The families Rachiceridae and Exeretonevridae are now considered xylophagids and are covered in this chapter. additionally, one unplaced species occurs in the regions covered here that was originally included in the Therevidae. Lyneborg (in litt.) confirms that it is a xylophagid and not a therevid. Further study will need to take place to ascertain its generic placement in the family.
Rachicerus is comprised of 66 species worldwide but is not known from Africa, Australia, Chile, or Argentina. Six species from the Papuan Subregion [New Guinea, New Britain, and Indonesia (Maluku)] are distinguished from typical Rachicerus by having vein M2 absent or rudimentary (Nagatomi 1985). The immatures of Rachicerus nitidus Johnson from North America are known to be predaceous, and are found in decayed tree trunks (Greene 1926).
The genus Exeretonevra is found only in the highland
areas of eastern Australia, from northern New South Wales south to Tasmania,
and contains 4 species. Although members of the family are usually poorly
represented in collections, they can be extremely common locally and are
usually found on fern fronds or clinging to grass stems. Their flight is
weak and slow and they appear reluctant to fly. Nothing is known of the
early stages.
Refs.: Nagatomi (1977, family relationships), Paramonov (1953e, key), Woodley (2011, world cat.).
Genus EXERETONEVRA Macquart
EXERETONEVRA Macquart, 1846: 233(105). Type species: Exeretonevra
maculipennis Macquart, 1846, mon.
EXERETONEURA, error for Exeretonevra.
angustifrons Hardy, 1924c: 458. Australia (Vic); Australia (NSW).
maculipennis Macquart, 1846: 234(106). Australia (Tas); Australia
(NSW).
tertia Paramonov, 1953e: 250. Australia (Vic); Australia (NSW).
zentae Paramonov, 1953e: 251. Australia (NSW).
Genus RACHICERUS Walker
RACHICERUS Walker, 1848: 124. Nomen nudum.
RACHICERUS Walker, 1854: 103. Type species: Rachicerus fulvicollis Walker, 1854, mon.
RHYPHOMORPHA Walker, 1861d: 275. Type species: Rhyphomorpha bilinea Walker, 1861, mon.
RHACHICERUS, error for Rachicerus.
bilineus Walker, 1861d: 275 (Rhyphomorpha). Indonesia (Maluku).
fluidus Nagatomi, 1970: 437. PNG (PNG).
samuelsoni Nagatomi, 1982b: 45. PNG (PNG).
steffani Nagatomi, 1982b: 46. PNG (PNG).
tenuiculus Nagatomi, 1970: 457. PNG (Bismarck Arch).
tenuis Nagatomi, 1970: 458. Indonesia (Irian Jaya).
This page last revised 30 April 2008