Genus Xerophilomyia Rohdendorf, 1925

Xerophilomyia Rohdendorf, 1925: 64 (as subgenus of Apodacra Macquart, 1854). Type species: Apodacra leucocera Rohdendorf, 1925, by designation of Townsend, 1938: 152.

Xerophilomyia: Rohdendorf, 1930: 12, as a subgenus of Apodacra Macquart, 1854 (revision); Rohdendorf & Verves, 1980: 491 (key to species); Verves, 1986: 86 (catalog); 1990: 540 (key to East Palaearctic species); Verves et al., 2015: 273 (review).

Diagnisis. Medium sized (5.5–10.0 mm) bright colored flies. Frons and face as wide as one eye; vibrissal angles distinctly raised over oral margin, and lunula narrowed downwards; head in profile angular; hind border of head distinctly shortened; proclinate orb numerous, as a group of irregular placed erect setae; Postpedicel 2.0–2.5× as long as pedicel. {: f 2 and t 2 with ctenidium consisting of long and flattened setae.

Twenty species occur in the south of the Palaearctic and Afrotropical Regions.

Key to species

1. {............................................................................................................................................................................2

—} ..............................................................................................................................................................................4

2. f 2 with ctenidium composed of flattened dorsal setae; dorsal and ventral ctenidiums of t 2 placed in apical 0.4–0.5; mid 1 st tarsomere widened (fig. 20, e). Middle spot of 3 rd abdominal tergite separated from lateral ones by broad stripes of dusting; pattern of abdomen black (fig. 20, g). Mid tarsus partly or entirely orange yellow. 4.5–8.0 mm............................................................................. X. nigropicta Rohdendorf, 1934

— f 2 without ctenidium; dorsal ctenidium of t 2 placed in apical 0.2–0.3 only; mid 1 st tarsomere not widened. Middle spot of 3 rd tergite more or less united with lateral stripes; lateral stripes of abdomen usually reddish (fig. 22, g). …………………...................................................................................................................... 3

3. Mid tarsus entirely orange yellow; parafrontal setose in posterior half only (fig. 22, b–d). Fore 4 th tarsomere without specialised setae; t 2 with flattened setae in distal 0.3–0.5 (fig. 22, e). 6.5–9.5 mm. ……..…….......................................................................................................... X. plumipes (Villeneuve, 1933)

— Mid tarsus distinctly blackish; parafrontalia setose almost to lunula, setosity gradually fading out and ending just before reaching the level of the anteriormost frontal seta. 4 th tarsomere of fore tarsus with a long, straight, stronger p and an almost equally long but more curved, slender a (see fig. 1 in Pape, 1988); t 2 with flattened setae along most of its length. 5.0–8.0 mm............................. X. cyprica (Rondani, 1859)

4. Mid tarsus distinctly blackish. .......................................................................................................................... 5

— Mid tarsus partly or entirely orange yellow. .....................................................................................................7

5. 3 rd abdominal tergite with entire black hind stripe............................................. X. cyprica (Rondani, 1859)

— 3 rd abdominal tergite with rounded middle spot and paired lateral stripes in hind 0.4. ............................6

6. orb reach to level of fore fr; frontal vitta golden pollinose in hind part only (figs 19, b–d); abdomen yellowish grey pollinose, with lateral yellow areas (figs 19, a, e, f). 6.0 mm ..................... X. nigritarsus sp. n.

— orb reach to mid length of frons; frontal vitta entirely silver pollinose; abdomen light grey pollinose, without lateral yellow areas. 5.7 mm. ......................................... X. famagustica Verves et Khrokalo, sp. n.

7. Middle spot of 3 rd abdominal tergite separated from lateral stripes by broad pollinose areas (fig. 21, b). ............................................................................................................................ X. nigropicta Rohdendorf, 1934

— 3 rd abdominal tergite with entire black or laterally yellowish-red hind stripe (figs 23, a, b, f)..................... .............................................................................................................................. X. plumipes (Villeneuve, 1933)