Taxonomy
This page represents the following TreeOfLife-200M taxonomic path.[1]
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Diptera
- Family: Celyphidae
- Genus: Atopocelyphus
- Species: Atopocelyphus ruficollis
Visual Description
Atopocelyphus ruficollis is a member of the family Celyphidae, commonly known as beetle flies. While specific morphological traits are difficult to resolve from the available dataset images, the species is characterized by its distinct, beetle-like appearance, which is typical of the family.[1]
Biology and Distribution
Atopocelyphus ruficollis (Macquart, 1844) is the only known species of the family Celyphidae in the Neotropical region.[2] Historically recorded in French Guiana, it has also been documented in Brazil (Amapá state, near Oyapock).
The species is considered rare, with few specimens found in scientific collections. Recent observations in well-preserved forest habitats near streams suggest that adults may be active throughout the year.
Morphology
Morphological studies of A. ruficollis have detailed the terminalia and egg structure:
- Male terminalia: Abdominal tergites 5 and 6 are dorsally creased midlongitudinally, each with a triangular median notch on the anterior and posterior margins. Tergites and sternites 7 and 8 are fused into a closed ring (syntergosternite 7 + 8). The epandrium is subquadrate and forms a complete ring with short, setulose, articulated surstyli. The hypandrium is a thin, complete ring, the postgonite is short and comma-shaped, the subepandrial sclerite is U-shaped, and the phallus contains six thin ejaculatory ducts.
- Female terminalia: Sternite 8 is enlarged, convex, and canoe-shaped. The epiproct, hypoproct, and cerci are smaller and distinctly setose. There are three brown, globular spermathecae.
- Eggs: Ovoid, white, and approximately 0.88 mm in length. The anterior end features a distinct tubercle shielding the apical micropyle, while the posterior end has a knob-like swelling. The chorion exhibits four longitudinal ridges with fine transverse striations between them on one half, and a pair of less conspicuous longitudinal ridges on the other.