Asymphyloptera is a genus of Empidid fly that belongs to the subfamily Clinocerinae. The can be found distributed across the New World and the Australasian region.

Distribution Members of this genus can be found distributed across the New World and in the Australasian region. In the New World, they can be found in Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Costa Rica, Dominica and the United States. In the Australasian region, they can be found in Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia and Norfolk Island.

Taxonomy

Taxonomic history The taxonomic history of Asymphyloptera begins with this genus being created in 1933 by James Edward Collin, a English entomologist that specializes in Dipteran taxonomy. The type species for this genus is Asymphyloptera discrepans. This genus along with Afroclinocera and Proagomyia were initially thought to be a sister group to other Clinocerinae genera. However a study by (Vojvoda Zeljko et al, 2024) has raised doubts on the placement of Asymphyloptera within Clinocerinae.

Records of Asymphyloptera were originally restricted to type specimens. This was until (Sinclair, 1995) where several specimens of undescribed species were collected in Arizona, Costa Rica and Venezuela. Then seven new species from the New World, mostly from South America, was described by (Sinclair, 2015), they were; A. cajanuma (Ecuador), A. chilensis (Chile), A. chiricahua (Arizona), A. dominica (Dominica), A. havasu (Arizona), A. lutea (Costa Rica) and A. mexicana (Mexico). Then in 2023, two members of this genus were discovered; A. miraflorensis and A. tama.

Species There are currently 12 described species discovered to belong to this genus. They are listed below: Asymphyloptera andinoamazonica Ramos-Pastrana & Córdoba-Suarez, 2026 Asymphyloptera discrepans Collin, 1933 Asymphyloptera cajanuma Sinclair, 2015 Asymphyloptera chilensis Sinclair, 2015 Asymphyloptera chiricahua Sinclair, 2015 Asymphyloptera dominica Sinclair, 2015 Asymphyloptera havasu Sinclair, 2015 Asymphyloptera lutea Sinclair, 2015 Asymphyloptera mexicana Sinclair, 2015 Asymphyloptera miraflorensis Yardany Ramos-Pastrana et al. 2023 Asymphyloptera tama Yardany Ramos-Pastrana et al. 2023 Asymphyloptera quadriseta Smith, 1961

References