A systematic study of the Japanese Pipunculidae (Diptera) Part I. Introduction to the family and the genus Verrallia Mik

A classification of the family Pipunculidae of Japan is presented for the first time based on the examination of about 2,000 Japanese pipunculid specimens. It was revealed that the Japanese fauna is composed of 3 subfamilies, 8 genera and 108 species. One genus and twenty four species are newly recorded from Japan, and sixty two species are described as new to science. In this paper (Part I) historical review of works of this family in Japan, morphology and terminology of adults, and a key to subfamilies, tribes and genera as well as biological data of found species are given. Besides, eight species of the genus Verrallia Mik are treated, with key to species and illustrations of their important diagnostic characters. Three of them are new species and four of them are new to Japan. (The new species are the following: V. rebunensis, V. pala and V. japonica. The other species are V. villosa, V. setosa, V. beatricis, V. pilosa and V. spectabilis).Abstract 2: This 1st part of a series on the taxonomy of the Pipunculidae (a family of flies that includes parasitoids of insects of economic importance) of Japan includes an introduction to the morphology and terminology of these Diptera, a historical review of the works on the family in Japan, a key to subfamilies, tribes and genera in Japan, and a treatment of the genus Verralia. A key to the 8 species known from Japan (3 of them newly described and 4 new to Japan) is included. Earlier reports indicate that species of Verralia parasitize Cercopidae and Cicadellidae.