Neotype male, Baltic amber (#DB 10-12) (CAS).

Body shape arched; colouration non-metallic brown-black; head spherical, size slightly smaller than thorax width; eye bare; male frons narrowed; eyes contiguous above and below antennal base; posterior margin of eye rounded; proboscis length greater than head length; position of antenna in middle of frons; flagellum shape stylate; palpus present; thorax with postpronotal lobes enlarged, medially contiguous to form collar; legs not greatly elongated, tibial spines absent; pulvilli present; subscutellum slightly enlarged; wing hyaline, markings absent; costa ending in radial field; costal margin straight in both sexes; humeral crossvein present; alula well developed; anal lobe not enlarged; R2+3 present; R4+5 present as single vein; radial veins meeting wing margin before wing apex; cell r4+5 bisected by crossvein 2r-m, narrow elongate; discal cell present, closed apically; medial veins M1, M2 and M3 present; medial veins tapered and faint towards margin; cell m3 absent; CuA1 joining M3 and petiolate, not reaching wing margin; CuA2 fused to A1, not reaching wing margin, petiolate; abdomen smooth, shape rounded, cylindrical, similar width to thorax.

The above diagnosis is based on a neotype male of Eulonchiella eocenica Meunier deposited in the Poinar collection (#DB 10-12) (to be ultimately housed in CAS). Hennig (1966) discussed this monotypic genus based on drawings by Meunier (1910) and a drawing provided by Frank Hull (published in Hennig 1966) before the type was destroyed. The enlarged abdomen in the drawing by Hull indicates that the original type was a female. The specimen examined herein is a male based on the narrower abdomen, despite the genitalia being obscured by an opaque mass. Like many Baltic Amber taxa, Eulonchiella is closely related to a group of Afrotropical genera including Dimacrocolus, Parahelle and Thyllis (Hennig 1966), all with relatively complete wing venation. Eulonchiella can be differentiated from all other Philopotinae genera by the legs not being elongate, eyes not pilose, wing venation relatively complete, proboscis elongate and palpi being present.

Quasi fisheri sp. n.

Body shape arched; colouration non-metallic pale brown; head width slightly smaller than thorax width; shape hemispherical; postocular ridge and occiput rounded; posterior margin of eye rounded; eyes bare; three ocelli present, medial ocellus slightly smaller; position of antennae on head nearer to mouthparts; eyes contiguous above antennal base, not contiguous below; palpi absent; proboscis much shorter than head length; flagellum shape stylate, apex with terminal seta; thorax with postpronotal lobes enlarged, medially contiguous to form collar; subscutellum not enlarged, barely visible; legs with tibial spines absent; pulvilli present; legs not greatly elongated; wing hyaline, markings absent; costa ending in radial field; costal margin straight; humeral crossvein absent; radial veins meeting wing margin before wing apex; R1 slightly inflated distally at pterostigma; R2+3 present, reaching wing margin; R4+5 present as very short, single vein, not reaching wing margin; medial vein compliment with only one M vein present; discal cell absent; medial vein very short, not reaching wing margin; cell m3 absent; crossvein 2r-m absent; Cu reduced, not reaching wing margin; anal lobe not enlarged; alula well developed; abdomen smooth, shape rounded, cylindrical, similar width to thorax.

Derived from Latin quasi, appearing as if resembling; referring to the likeness of this species to members of Terphis.

This genus is represented by only a single species Quasi fisheri sp. n. from Veracruz, Mexico. It is closely related to Terphis and Philopota based on reduction in wing veins. The position of the antennae, proximate to the reduced mouthparts, reduced wing venation and absence of abdominal tubercles readily differentiates this genus from all other philopotine genera.

Holotype male, MEXICO: Veracruz: Córdoba, 12-25.vii.1964, E. Fisher, D. Verity [18.896, -96.923] (CSCA).

Medium body size (male body: 6.0 mm), male wing almost as long as the body (male wing: 5.3 mm); Head. Eyes, antennae, face and occiput brown, occiput as narrow as the ocellar tubercle, ocelli brown, antennal tubercle brown and smaller than pedicel. Thorax. Postpronotal lobes, mesothorax, scutellum, subscutellum and coxae light brown with darker longitudinal markings, legs and lower calypter yellowish brown, pulvilli yellow, tarsal claws black, haltere yellow, wing hyaline with yellow veins. Abdomen. Tergites brown, with lateral margins yellow, sternites dark brown.

