Belonalys Kröber

Belonalys Kröber, 1912a: 124. Type species: Belonalys obscura Kröber, 1912a: 125.

Could be confused with: Laxotela.

Systematic grouping: Agapophytinae.

Diagnosis: Body covered with distinctive light brown-grey pruinescence; antennal base positioned low on frons, shorter than head length; scape slightly longer than pedicel; flagellum short, conical-shaped; frons flat, single narrow, concave band across middle of frons; frons wider than ocellar tubercle in both sexes, slightly narrower in male; occiput concave and depressed, easily visible dorsally; wing cell m3 open; velutum patches on hind and forefemora; anteroventral apical seta not present on hind femur; gonocoxites elongate; velutum at base of ventral lobe and along medial edge of gonocoxite; tergite 8 greatly emarginate medially; distiphallus ornately shaped, strong setae present apically or laterally; dorsal apodeme of parameral sheath well sclerotised, T-shaped; base of spermathecal sac duct thickened, narrow over much of length; spermathecal sac simple, outer reticulated lobes present; three spermathecae.

Distribution: Belonalys obscura is distributed throughout south-eastern New South Wales, while B. occulta is known only from Tasmania.

Comments: Belonalys the only agapophytine genus besides Laxotela that has wing cell m3 open. A highly autapomorphic genus with two very similarly coloured species. Spot characters to look for when identifying this genus include velutum patches on the fore and hind femora, wing cell m3 open, distinctive occiput shape, and a single poorly defined row of postocular setae.

Included species: B. obscura Kröber, B. occulta (White).

Relevant literature:
Kröber, O. (1912a) Die Thereviden der indoaustralischen Region. (Dipt). [part]. Entomologische Mitteilungen, 1, 116-125.

White, A. (1915) The Diptera-Brachycera of Tasmania. Part II. Families Tabanidae and Therevidae. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania, 1915, 2-60.

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.

Belonalys obscura Kröber (male habitus and heads). Image copyright: Blackwells Publishing, S.L.Winterton.

Belonalys spp. (male). Image copyright: Blackwells Publishing, S.L.Winterton.

Belonalys obscura Kröber (heads). Image copyright: S.L.Winterton.

Belonalys occulta (White) (male and female). Image copyright: S.L.Winterton.

Belonalys obscura Kröber, male (bottom) & female (top). Image copyright: C.L. Lambkin, CSIRO.