Phellinae sensu Dikow 2009a

Phellus olgae , image © Eileen Collins.

Phellinae

  • Obelophorus, Phellus
  • Autapomorphies: None.
  • Additional apomorphic character states:
    – maxillae (in lateral view) proximally high and distal tip narrower (28)
    – ocellar setae formed by regular setae (no macrosetae) (63)
    – postocular setae formed by regular setae (no macrosetae) (66)
    – three or more notopleural setae present (88)
    – stump vein on R4 (not reaching R2+3) (146)
    – M2 and m-m aligned in a line from distal to proximal (nearly parallel to posterior wing margin) (150)
    – female with 7th and following segments comprising ovipositor (167)
    – female S8 of ovipositor keel-like throughout (170)
    – male ejaculatory apodeme triangular in anterior view (two lateral and one dorsal surface) (220)
  • Notes:
    The taxon Phellini was described by Hardy (1926) to include the three Australian genera Bathypogon, Phellus, and Psilozona. Hull (1962) transferred the Chilean genus Obelophorus into Phellini and Artigas & Papavero (1991) transferred Bathypogon to the newly described Bathypogonini. The two genera Obelophorus and Phellus form a clade in the cladistic study by Dikow (2009) supported by a number of apomorphic character states and are recognised therefore as a separate taxon, which is biogeographically interesting as the extant representatives are found only in Australia and Chile.