Pelastoneurus Loew, 1861

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 Pelastoneurus Loew, 1861

( Fig. 14E )

DIVERSITY. — 5 species ( 2.9-5.5 mm).

MORPHOLOGY, ECOLOGY AND DISTRIBUTION

Rather small to large species, with a characteristic bulging clypeus and a strongly plumose antennal (arista-like) stylus ( Fig. 14E ). Sixty of the 67 Pelastoneurus specimens were collected by sweep net, all but three specimens exclusively in swamp forests. Contrary to Cheiromyia pennaticornis , Pelastoneurus species seemed to prefer well-lit places where they were encountered mostly on low leaves of broad-leaved shrubs and herbs, and on leaf litter. As with C. pennaticornis , representatives of this genus, and the larger species in particular, appeared very agile and hard to collect with a net.

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.