A review of the Rhinophoridae (Diptera), and a revision of the Afrotropical species R. W. Crosskey Department of Entomology, British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD Contents Synopsis 1 Introduction 1 Materials and methods 2 Family status and recognition 3 Characteristics of Rhinophoridae and family limits 10 Taxonomic characters and generic classification 15 Systematic treatment of the Afrotropical fauna 17 Composition and distribution of the fauna 17 Key to genera 18 Genus Ventrops gen. n 20 Genus Melanomyoides gen. n 23 Genus Rhinomorinia Brauer & Bergenstamm 25 Genus Phyto Robineau-Desvoidy 39 Genus Queximyia gen. n 45 Genus Comoromyia gen. n 46 Genus Stevenia Robineau-Desvoidy 48 Genus Melanophora Meigen 50 Genus Parazamimus Verbeke 51 Genus Bequaertiana Curran 53 Alphabetical check-list of the Afrotropical fauna 57 Brief review of Oriental Rhinophoridae 57 Acknowledgements 62 References 62 Index 65 Synopsis The paper provides the first comprehensive account of Afrotropical Rhinophoridae, of which 10 genera and 23 species are recognized, described and keyed (including four new genera and 1 3 new species). The Rhinophoridae are characterized on a world basis, and the family status and generic classification of the group discussed. The small Oriental fauna is briefly reviewed and keyed. It is emphasized that there are no Afrotropical host records but that elsewhere the rhinophorids are of great biological interest because of their unique habit of parasitizing terrestrial isopods (woodlice). The taxonomic treatment includes five new generic synonyms, one new specific synonym and six new combinations. Introduction The family Rhinophoridae is a taxonomic waif, neglected by professional and amateur dipterists alike. This is a pity, because despite the unexciting appearance of the adult flies the family is potentially of great biological interest as it appears to contain the only Diptera known to para-sitize Crustacea.* Thompson (1934), in a paper that is a classic of diptero-parasitology, definitively * But commensal and phpretic relationships between Diptera and Crustacea are well known, such as those between some African simuliids and river-crabs and prawns; and the unexplained but probably accidental occur-rence of ephydrid-like larvae in the branchial chambers of land-crabs has been reported (Keilin, 1921). Bull. Br. Mus. not. Hist. (Ent.) 36 (1): 1-66 Issued 29 September 1977
BioStor
