The West-Palaearctic species of the pipunculid generaCephalopsandBeckerias(Diptera): classification, phylogeny and geographical distribution

Abstract

The West-Palaearctic species of Cephalops and Beckerias are revised. Sixteen species are recognized including one new species: Cephalops grandimembranus sp. n. C. oberon is considered a junior synonym of C. signatus (Becker); and C. curtifrons Coe a junior synonym of Beckerias pannonicus (Aczél). Pipunculus imperfectus (Becker), previously considered as a Cephalops sp., is now placed in the genus Eudorylas. A phenetic and cladistic analysis was performed and the following groups are recognized in the genus: the Cephalosphaera group: C. furcatus (Egger) and C. germanicus (Aczél); the aeneus group: C. aeneus (Fallén) and C. vittipes (Zetterstedt); the semifumosus group: C. semifumosus (Kowarz), C. ultimus (Becker), C. subultimus Collin, C. perspecuus (de Meijere), C. signatus (Becker), C. chlorionae (Frey) and C. grandimembranus sp. n., with C. carinatus (Verrall) in a separate subgroup. Monospecific groups are C. obtusinervis (Zetterstedt) and C. vestitus (Becker). No material of C. seminitidus (Becker) was examined, and only the holotype of C. conjunctivus Collin, was studied. Their phylogenetic relationship is not discussed. Beckerias Aczél is considered to be closely related to Cephalops but is still treated as a separate genus until the phylogeny of the pipunculid genera is better understood. A key and diagnostic descriptions are given for all species. The male and female terminalia and other taxonomically significant structures are illustrated. The geographical distribution known as far is given.