Male genitalia. The genitalia were not dissected because the holotype is the only specimen available. Genitalic dissection is not necessary to diagnose the genus, since it can be differentiated based on external characters.

This species is named in honor of Eric Fisher, the collector of the only known specimen of this unusual species.

Schlingeriella irwini sp. n.

Body shape arched; colouration non-metallic dark brown; head width much smaller than thorax (female) or slightly smaller than thorax (male); head spherical; postocular ridge and occiput extended posteriorly into slight ridge; posterior margin of eye rounded; eyes bare; position of antennae on head near middle of frons, slightly nearer to mouthparts; eyes contiguous above antennal base, not contiguous below; palpi present; proboscis longer than head; antennal flagellum stylate, apex with terminal seta; thorax with postpronotal lobes enlarged, medially contiguous to form collar; subscutellum enlarged; legs not greatly elongated; tibial spines absent; pulvilli present; wing hyaline, markings absent; costa ending in radial field; costal margin straight in both sexes; humeral crossvein absent; radial veins meeting wing margin before wing apex; R1 inflated distally at pterostigma; R2+3 present; R4+5 present as single vein, slightly curved anteriorly midway; veins M1, M2 and M3 present; discal cell absent; medial veins reaching wing margin (or nearly so); cell m3 absent; crossvein 2r-m absent; Cu reduced, not reaching wing margin; anal lobe not enlarged; alula well developed; abdomen smooth, rounded, cylindrical in shape, similar width to thorax (male) or greatly rounded, inflated (female).

This genus is named in honor of Evert I. Schlinger, not only a collector of specimens of this species, but a foremost expert on world Acroceridae taxonomy and patron of dipterology.

This genus is represented by only a single species (Schlingeriella irwini sp. n.) from New Caledonia. Winterton et al. (2007) included DNA sequences for this genus in their phylogenetic analysis of the family, placing it close to the New Zealand genus Helle. Schlingeriella gen n. can be differentiated from all other philopotine genera by a combination of the following characters: inflated vein R1 apically, medial veins mostly reaching the wing margin, absence of all wing cells except cell br, apilose eyes and elongate mouthparts. There is dramatic sexual dimorphism in body size, with females considerably larger than the diminutive males; males of this genus are some of the smallest acrocerids known.

AY144402.1, AY140881.1, AF539888.1

Holotype male, New Caledonia: Riviere Bleue, refuse area, 700’, 28.xi.1992 E. & M. Schlinger, at Scaveola flower, prey of green crab spider [-22.112, 166.677] (MNHN) (EIS013911).

New Caledonia: 3 males, 1 female, Riviere Bleue, same data as holotype (CAS, EIS013912, 013913) (CSCA, 013914, 013915); male, Riviere Bleue, 600’, 19.6 km on Riviere Bleue Road. M.T., 16-17.xi.1992, E. & M. Schlinger coll. (EIS013910); female, Riviere Bleue, 700’, Malaise, 6-16.xi.1992, E. & M. Schlinger, D. Webb; 1 male, 1 female [abdomen only], Mt. Nihgua, Nov. 2000, E. I. Schlinger & L. J. Boutin [voucher specimens from Winterton et al. (2007)] (EIS007431, male; EIS011170, female) (CAS); 1 female, Col d’Amieu Forestry Camp, 450m 17-18.x.1978, J. S. Dugdale, Malaise trap [-21.576, 165.740] (EIS013909) (CAS); 1 male, Mt. Ouin, 1100m, 9.xi.2002, C. Burwell & G. Monteith, pyrethrum, trees & logs (-22.016, 166.466) (QM).

Male with small body size (male body: 2.4 mm) and wing as long as the body (male wing: 2.5 mm), female with medium body size (female body: 4.4 mm) and wing longer than the body (female wing: 6.0 mm). Head. Eyes, occiput and ocellar tubercle dark brown, occiput wider than the face; ocelli shining light brown, antennal tubercle shining black, antennae light brown, face black, clypeus shining brown, as long as the antennae, proboscis yellow. Thorax. Uniform dark brown with short whitish pile; coxae yellow, legs dark yellow, femora with darker yellow-brown suffusion, lower calypter and haltere pale yellow, wings hyaline with brown veins. Abdomen. Dark brown; female tergites I-II entirely brown, tergites III-VI with the anterior half yellow and the posterior half brown, sternites brown.

This species is named in honour of Michael E. Irwin.