Phyladelphus Becker, 1910

Deeming, John C., 2018, A revision of the Afrotropical species of Pachylophus Loew (Diptera: Chloropidae) and some related Ovoviviparous genera, Zootaxa 4482 (1), pp. 1-51 : 24

Phyladelphus Becker, 1910

Type species Phyladelphus thalhammeri Becker, 1910: 54 by monotypy.

Left unattributed to a genus group by Andersson (1977: 180), this genus is known from two oriental, one European and one East African species. Notes on it are given by Deeming (1981: 811–812), who was only able to liken it to Mepachymerus Speiser, 1910 which latter Andersson (1977: 132) placed along with Steleocerellus Frey, 1961 in a discrete genus group. P. geminus Becker, 1910 and the new species here described as P. woodi have in common with this genus group a flattened laceolate arista that is often rather rounded apically and which is clothed in very short setae. However, such aristal development does occur elsewhere. Duda (1933: 142) described a Steleocerus lindbergi from Morocco with just such aristal development ( Steleocerus Becker, 1910 is now placed as a junior synonym of Mepachymerus Speiser of the same year). This species was recorded from Bulgaria and transferred into Lasiosina Becker by Beschovski (1983: 78–80). My dissection of the abdomen of a female from Turkey (Ödemis, Lake Gölcük, 9.vii.1997, J.C. Deeming, in NMWC) confirms this. It has narrow cerci and the ovipositor, when extended, is nearly as long as the abdomen. Thus, in the Chloropidae , the character of a blade-like arista, which is undoubtedly apomorphic and cannot be regarded as being of diagnostic significance in the attributing of species to genera, although in the Lauxaniidae and Celyphidae it may well be so.