Forcipomyia, Meigen, 1818

Borkent, Art, 2024, The Phylogeny of the Genera of Biting Midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) of the World, Zootaxa 5438 (1), pp. 1-274 : 223

Forcipomyia :

- Male gonocoxal apodemes fused. Most Culicomorpha have separate gonocoxal apodemes (many Chironomidae have them fused). Although it is apparent that the unfused condition is plesiomorphic within the family, this feature is only tentatively interpreted here. In nearly all members of this genus, the gonocoxal apodemes are fused and are either missing any parameres or have these completely fused to the apodemes. In the subgenera the parameres are separate and the gonocoxal apodemes do not meet medially: F. ( Collessohelea ), F. ( Gampsohelea ), F. ( Ixodehelea ), F. ( Nicothohelea ), F. ( Panhelea ), F. (Synthyridomyia), some F. ( Forcipomyia ), some F. (Lepidohelea) and some F. ( Thyridomyia ). I was unable to examine original material of F. ( Collessohelea ), F. ( Gampsohelea ), F. ( Ixodehelea ) and F. ( Nicothohelea ). In at least some F. ( Thyridomyia ) the parameres and gonocoxal apodemes have been illustrated as separate, although in fact there is a pale connecting band medially. In F. (Synthyridomyia) and some F. ( Thyridomyia ) there is only a very narrow separation. In some subgenera, there is reported variation of the fused to separated conditions, suggesting that the feature may be homoplastic and it is uncertain whether the separate condition is plesiomorphic or are secondary losses. The genus is an excellent candidate for further cladistic study, rich in morphological features in each of the larval, pupal and adult stages suggesting that this feature might be more clearly understood once further structures are interpreted.

Further to this, although most ceratopogonids have the parameres articulated with the gonocoxal apodeme or merely the margin of the base of the gonocoxite, some have these fused, and when they also have fused parameres (e.g. Parabezzia ), this can approximate the condition described here as derived.

Borkent & Craig (2004) and Borkent (2014) suggested that it is possible that Forcipomyia may be paraphyletic with regards to Atrichopogon , presently considered its sister group, because there are no synapomorphies for Forcipomyia . If the fused gonocoxal apodemes are a valid synapomorphy for the genus, it would exclude Atrichopogon , which have their aedeagal-parameral complex ( Borkent & Picado 2004) articulating with well-developed but only moderately sized gonocoxal apodemes.