Hippaphora, DISNEY, 2015

DISNEY, R. Henry L., 2015, Three new genera of Oriental scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae), Fragmenta Faunistica 58 (2), pp. 71-77 : 71-72

Hippaphora gen. nov.

Diagnosis. Dorsoventrally flattened and only lightly sclerotised. Head much broader than long, without a median furrow, with numerous strong hairs above and below with some increasingly more bristle like laterally and with a pair strong supra-antennal bristles. The eyes reduced to a few ommatidia and ocelli lacking. Postpedicels subglobose and palps long and slender. Proboscis with the labium a greatly elongated but narrow basiproboscis and a similar distiproboscis. Thorax much wider than long, with fine hairs on scutum and some bristles on the reduced mesopleuron. Scutellum lacking. Mid and hind tibiae with dorsal hair palisades. Mid and hind tarsi with posterodorsal hair palisades on segments 1–4 but front tarsi lack these. Wings with a hairy costa with a terminal bristle and membrane reduced to a narrow strip in basal two thirds. Haltere with a narrow tapered knob. Abdomen without tergites but with numerous fine hairs.

In the key to genera for females ( Disney 1994) it readily runs to couplet 67, where lead 1 is for Rhynchomicropteron Annandale 1912 , which differs in the much narrower head and thorax and which are both normally sclerotised. If one follows lead 2 one proceeds to couplet 71 where it fails to key out. If, however, one proceeds to couplet 73 and runs on to couplet 75 again neither lead applies. Subsequently described genera do not run to these couplets. Unless the unknown male proves to be a known genus then this female is incompatible with any known genus.

Etymology. Named after the collector of the genotype, Heikki Hippa.