Apalocnemis Philippi

Sinclair, Bradley J., 2012, Revision of Neotropical species of Empidoidea (Diptera) described by Mario Bezzi. X. The species described in Apalocnemis Philippi (Brachystomatidae, Trichopezinae), Zootaxa 3270, pp. 58-62 : 59

Apalocnemis Philippi

Apalocnemis Philippi, 1865: 752 . Type-species: A. obscura Philippi, 1865 (monotypy).

Timalphes Melander, 1928: 97 . Type species: Clinocera fumosa Hutton, 1901 (orig. design.).

Diagnosis. Apalocnemis is characterized by the following characters: males usually holoptic; females dichoptic; facial setae lacking in females; Sc weakened at costa; radial fork usually long and V-shaped; laterotergite bare; hypandrium and epandrium separate, not fused; surstylus and postgonite present; internal median apodeme projecting anteriorly from female tergite 8.

Remarks. The above diagnosis should be viewed as tentative until a thorough revision of the genus is published. As noted by Collin (1933), there are striking differences among species and sexes in the mouthparts, coloration and genitalia, and the antennae are rather variable in shape. Although the original specimens of the Philippi type species ( A. obscura ) are likely lost (see Sinclair 2010a), the simple habitus drawing included in the description clearly matches Bezzi’s concept of the genus with the distinctive long radial fork and mesonotal vittae ( Philippi 1865, fig. 55).

It was suggested that a neotype should be designated at this time for A. obscura , but this should await a thorough revision of the genus. In Philippi’s original description and discussion, he appears to have combined male and female features. The four vittae and dichoptic head in the figure is clearly a female and the vittae are likely not as boldly expressed in males. The grey body and four vittae also characterize at least A. plorator Collin and possibly A. racemata Collin. It is likely that one of these Chilean species is conspecific with A. obscura . Revision of the species from this region will permit assessment of this possible synonymy.

Apalocnemis contains 28 described species from the Neotropical and Australasian regions ( Yang et al. 2007). In the Neotropics, Apalocnemis ranges from Costa Rica ( Cumming & Sinclair 2009) to the extreme southern part of Argentina and Chile. In Australasia, the genus is recorded from New Zealand and eastern Australia. The two Nearctic species described in Apalocnemis are not congeneric and are assigned to a genus complex including Boreodromia Coquillett , Palaeoparamesia Meunier and several undescribed species from California ( Sinclair 2008, 2010b).