Strongylophthalmyia punctata

Evenhuis, Neal L., 2016, World review of the genus Strongylophthalmyia Heller (Diptera: Strongylophthalmyiidae). Part I: Introduction, morphology, species groups, and review of the Strongylophthalmyia punctata subgroup, Zootaxa 4189 (2), pp. 201-243 : 208

The Strongylophthalmyia punctata subgroup

Roughly half of the described species in Strongylophthalmyia belong to Shatalkin’s (1996) “ punctata group” of species (males possessing a dorsal antennal process) and the distribution of that group appears to be restricted to the Oriental Region . A subset of that group, the punctata subgroup, characterized by the presence of spines on the fore femur, appears to have two clusters of species: (1) those species with a long and conspicuous dorsal antennal process (called here the punctata cohort); and (2) those species with only a small bump or a small thin, pointed dorsal antennal process (the microstyla cohort). Additionally, species in the punctata subgroup appear to be even further restricted in distribution to just SE Asian countries and adjacent islands to the east (see Fig. 107 ). Few studies have been conducted in areas of subtropical to tropical southern China (I have only located seven specimens belonging to four species in the genus from these areas) and, given the current known distribution elsewhere, it can be logically assumed that further more rigorous collecting in forested areas should find species of this subgroup occurring in southern, southwestern, and eastern China, including potentially undescribed ones.

Figures

FIGURE 107. Map showing distribution of species of Strongylophthalmyia punctata subgroup in SE Asia and adjacent areas.