Acraspisa obscuripes Mann (female). Image copyright: A.O'Toole.

Acraspisa Kröber

Acraspisa Kröber, 1912f: 238, 286. Type species: Acraspisa trifasciata Kröber, 1912f: 286.
Pseudoloxocera Kröber, 1912f: 286. Type species: Pseudoloxocera pallipes Kröber, 1912f: 287.
Stratiobelonalys Frey, 1934: 309. Type species: Stratiobelonalys handschini Frey, 1934.

Could be confused with: Parapsilocephala, Acraspisoides, Patanothrix.

Systematic grouping: Agapophytinae.

Diagnosis: Body size relatively small; antenna positioned low on frons; antenna shorter than head length; male occiput concave with single row of postocular setae; female occiput convex with multiple, poorly defined rows of postocular setae; scutellum often dorsally acuminate; wing cell m3 closed; anteroventral apical seta absent, fore and hind femora with velutum patches; medial atrium absent; gonocoxite with velutum barely evident; three spermatheca; spermathecal sac simple, spherical.

Distribution: Australia, Indonesia.

Comments: Acraspisa is a genus of relatively small sized therevids, often with a characteristic acuminate scutellum. There are presently seven described species, but at least 80 undescribed species are present collections. Adults often mimic ants in their walking behaviour. Spot characters to look for when identifying this genus include their relative small body size, acuminate scutellum (usually), flat frons, antennae pointing anterior ventrally and positioned low on the head, reduced velutum on the gonocoxites and 'T'-shaped dorsal apodeme.

Included species: A. handschini (Frey), A. nigrinota Mann, A. obscuripes Mann, A. pallipes (Kröber), A. parva (Mann), A. similis Hardy, A. trifasciata Kröber.

Relevant literature:
Frey, R. (1934) Diptera Brachycera von den Sunda-Inseln und Nord-Australien. Revue Suisse de Zoologie, 41, 299-339.

Kröber, O. (1912f) Die Thereviden der indoaustralischen Region. (Dipt). [concl.]. Entomologische Mitteilungen, 1, 282-287.

Mann, J.S. (1929) Revisional notes on Australian Therevidae. Part 2. Australian Zoologist, 6, 17-49.

Mann, J.S. (1933) Revisional notes on Australian Therevidae. Part 3. Australian Zoologist, 7, 325-344.

Winterton, S.L., Yang, L., Wiegmann, B.M. & Yeates, D.K. (2001) Phylogenetic revision of Agapophytinae subf. n. (Diptera: Therevidae) based on molecular and morphological evidence. Systematic Entomology 26: 173- 211.