Ceratophya

Ceratophya is a genus of hoverflies, with five known species. They are distinct from Microdon by the presence of an appendix on vein R4+5. Many species have erroneously been placed in this genus. Some authors place Ceratophya as a subgenus of Microdon.

Body length: 7–9 mm. Relatively small, black and yellow flies with long antennae and oval abdomen. Face in profile straight, with anterior oral margin somewhat produced ventrad; laterally depressed, therefore slightly carinate medially; somewhat wider than an eye. Lateral oral margins not produced. Vertex flat. Occiput narrow ventrally, slightly widened dorsally. Eye bare. Eyes in male not approaching each other, eye margins parallel; mutual distance much larger than width of antennal fossa. Antennal fossa about as high as wide. Antenna longer than distance between antennal fossa and anterior oral margin; basoflagellomere longer than scape; elongate, oval. Postpronotum pilose. Anepisternum with shallow sulcus; entirely short pilose, except bare on ventral 1/4. Anepimeron entirely pilose. Katepimeron weakly convex; bare. Scutellum semicircular or apicomedially sulcate; without calcars. Wing: vein R4+5 with posterior appendix; vein M1 perpendicular to vein R4+5 and vein M. Legs: hind tibia somewhat swollen; hind metatarsus enlarged, quadrate, sometimes with strong basoventral tooth. Abdomen with tergite 4 in lateral view more or less perpendicular to tergite 2. Tergites 3 and 4 not fused, able to articulate independently; in female with posterior margin of tergite 3 strongly overlapping tergite 4. Male genitalia: phallus strongly bent dorsally, furcate basally, with ejaculatory hood dorsally strongly elongate and thus forming a third process about equally long as two aedeagal processes; epandrium with ventrolateral ridges.

Described species: 4. Description of one additional species from Argentina is in preparation by the first author. Known from Central and South America (Panama to northern Argentina).