Notes on the genus Chelipodozus Collin (Diptera: Empididae: Hemerodromiinae) with descriptions of seven new species from Chile

Abstract

The genus Chelipodozus Collin (Diptera: Empididae) is reviewed and Chelipodozus cinereus Collin is designated type species of the genus. Chelipodozus trauco sp. n., C. mapucheensis sp. n., C. luteothorax sp. n., C. chodlipang sp. n., C. chelipodiformis sp. n., C. australis sp. n. & C. araucariana sp. n. are described from Chile and the descriptions of C. cinereus Collin and C. ochraceus Collin are augmented. Definitions of the Chelipodini are discussed and although Chelipodozus is regarded as belonging to this tribe, the laterotergite is bare and interpreted as a reversal of the synapomorphic condition of Chelipodini in which setae are present. Pennate setae are present as secondary sexual characters on the legs of males of the new species. This morphology has not been noted previously in Hemerodromiinae and is interpreted as having an epigamic display function. It is argued that speciation has been driven primarily by mate recognition and sexual selection traits of the antenna and front leg rather than differentiation of genitalic characters. The genus has Andean biogeographic affinities with loci of endemism in the main Cordillera, Valdivian ranges and Magellanic sector.