Beckerellus Greathead, 1995

Greathead, D. J. & Evenhuis, N. L., 2001, Annotated keys to the genera of African Bombylioidea (Diptera: Bombyliidae; Mythicomyiidae), African Invertebrates 42 (1820), pp. 105-224 : 154

Beckerellus Greathead

Beckerellus Greathead, 1995: 57 . Type species: Bombylius terminatus Becker, 1909 , by original designation.

Comments: The genus Beckerellus was proposed for a group of anomalous species in which there is convergence in the external characters of the sexes. The narrow frons and elongate cerci of the females have caused confusion between sexes. The enlargement of the anterior facets of the eyes and tubular ovipositor of the female, and the large pigmented eggs, suggest that the eggs are accurately placed on the substrate rather than ejected onto the soil surface as in other Bombyliinae . However, oviposition has not been observed and there are no rearing records for any of the species of this genus.

Keys: The species are included in keys to Bombylius spp. : Palaearctic, Engel (1932 –7); Afrotropical, Bezzi (1924).

Distribution: Africa, southern Europe to Iran. Africa South of the Sahara: 3 species; Beckerellus melanopus (Bezzi) ( Kenya And Uganda), B. obtusus (Bezzi) (Northern Ethiopia), B. terminatus (Becker) (Savanna Regions).