Terphis species from Africa by various authors (not Erichson, 1840).

Type species: Terphis acroceroides Sabrosky (1950), by present designation.

Description: Small flies (3-6 mm.), black or brown with distinct yellow or light brown markings. Head small, higher than long; eyes holoptic above and below antannae, apilose; antennae three-segmented, short, inserted on ventral forward margin of head: segment I hardly discernable underneath antennal tubercle, segment II round, short, covered with short pubescence; segment III swollen basally, extending into thin apical style from once to twice as long as base, ending without or with one to four short setae; two distinct sensoria present on swollen base of segment Ill; antennal tubercle small, weakly or strongly protruding out and over base of antennal segment I, shiny and bare, or with few long setae present on lateral ventral margin; frons inconspicuous, not projecting; postclypeus small hardly projecting below occipital margin; mouth parts small, only a short blunt rostrum visible; ocellar tubercle flat or somewhat raised laterally, with or without median ocellus, but lateral ocellus visible; occiput rugose, broad and swollen above, with distinct median depression behind ocellar tubercle.

Thorax rugose with large irregular depressions most common on prothoracic lobes and on anterior part of mesonoturn; prothoracic lobes come close together behind head, but do not join, a deep groove which separates them continues back onto mesonotum; postscutellum visible under scutellum, but not greatly swollen; squama large, higher than head height, joined to thorax along upper 2/3 of anterior margin; legs short, slender; three pulvilli present; wing long, thin, weakly veined except along anterior margin; vein R 2+ 3 reaches margin well before apex, no longitudinal veins beyond R 2+ 3 reach wing margin, even R 4+ 5 and M 1 only distinct basally (venation as given in Schlinger, 1960a, fig. 24, for Terphis gertschi Sch.).

Abdomen short, inflated, dorsum smooth or incisures present between segments; sternum flat or slightly convex, sternites separated from tergites; spiracles present in tergites II-VI, but apparently functional only in ll-IV; genitalia small, mostly concealed under caudal tergites.

Distribution: The genus is now known only from Africa: Belgian Congo, Cape Province Southern Rhodesia and Portuguese East Africa.

The two included species in AJricaterphis can be separated as follows:

Mesonotum black with some indication or distinct yellow vittae starting behind prothoracic lobes and running to scutellum.... acroceroides (Sabrosky)

Mesonotum black with brown spot behind prothoracic lobe.. gertschi (Schlinger)