Rhynchopsilopa

Rhynchopsilopa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Ephydridae
Genus:	Rhynchopsilopa ; Hendel, 1913

Last updated December 05, 2022

Rhynchopsilopa is a genus of shore-flies (Ephydridae). The adults feed on the gut contents of ants. They use their antennae to locate ant nests and use their long sclerotized proboscis to puncture the abdomen of ant workers and feed on the gut contents without killing their victims. They also take honey in laboratory conditions and may not be obligate associates of ants. Their larvae are unknown. Species in the genus are found in Africa and Asia.

The genus is placed in the tribe Psilopini within which they are distinct in having long pendant antennae, a long proboscis, a short forehead, a concave face, and a convex abdomen. After locating an ant, they run after it rather than fly. They jab and obtain gut contents from the ant abdomen very rapidly.^[1]

About 18 species have been described:^[2]^[3]

Rhynchopsilopa albipunctataWirth, 1968 (South Africa, Angola)
Rhynchopsilopa apicallisCollin, 1921 (Nigeria)
Rhynchopsilopa ceylonensisCresson, 1937 (Sri Lanka)
Rhynchopsilopa coeiWirth, 1968 (Nepal, China)
Rhynchopsilopa frontalisWirth, 1968 (Nepal)
Rhynchopsilopa fuscipennisWirth, 1968 (Nigeria)
Rhynchopsilopa guangdongensisZhang & Yang & Mathis, 2012 (China)
Rhynchopsilopa huangkengensisZhang & Yang & Mathis, 2012 (China)
Rhynchopsilopa jinxiuensisZhang & Yang & Mathis, 2012 (China)
Rhynchopsilopa laevigataCresson, 1946 (Zimbabwe)
Rhynchopsilopa magnicornisHendel, 1913 (Thailand, Malaya)
Rhynchopsilopa minorWirth, 1968 (Mozambique)
Rhynchopsilopa nitidissimaHendel, 1931 (Egypt) [shown to prefer ants in the genus Crematogaster ^[1]]
Rhynchopsilopa pallipesWirth, 1968 (Republic of Congo)
Rhynchopsilopa philippinensisWirth, 1968 (Philippines)
Rhynchopsilopa shixingensisZhang & Yang & Mathis, 2012 (China)
Rhynchopsilopa struckenbergiWirth, 1968 (Mozambique, Zimbabwe)
Rhynchopsilopa trautaeWirth, 1968 (Tanzania)

Related Research Articles

Canacidae, incorrectly Canaceidae, or beach flies, surf or surge flies, is a family of Diptera. There are 113 species in 12 genera. The family now includes Tethininae as a subfamily.

Ochthera is a genus of flies in the family of shore flies (Ephydridae). The genus is distinctive because of the swollen raptorial forelegs. The larvae are predaceous on midge larvae while the adults feed on midges and mosquitoes. The genus is found around the world with about 37 species. The species Ochthera chalybescens has been shown to prey on African malaria vectors.

Canacinae is a subfamily of beach flies in the family of Canacidae.

Dynomiellini, is a tribe of beach flies in the family of Canacidae.

Limnellia is a genus of shore flies in the family Ephydridae.

Ephydrinae is a subfamily of shore flies in the family Ephydridae.

Ilythea is a genus of shore flies in the family Ephydridae.

Athyroglossa is a genus of shore flies in the family Ephydridae.

Gymnomyzinae is a subfamily of shore flies in the family Ephydridae.

Gastrops is a genus of shore flies in the family Ephydridae.

Hecamede is a genus of shore flies.

Hyadina is a genus of shore flies in the family Ephydridae.

Paralimna is a genus of shore flies.

Brachydeutera is a genus of shore flies in the family Ephydridae. There are about 16 described species in the genus Brachydeutera.

Discocerina is a genus of shore flies in the family Ephydridae.

Ephydra is a genus of flies belonging to the family Ephydridae.

Lamproclasiopa is a genus of shore flies in the family Ephydridae.

References

1 2 Freidberg, A.; Mathis, W. N. (1985). "On the feeding habits of Rhynchopsilopa [Dip.: Ephydridae]". Entomophaga. 30 (1): 13–21. doi:10.1007/bf02372278. S2CID 40155932.
↑ Wirth, Willis W. (1968). "The Genus Rhynchopsilopa Hendel (Diptera: Ephydridae)". Ann. Natal Mus. 20 (1): 37–46. hdl:10520/AJA03040798_714.
↑ Junhua, Zhang; Yang, Ding; Mathis, Wayne (2012). "A review of the species of Rhynchopsilopa Hendel from China (Diptera, Ephydridae)". ZooKeys (216): 23–42. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.216.3224 . ISSN 1313-2970. PMC 3426893 . PMID 22936876.

External links

http://species-id.net/wiki/Rhynchopsilopa

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[:0-1] 1 2 Freidberg, A.; Mathis, W. N. (1985). "On the feeding habits of Rhynchopsilopa [Dip.: Ephydridae]". Entomophaga. 30 (1): 13–21. doi:10.1007/bf02372278. S2CID 40155932.

[2] Wirth, Willis W. (1968). "The Genus Rhynchopsilopa Hendel (Diptera: Ephydridae)". Ann. Natal Mus. 20 (1): 37–46. hdl:10520/AJA03040798_714.

[3] Junhua, Zhang; Yang, Ding; Mathis, Wayne (2012). "A review of the species of Rhynchopsilopa Hendel from China (Diptera, Ephydridae)". ZooKeys (216): 23–42. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.216.3224 . ISSN 1313-2970. PMC 3426893 . PMID 22936876.

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