Phylloclusia steleocera

Introduction

Phylloclusia steleocera Hendel from Taiwan is currently the only described species in the genus, but we have found a number of undescribed species from Taiwan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

Behaviour and habitat information is unknown for this genus.

Characteristics

Phylloclusia is a relatively thin and elongate clusiine genus (4.8-5.3 mm) with a slender abdomen, a bulging postpronotum, and frequently a laterally compressed arista (paralleled in the European Hendelia beckeri Czerny), yellow bristles, a reduced anterior dorsocentral, and an attenuating frons. Like other Clusiinae, Phylloclusia also has an inclinate anterior fronto-orbital bristle, a small ratio of the length of the ultimate section of vein M to the penultimate, outstanding bristles on the posterodorsal surface of the fore femur, a jointed distiphallus (entire and bent in some genera), and a posteromedial truncate notch on the vertex (Lonsdale & Marshall in press).

Phylogenetics

Phylloclusia is the sister-group to Tetrameringia McAlpine within the Clusiinae, defined (in part) by dorsocentral bristles that are closely spaced near the posterior margin of the scutum, an absence of the subnotal stripe, one row of short ctenidial bristles along posteroventral margins of fore and mid femora, and very characteristic genitalia.

A revision of this genus is currently being prepared (Lonsdale & Marshall, in manuscript).

References

Lonsdale, O & Marshall, S.A. In press, a. Redefinition of the Clusiinae and Clusiodinae, description of the new subfamily Sobarocephalinae, revision of the genus Chaetoclusia and a description of Procerosoma gen. nov. (Diptera: Clusiidae). European Journal of Entomology.