Heteropsilopus Explained

Heteropsilopus is a genus of flies in the family Dolichopodidae.^[1] The genus comprises large-sized sciapodines mostly with a strongly sinuate m-cu and simple digitiform cercus. The strongly sinuate m-cu is considered to be a distinctive group autapomorphy.

Distribution

Heteropsilopus is divided into three species groups: the triligatus group of southern India and Sri Lanka, and the cingulipes and brevicornis groups of southern Australia and Tasmania. Both Indian and Australian species are similar. Development of similar characters on some species, such as the stub-vein on m-cu, further unites the two disjunct groups. The separation of Heteropsilopus into Australian and Indian groups is more a matter of geographical convenience than sharp morphological difference.^[2]

The disjunction of Heteropsilopus in Australia and India suggests a widespread eastern Gondwanan distribution in place during the Lower Cretaceous.

In India the genus is restricted to mountains above 900 m in the elevated physiographic region of the 'Western Ghats' or 'Southern Blocks', and is unknown from the lowlands.^[3]

Species

• Heteropsilopus adhaerens (Becker, 1922)
• Heteropsilopus araluensis Bickel, 1994^[4]
• Heteropsilopus brevicornis (Macquart, 1850)
• Heteropsilopus brindabellensis Bickel, 1994^[4]
• Heteropsilopus caelicus (Parent, 1932)
• Heteropsilopus calabyi Bickel, 1994^[4]
• Heteropsilopus cingulipes (Walker, 1835)
• Heteropsilopus dilutus (Parent, 1937)
• Heteropsilopus hilaris (Parent, 1941)
• Heteropsilopus indicus (Parent, 1934)
• Heteropsilopus ingenuus (Erichson, 1842)
• Heteropsilopus intermedius Bickel, 1994^[4]
• Heteropsilopus khooi Bickel, 1994^[4]
• Heteropsilopus meensis Bickel, 1994^[4]
• Heteropsilopus persuadens (Becker, 1922)
• Heteropsilopus plumifer (Becker, 1922)
• Heteropsilopus poecilus (Becker, 1922)
• Heteropsilopus protarsatus (Parent, 1937)
• Heteropsilopus protervus (Parent, 1941)
• Heteropsilopus pulcherrimus (Becker, 1922)
• Heteropsilopus savicensis Bickel, 1994^[4]
• Heteropsilopus sigmatinervis (Parent, 1937)
• Heteropsilopus squamifer Hardy, 1958
• Heteropsilopus stragulus (Becker, 1922)
• Heteropsilopus sugdeni Bickel, 1994^[4]
• Heteropsilopus tantanoola Bickel, 1994^[4]
• Heteropsilopus trifasciatus (Macquart, 1850)
• Heteropsilopus triligatus (Becker, 1922)
• Heteropsilopus tweedensis Bickel, 1994^[4]
• Heteropsilopus vanus (Parent, 1941)
• Heteropsilopus yunnanensis Liu, Zhu & Yang, 2012^[5]

Notes and References

1. Book: Evenhius, N. L.. Family Dolichopodidae. http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/aocat/doli.html. Evenhius. N. L.. Catalog of the Diptera of the Australasian and Oceanian Regions (online version). 17 April 2016. 10 April 2018.
2. Bickel . Daniel J. . 1994-12-23 . The Australian Sciapodinae (Diptera: Dolichopodidae), with a review of the Oriental and Australasian faunas, and a world conspectus of the subfamily . Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement . en . 21 . 157 . 10.3853/j.0812-7387.21.1994.50 . 0812-7387.
3. Bickel . Daniel J. . 1994-12-23 . The Australian Sciapodinae (Diptera: Dolichopodidae), with a review of the Oriental and Australasian faunas, and a world conspectus of the subfamily . Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement . en . 21 . 41 . 10.3853/j.0812-7387.21.1994.50 . 0812-7387.
4. Bickel. D. J.. The Australian Sciapodinae (Diptera: Dolichopodidae), with a review of the Oriental and Australasian faunas, and a world conspectus of the subfamily. Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement. 1994. 21. 1–394. 10 September 2015. 10.3853/j.0812-7387.21.1994.50.
5. Liu. X.. Zhu. Y.. Yang. D.. 2012. New species of Heteropsilopus and Amblypsilopus from China (Diptera: Dolichopodidae). Zootaxa. 3198. 63–67. 10.11646/zootaxa.3198.1.4 .