Cheiromyia Dyte, 1980

Pollet, Marc, Leponce, Maurice, Pascal, Olivier, Touroult, Julien & Calster, Hans Van, 2018, Dipterological survey in Mitaraka Massif (French Guiana) reveals megadiverse dolichopodid fauna with an unprecedented species richness in Paraclius Loew, 1864 (Diptera: Dolichopodidae), Zoosystema 40 (21), pp. 471-491 : 486

Genus Cheiromyia Dyte, 1980

( Fig. 14C )

DIVERSITY. — 3 species (4.2-5.0 mm).

MORPHOLOGY, ECOLOGY AND DISTRIBUTION

Rather large species with males that can easily be recognized by the antler-shaped postpedicel. Cheiromyia pennaticornis ( Fig. 14C ) was the only species in this genus that was encountered in numbers; only one male of C. brevitarsis and four specimens of C. fuscipennis Pollet & Brooks, 2018 ( Brooks et al. 2018) are available. Apart from eight specimens collected in yellow pan traps, all other specimens were collected by sweep net. This genus seems to be entirely confined to swamps. Cheiromyia pennaticornis was exclusively encountered in rather dark, flooded river bank forests (palm swamps), and all specimens but one were collected in two sites of this habitat type along trail C. This species occurred mainly on leaves of rather low broad-leaved shrubs or herbs in half dark conditions and appeared very alert and surprisingly hard to collect with a sweep net. In fact, during sweep net collection attempts this species often escaped by diving to the soil and/or – unnoticed – flying away from the collector through the vegetation.

Figures

FIG. 14. — Photos of selected Mitaraka Dolichopodidae:A, Chrysotus sp. GF-010, ♂; B, Chrysotus sp. GF-021, ♂; C, Cheiromyia pennaticornis (Parent, 1931), ♂; D, Paraclius sp. GF-005, ♂; E, Pelastoneurus sp. GF-002, ♂; F, Medetera sp. GF-001, ♂. Photos: Florence Trus.