Strongylophthalmyiids are an infrequently encountered group of small
dark-colored, thin-bodied acalyptrate flies related to the Psilidae, Tanypezidae,
and Micropezidae. Their family status has been debated. Griffiths (1972),
Cogan (1980a), and D.K. McAlpine (in litt.) refer Strongylophthalmyia to the Tanypezidae; however, I here follow recent treatments (e.g., Steyskal
1987) in retaining separate family status for this monogeneric family pending
a phylogenetic analysis of it and related families.
The biology of these flies is poorly known. Krivosheina (1981) records larvae
from under bark in the USSR, and unpublished collecting records from New
Guinea show them to mimic the behavior of ants with which they were collected
on banana leaves. They have also been collected from leaves of Alocasia in Australia.
The family is comprised of two genera: Strongylophthalymia (54 spp.)
and Nartshukia Shatalkin (1 sp.). These flies are most commonly found
in the southeastern Oriental Region (less commonly in the Palearctic Region),
but unpublished records show that many species occur also throughout Melanesia
and Australia to Fiji. Four species
in the genus Strongylophthalmyia are recorded from the regions covered
here, though many more undescribed species are known from both New Guinea
and Australia.
Ref.: Steyskal (1971a, key world spp.), Cogan (1980a, cat. Afrotrop. sp.), Iwasa & Evenhuis (2014, PNG, world checklist).
STRONGYLOPHTHALMUS Hendel, 1902: 179. Type species: Chyliza
ustulata Zetterstedt, 1847, orig. des. [Preocc. Mannerheim, 1853.]
STRONGYLOPHTHALMYIA Heller, 1902: 226 (n. n. for Strongylophthalmus).
LABROPSILA de Meijere, 1914b: 241. Type species: Labropsila polita de Meijere, 1914, des. Hennig, 1941: 36.
fascipes Walker, 1860a: 163 (Sepsis). Indonesia (Sulawesi);
Indonesia (Irian Jaya), PNG (PNG).
gigantica Iwasa & Evenhuis, 2014: 97. PNG (PNG).
immaculata Hennig, 1940: 309. Taiwan; Fiji, Indonesia
(Maluku), Malaysia (Pen).
lutea de Meijere, 1914b: 244 (Labropsila). Indonesia (Java);
PNG (Bismarck Arch, PNG), Solomon Is.
nigriventris Frey, 1928b: 101 (lutea var.). Philippines; PNG
(PNG); Malaysia (Sarawak).
papuana Iwasa & Evenhuis, 2014: 98. PNG (PNG).
puncticollis Frey, 1928: 102. Philippines; PNG (PNG)
rubella Iwasa & Evenhuis, 2014: 99. PNG (PNG).
sedlaceki Iwasa & Evenhuis, 2014: 100. PNG (PNG).
shatalkini Iwasa & Evenhuis, 2014: 101. PNG (PNG).
This page last revised 8 April 2016