Atlatlia is a genus of flies in the family Dolichopodidae. It was originally established for two species found in eucalypt forests in Australia, and was later expanded to include a third Australian species, three species from New Caledonia, and a number of extinct species found in Baltic and Bitterfeld amber from the Paleogene. The appearance of Atlatlia in Baltic/Bitterfeld amber suggests that the genus once had a much wider distribution. In males of the Atlatlia grisea species group, the seventh segment of the abdomen is extremely elongated, forming a hypopygial peduncle. The name of the genus is derived from , the Nahuatl word for "spear-thrower", in reference to the male preabdomen which appears to act as an atlatl for the hypopygial peduncle.
Species
The genus includes fifteen species, which are divided into two species groups:
Atlatlia grisea group:
- Atlatlia acra <small>Bickel in Bickel & Martin, 2025</small> â New Caledonia
- Atlatlia argenticoxa <small>Bickel in Bickel & Martin, 2025</small> â New Caledonia
- Atlatlia cowanae <small>Bickel in Bickel & Martin, 2025</small> â New Caledonia
- Atlatlia flaviseta <small>Bickel, 1986</small> â Australia (Western Australia)
- Atlatlia grisea <small>Bickel, 1986</small> â Australia (New South Wales)
- Atlatlia isolata <small>Bickel in Bickel & Martin, 2025</small> â Australia (New South Wales)
- Atlatlia corynoura <small>Bickel in Bickel & Martin, 2025</small> â Baltic amber, Eocene/Oligocene
- Atlatlia electrica <small>Bickel in Bickel & Martin, 2025</small> â Baltic amber and Bitterfeld amber, Eocene/Oligocene
- Atlatlia licina <small>Bickel in Bickel & Martin, 2025</small> â Baltic amber, Eocene/Oligocene
Atlatlia ulrichi group:
- Atlatlia angulicauda <small>Bickel in Bickel & Martin, 2025</small> â Baltic amber, Eocene/Oligocene
- Atlatlia cryptica <small>Bickel in Bickel & Martin, 2025</small> â Baltic amber, Eocene/Oligocene
- Atlatlia penicillata <small>Bickel in Bickel & Martin, 2025</small> â Baltic amber, Eocene/Oligocene
- Atlatlia ramosa <small>Bickel in Bickel & Martin, 2025</small> â Baltic amber, Eocene/Oligocene
- Atlatlia tonsa <small>Bickel in Bickel & Martin, 2025</small> â Baltic amber, Eocene/Oligocene
- Atlatlia ulrichi <small>Bickel in Bickel & Martin, 2025</small> â Baltic amber and Bitterfeld amber, Eocene/Oligocene
References