Paralimna Loew, 1862

Krivosheina, M. G. & OZerov, A. L., 2020, A new species of the shore-fly genus Paralimna Loew, 1862 (Diptera: Ephydridae) from Australia, Russian Entomological Journal 29 (2), pp. 222-226 : 224

Subgenus Paralimna Loew, 1862

Paralimna Loew, 1862: 138 . Type species: Paralimna appendiculata Loew, 1862 (= Notiphila punctipennis Wiedemann 1830 ), by monotypy.

DIAGNOSIS. This subgenus is distinguished from other congeneric subgenera by the following combination of characters: small to large shore flies, body length 1.85–6.90 mm; thorax usually darkened dorsally and lighter laterally, frosted, without shining aspect.

Head. Frons usually with characteristic pattern of spots, brown with yellow spots at lateral margins of ocellar triangle and in front of anterior ocellar seta, between inner vertical and interfrontal seta, on fronto-orbits between proclinate fronto-orbital setae, and just above antennal bases, sometimes unicolorous. Ocelli arranged in equilateral or isosceles triangle; ocellar seta well developed, usually longer than anterior fronto-orbital seta and subequal to outer vertical seta, setae well separated, usually inserted anterolateral to anterior ocellus. Arista bearing 7–16 long hairs along dorsal surface. Face conspicuously convex, with carina and antennal groove marked, comparatively well arched; usually bearing 1, occasionally 2–4 long facial setae. Eye rounded, as wide as high or slightly higher than wide. Gena high, height is about or slightly more than 1/3 eye height; usually with few setae on ventral half.

Thorax. Scutum brown medially and through dorsocentral track, between yellowish to brownish gray, often conspicuously vittate; pleural area predominantly grey, with or without spots, sometimes predominantly brown; dorsal surface of scutellum flat. Wing with coloration variable, from hyaline to distinctly patterned. Forefemur of male with 3 to 8 strong posteroventral setae and frequently with a row of modified setae (curved, slightly or distinctly flattened setae) on anteroventral surface.

Abdomen. Frequently tergites with fasciate pattern with darker fascia basally. Sternite 1 shiny. Male terminalia: epandrium simple, band-like, unadorned; cerci subelliptical; presurstylus not connected to each oth- er dorsally; postsurstylus usually widest medially with a protuberant setulose lobe anteriorly and a variable process posteriorly in the middle; aedeagus mostly tubular, elongate, gently flattened laterally; lateral aedeagal process narrowed in middle, curved ventrally in lateral view.