Apocephalus comatus

Brown, Brian V., 2014, Revision of the Apocephalus analis group of ant-decapitating flies (Diptera: Phoridae), Zootaxa 3857 (4), pp. 551-570 : 555

Apocephalus comatus subseries

Diagnosis. Abdominal segment 6 with group of three or more long, black, thick dorsolateral setae ( Fig. 5). Venter of abdominal segment six with transverse comblike row of densely placed, long setae arising from sternite ( Figs. 10–12 ).

Included species. Apocephalus bilineatus , comatus , and rectisetus . Differentiation of the three species is relatively simple: uniquely among the entire genus Apocephalus , A. bilineatus has two dorsal longitudinal setal palisades on the hind tibia ( Fig. 4 ; the other species have one palisade), A. comatus has short, thick, curved setae medioventrally on segment 6 ( Fig. 11 ), whereas A. rectisetus has a fan of longer (but still thick), straight setae in the same location ( Fig. 12 ).

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 16. Female abdomens. 9 – 12. Ventral. 13 – 16. Posterior.

FIGURES 1 – 4. Apocephalus analis group. 1 – 2. Lateral habitus. 3. Frons, anterior, image digitally manipulated to enhance symmetry. 4. Hind leg, anterior. Abbreviations: dsa—dorsal supra-antennal setae; flg 1 — flagellomere 1; plp—palpus; vif—ventral interfrontal setae; vsa—ventral supra-antennal setae.