Dolichopodidae Agassiz 1846

Dolichopodidae s.str.

The Dolichopodidae s.str. currently comprise 245 genera and some 6900 species worldwide (Grichanov 2006). Ulrich (2003) recognised this lineage at the rank of subfamily, because of the inclusion of the microphorids in the Dolichopodidae, and reduced the rank of the included conventional subfamilies to tribal level (without naming them). The group is very well defined on the basis of several synapomorphies associated with the antennae, mouthparts, wing, abdomen and male terminalia. The Dolichopodidae s.str. are most easily identified however, on the basis of their metallic or yellow body color, narrow wings, costa ending at M 1, Sc very short ending in vein R 1, cell dm emitting two veins, and cells bm and dm fused (Chvála 1983; Robinson & Vockeroth 1981). The following 15 subfamilies are currently recognized in the Dolichopodidae s.str.: Achalcinae, Babindellinae, Diaphorinae, Dolichopodinae, Enliniinae, Hydrophorinae, Medeterinae, Neurigoninae, Peloropeodinae, Plagioneurinae, Rhaphiinae, Sciapodinae, Stolidosomatinae, Sympycninae, and Xanthochlorinae (Bickel 1987; Pollet et al. 2004). A few authors have further subdivided certain dolichopodid subfamilies into tribes (e.g., Negrobov 1986 for Diaphorinae, Dolichopodinae, Hydrophorinae, Medeterinae, and Sympycninae; Naglis 2001, 2002a, b, 2003a,b for Neurigoninae). Brooks (2005b) has recently reviewed the various higher classification schemes that have been proposed for the Dolichopodidae s.str.