phallus in dorsal view with hypophallic lobes short and circular or semicircular ( Figs 106, 108, 110, 112, 114 View FIGURES 105–114 ); frons narrow, 0.01–0.02 of head width at narrowest. Females with tuberform spermathecae ( Figs 370–374 View FIGURES 370–400 ), shorter but still tuberform ( Fig. 371 View FIGURES 370–400 ) in L. fuscosquamata ; T6 of FU shape ( Figs 284–286 View FIGURES 282–287 ). Five of six species in this genus with a more or less shiny brown thorax (one species shiny blue), all medium-sized (10–13 mm); two species with basal half of tarsal claws pale white to pale yellowish ( Fig. 10 View FIGURES 9–14 ). [Known from Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay ( Marinho et al. 2017) and Venezuela]...................................................................................... Laneellinae [genus Laneella ; six known species]

- Male normally with surstylus curved backward or straight and cercus curved forward; phallus in lateral view usually with epiphallus short to moderate in length; hypophallic lobes rarely circular but usually narrow or, if wider, more elongate; frons width variable. Females usually with filiform spermathecae (except bulbous in M. flavicrura ; Fig. 397 View FIGURES 370–400 ), most species with some metallic blue to black colors on abdomen in both sexes; female with T6 usually not so flattened, usually of distinct inverted U or V shape ( Figs 287–313 View FIGURES 282–287 View FIGURES 288–293 View FIGURES 294–299 View FIGURES 300–305 View FIGURES 306–311 View FIGURES 312–317 ); widespread from southern Mexico to Argentina............................................................................... Mesembrinellinae [genus Mesembrinella ; 6 species-groups and 48 species]