PHYLOGENY AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE GENUS SCATOPHILA BECKER (DIPTERA,EPHYDRIDAE)

The phylogeny of the tribe Scatellini and the relationships between ge nera related to Philotelma (Limnellia, Scatophila, Philotelma and Taur omima) are discussed. In this group, the lateral portions of the hypan drium are fused to the gonites and are separated from the central port ion. The latter structure is termed the ''neohypandrium''. The genus S catophila, sensu late, also includes species with two fronto-orbital s etae. Based on a reconstructed phylogeny of the genus, the first class ification is proposed. Scatophila is divided into nine species groups : the primitive, andica, avida, despecta, contaminata, mesogramma, tro pical, noctula and quadriguttata groups. The ancestors of the genus or iginated presumably in South America, and some lineages migrated to ot her regions. Two species are resurrected from synonymy (Scatophila pum ilio (Loew) and S. variabilis Cresson), S. striata (Walker) is a junio r synonym of S. cribrata (Stenhammar; Limnellia minima Canzoneri and M eneghini is transferred to Scatophila).