Meroplius Rondani, 1874

Genus Meroplius Rondani, 1874 View in CoL

Meroplius Rondani, 1874: 175 View in CoL . Type-species: Nemopoda stercoraria Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 View in CoL [= Sepsis minuta Wiedemann,

1830]. Xenosepsis Malloch, 1925: 315 View in CoL . Type-species: Xenosepsis sydneyensis Malloch, 1925 View in CoL . Pseudomeroplius Duda, 1926: 25 View in CoL (as subgenus of Meroplius Rondani View in CoL ). Type-species: Pseudomeroplius acrostichalis Duda,

1926 [= Xenosepsis sydneyensis Malloch, 1925 ]. Parameroplius Duda, 1926: 37 [described as a subgenus of Meroplius ]. Type-species: Sepsis fasciculata Brunetti, 1910 . Protomeroplius Ozerov, 1999: 92 [described as a subgenus of Meroplius ]. Type-species: Meroplius trispinifer Ozerov, 1999 .

Diagnosis. The head is roundish or slightly flattened dorsoventrally; the orbital seta is developed; both outer and inner vertical setae are present; the gena is linear. The antennal arista is bare. The male fore femur has usually two black spines posteriorly, one of which tends to be thicker or modified. The male hind tibia usually features an osmeterium anterodorsally. The wing has separated basal medial and basal radial cells, and lacks apical black spots; the alula is well-developed or moderate and is completely covered with microtrichia. Males usually (exceptions M. albequerquei , bispinifer, elephantis, pallidispinifer etc.) have modified 4+5 sternal appendages. In both sexes, basal scutellar setae are absent or vestigial. Females sometimes have one distinct ventral fore femoral spine ( Pont & Meier, 2002; Ozerov, 2006, 2018a).