Fronto-orbital plate completely brown to dark brown [Fig. 22]; ocular tubercle mostly polished; kathepisternum mostly. Fore coxa yellow, fore femora yellowish, fore tibia brown, fore tarsus entirely brown to dark brown; middle of coxa brown to black, middle of femur brown, middle of tibia yellowish, middle of tarsus mostly or entirely yellowish, apical and subapical tarsomere brownish to dark brown; hind coxa yellow, hind femur brown, hind tibia brown to dark brown, hind tarsus mostly or entirely yellowish, apical tarsomere brown to black. Fore coxa yellow, fore femora yellowish, fore tibia brown, fore tarsus entirely brown to dark brown; middle of coxa brown to black, middle of femur yellowish, middle of tibia yellowish, middle of tarsus yellowish, apical and subapical tarsomere brownish to dark brown; hind coxa yellow, hind femur yellow, hind tibia basally dark, apically yellow, hind tarsus yellowish, apical tarsomere brown.
Fore coxa brown to black; fore femora brown; fore tibia brown; for tarsus completely brown to dark brown;. Fore coxa yellow, fore femur yellowish (tip brown), fore tibia brown, fore tarsus entirely brown to dark brown; mid coxa brown to black, mid femora brown, mid tibia yellowish, mid tarsus yellowish, apical and subapical tarsomeres brownish to dark brown; hind coxa yellow, hind femora brown, hind tibia brown to dark brown, hind tarsus yellowish, apical tarsomeres brown to black. Scutellum dull microtomentose; postpronotum concolor with mesonotum, mostly polished; anepisternum polished; katepisternum subshiny to matte; halter mostly brown to dark brown.
Fore coxa yellow, fore femur yellowish, fore tibia yellowish, fore tarsus brown to dark brown, basal tarsomere yellow; Fore coxa yellow, fore femora yellowish, fore tibia yellowish, fore tarsus yellowish, apical and sometimes subapical tarsomeres brown to black; mid coxa yellow, mid femur yellowish or dark brown to black apically, yellowish basally, mid tibia yellowish, mid tarsus mostly yellowish; Fore coxa yellow, fore femora yellowish, with brown apex in some specimens; fore tibia mostly brown (base yellowish), fore tarsus with basal tarsomere yellowish, remaining tarsomeres suffused with brown or brown to black (apically and subapically); middle of coxa yellow, middle of femur yellowish (tip darkened), middle of tibia yellowish, middle of tarsus yellowish, apical and subapical tarsomere brown to dark brown; hind coxa yellow, hind femur yellow on basal part, apical part dark (1/2), hind tibia yellowish, hind tarsus yellowish, apical tarsomere brown to black.
Scutum largely devoid of microtomentum; scutellum dull posteriorly, anterior part shiny (dull along apical margin); postpronotum concolorous with mesonotum, usually polished; halter usually white, or usually brown to dark brown. Anterior coxa brown to black, anterior femur brown to black, apex yellowish, anterior tibia yellowish (basal brown drenched), anterior tarsus yellowish, apical and sometimes subapical tarsomeres brown to black; mid coxa brown to black, mid femur brown to black, apex yellowish, mid tibia yellowish (brown drenched on basal portion), mid tarsus mostly yellowish; Anterior coxa yellow, anterior femur yellowish, anterior tibia yellowish, anterior tarsus yellowish, apical and sometimes subapical tarsomeres brown to black; mid coxa yellow, mid femur yellowish (in some specimens the tip is saturated), mid tibia yellowish, mid tarsus yellowish, apical and subapical tarsomer brown to dark brown; posterior coxa yellow, posterior femur yellow on basal portion, apical portion dark (apical 1/3 drenched to black), posterior tibia yellowish, posterior tarsus yellowish, apical tarsomer brown to black.
Fore coxa brown to black, fore thigh brown to black, vertex often yellow; before tibia brown of. Fore coxa brown to black, fore femur brown to black, fore tibia brown to black; front tarsus yellow,. Fore coxa brown to black, fore femur brown, fore tibia brown, fore tarsus yellow, apical and sometimes subapical tarsomeres brown to black; mid coxa brown to black, mid femur brown (base and apex yellow), mid tibia yellow, mid tarsus mostly yellow; hind coxa yellow, hind femur brown to black in central part, apex and base yellow (base yellow), hind tibia brown to dark brown, hind tarsus yellow, apical tarsomere brown to black .
Frons shiny, microtomentum absent behind fronto-orbital setae; belly entirely dark brown to black;. Fore coxa brown to black, fore head brown to black, vertex yellow, fore tibia brown, fore tarsus yellow, apical and sometimes FIGURE 187. FIGURE 187. Fore coxa brown to black, fore of brown femur (yellow tip); fore tibia yellow (tip and sometimes base dark), fore tarsi yellow, apical and sometimes subapical tarsomeres brown to black (apical and subapical); mid-coxa brown to black, mid-femur brown to black, tip yellow, mid-tibia yellow centrally, tip and base brown (tip, and sometimes base brown), mid-tarsus in yellow-brown; hind thigh brown to black, apex yellow, hind tibia mostly yellow, base and apex infuscate with brown, hind tarsus yellow, apical tarsomere brown to black (apical and subapical).
Fore coxa brown to black; mid coxa brown to black, mid femora brown, mid tarsus yellowish, apical and subapical tarsomeres brownish to dark brown; mid coxa brown, mid femora brown, mid tarsus yellowish; hind legs missing in the holotype.
Several modifications of the hind legs support the monophyly of a clade that includes the ecuadoriensis, femorata, and minuta groups. Such unique modifications of the hind femur are not present in closely related groups outside the Aulacigastridae. An additional synapomorphy for the femorata group that is only present under DELTRAN optimization is the microtomentose covering i.
To what extent the complete reduction of ocellar bristles and the narrowing of the body are related in these two groups cannot yet be determined with certainty. However, we know that reduction of ocular setae is widespread in closely related groups that do not have a dorsoventrally compressed body, and dorsoventrally compressed species of Neurochatetidae have long ocellar setae. The minuta group is unique due to the dark brown structure on the ventral part of the gonopods (character FIGURE 202.
Species of this group are also extremely small and vulnerable, a condition very different from that of the ecuadoriesis group. Although this contribution has greatly increased the number of known species of Aulacigaster and increased our knowledge of the distribution of the genus worldwide, we believe that much more remains to be collected to reveal the distribution patterns of the different species groups, especially in the Neotropical region. Of the seven Neotropical species groups recognized in this study, only one, the Bromeliae group, is reported from the southern part of South America, and with the exception of a few scattered specimens collected in Rondônia (in the border with Bolivia), the ecuadoriensis, the femorata and the plesiomorphica groups are unknown from Brazil or anywhere south of Bolivia.
Systematics of the family Aulacigastridae.” In Fourth International Congress of Dipterology, Abstracts, 6–13. September 1998, Oxford, UK, ed. A preliminary cladistic analysis of the family Aulacigastridae sensu lato (Diptera, Cyclorrhapha).” In 17th Willi Hennig Society Meeting, abstracts, São Paulo, Brazil, 21–25 September 1998. Flies of the family Drosophilidae of the District of Columbia region, with keys to genera and other notes for general use.
Family Aulacigastridae.” In A Catalog of the Diptera of the Americas South of the United States, ed. Family Aulacigastridae.” In Contributions to a Manual of Palaearctic Diptera (With Special Reference to Flies of Economic Importance), Higher Brachycera, ed. Description of the immature and adult female stages of Aulacigaster africana, the first known Afrotropical Aulacigastridae (Diptera: Schizophora).
