''Syringogaster'' is a genus of small (4 to 6 mm)
ant-mimicking flies with a
petiolate
Petiole may refer to:
*Petiole (botany), the stalk of a leaf, attaching the blade to the stem
*Petiole (insect anatomy)
In entomology, petiole is the technical term for the narrow waist of some hymenopteran insects, especially ants, bees, a ...
abdomen
The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the torso. ...
, a long
prothorax, a swollen and spiny hind
femur
The femur (; ), or thigh bone, is the proximal bone of the hindlimb in tetrapod vertebrates. The head of the femur articulates with the acetabulum in the pelvic bone forming the hip joint, while the distal part of the femur articulates with ...
, and reduced head size and large eyes. There are 20 described extant species and two species known from
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...
amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects."Amber" (2004). In Ma ...
from the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
. It is the only genus in the family Syringogastridae.
Distribution
The genus ''Syringogaster'' are found in tropical areas of the
Neotropical region, with exception of the
Antilles
The Antilles (; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Antiy; es, Antillas; french: Antilles; nl, Antillen; ht, Antiy; pap, Antias; Jamaican Patois: ''Antiliiz'') is an archipelago bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the south and west, the Gulf of Mex ...
. Syringogastridae inhabit tropical forests.
Biology
Very little is known about the biology of Syringogastridae, and no
larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
The ...
e are known.
Classification
The descriptor Ezra Townsend Cresson placed his new genus in the family
Psilidae
then in 1969 Angelo Pires do Prado erected a new family (Syringogastridae) to contain the genus.
[Prado, A. P. do. 1969. Syringogastridae, uma nova familia de dipteros Acalyptratae, com a descricao de seis especies novas do genero Syringogaster Cresson. ''Studia Ent.'' (n.s.) 12:1-32.]
Species
*''
S. amazonensis''
Prado, 1969
*''
S. apiculata''
Marshall & Buck, 2009
*''
S. atricalyx''
Marshall & Buck, 2009
*''
S. brachypecta''
Marshall & Buck, 2009
*''
S. brunnea''
Cresson, 1912:
*''
S. brunneina''
Marshall & Buck, 2009
*''
S. carioca''
Prado, 1969
*''
S. craigi''
Grimaldi, 2009 (Fossil species)
*''
S. cressoni''
Prado, 1969
*''
S. dactylopleura''
Marshall & Buck, 2009
*''
S. figurata''
Marshall & Buck, 2009
*''
S. lanei''
Prado, 1969
*''
S. lopesi''
Prado, 1969
*''
S. miocenecus''
Grimaldi, 2009 (Fossil species)
*''
S. nigrithorax''
Marshall & Buck, 2009
*''
S. palenque''
Marshall & Buck, 2009
*''
S. papaveroi''
Prado, 1969
*''
S. plesioterga''
Marshall & Buck, 2009
*''
S. rufa''
Cresson, 1912
*''
S. sharkeyi''
Marshall & Buck, 2009
*''
S. subnearctica''
Feijen, 1989
*''
S. tenuipes''
Marshall & Buck, 2009
References
External links
Syringogaster at EOLimage
Diopsoidea genera
{{Diopsoidea-stub