Xestomyza Wiedemann, 1820

Hauser, Martin, 2012, A new species of Xestomyza Wiedemann, 1820 from South Africa, with a key to the genera of Xestomyzinae (Diptera: Therevidae), African Invertebrates 53 (1), pp. 175-175 : 178-179

Genus Xestomyza Wiedemann, 1820

Xestomyza: Wiedemann 1820: 10 . Type species: Xestomyza lugubris Wiedemann , by monotypy.

Pseudoxestomyza Kröber, 1912: 2 . Type species: Pseudoxestomyza longirostris Kröber , by monotypy. (Synonymy by Lyneborg 1972: 355.)

Diagnosis: The genus can be distinguished from other genera in the subfamily by the long setae on the frons and parafacial, a characteristic shared with Braunsophila, Ceratosathe and Hemigephyra. Xestomyza differs from Ceratosathe by the holoptic eyes in males. From Hemigephyra it differs by the much longer proboscis. They also differ in wing coloration, with bands in Ceratosathe and Hemigephyra versus brown-maculated coloration in Xestomyza . Braunsophila is the most similar to Xestomyza , but can be separated by the following characters: scape much thicker than pedicel in Xestomyza (same thickness in Braunsophila ), pair of finger­like extensions on gonocoxite with strong apical setae and apical cap on aedeagus (both features absent in Braunsophila ).

Notes. Flies of the genus Xestomyza , as well as the related genus Braunsophila , are rarely collected, even with Malaise traps and few specimens are known in collections. The majority of studied Xestomyza specimens were collected in September, but there are collecting dates ranging from July to December. More intense collecting efforts will very likely discover additional undescribed species.