Cephalosphaera

Introduction

The 53 valid species of Cephalosphaera are distributed among two subgenera. Nine species are currently unplaced at the subgeneric level (listed as incertae sedis above).

Characteristics

Cephalosphaera are often large, heavily pollinose flies, readily distinguished at the generic level in the field. The following combination of characters allow lab identification of Cephalosphaera specimens: hind margin of eye straight, ocellar bristles reduced (these characters place them within Pipunculinae); propleuron with a fan of setae (includes Collinias, Microcephalops, Pipunculus, Cephalosphaera and Cephalops), frons not swollen, face not narrowed, discal medial cell expanded medially (excludes Collinias and Microcephalops), setae on thorax restricted to two dorsocentral rows and scattered setae along margins (excludes Pipunculus) and Vein M2 present (excludes Cephalops).

Cephalosphaera is a well-studied genus on a world scale. The best regional keys to use to identify Cephalosphaera species are as follows: Australia – Skevington (1999), Afrotropical – De Meyer (1992), Costa Rica – Rafael and Menezes (1999), Japan – Morakote and Hirashima (1990), Nearctic - De Meyer (1989a), Neotropics – Rafael (1992), New Guinea – De Meyer (1990), and West-Palaearctic - De Meyer (1989b).

Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships

De Meyer (1994) provides a phylogenetic analysis for the Cephalopsini.

References

De Meyer, M. 1989. Systematics of the Nearctic species of the genus Cephalops Fallén (Diptera, Pipunculidae). Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Entomologie 59:99-130.

De Meyer, M. 1992. Revision of the Afrotropical species of Cephalops Fallén (Diptera, Pipunculidae). Journal of African Zoology 106:81-111.

De Meyer, M. 1994. Phylogenetic relationships within the Cephalopsini (Diptera, Pipunculidae). Bulletin et Annales de la Société Royale belge d'Entomologie 130:7-18.

De Meyer, M., and P. Grootaert. 1990. Pipunculidae (Diptera) from Papua New Guinea: the genera Cephalosphaera, Cephalops and Beckerias. Zoologica Scripta 19:403-412.

Morakote, R., and Y. Hirashima. 1990. A systematic study of the Japanese Pipunculidae (Diptera) Part III. The genus Cephalops Fallén. Journal of the Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University 34:183-214.

Rafael, J. A. 1992. Review of the Neotropical species of Big-headed Flies, genus Cephalosphaera (Diptera: Pipunculidae). Pages 633-646 in Insects of Panama and Mesoamerica. Seclected studies (D. Quintero, and A. Aiello, eds.). Oxford University Press, Oxford, New York, Tokyo.

Rafael, J. A. 1996. Pipunculidae (Insecta, Diptera) of the Dominican Republic: new records and description of new species. Annals of the Carnegie Museum 65:363-381.

Rafael, J. A., and M. D. d. S. Menezes. 1999. Taxonomic review of Costa Rican Pipunculidae (Insecta: Diptera). Revista de biologia tropical 47:513-534.

Skevington, J. H. 1999. Cephalosphaera Enderlein, a genus of Pipunculidae (Diptera) new for Australia, with descriptions of four new species. Australian Journal of Entomology 38:247-256.