Phacaspis

Phacaspis is a genus of flies in the family Dolichopodidae.^[2] It is known from Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea and Micronesia. Flies in the genus are small (less than 2 mm long), with metallic green coloring. They are marine, and are commonly found on mudflats in front of mangroves.

Phacaspis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Dolichopodidae
Subfamily:	Kowmunginae
Genus:	Phacaspis Meuffels & Grootaert, 1988[1]
Type species
Phacaspis petiolata Meuffels & Grootaert, 1988[1]

The generic name is derived from the Ancient Greek phaktós ("lens") and aspís ("round shield" or clypeus), referring to the swollen lens-shaped clypeus.^[1]

The genus was originally regarded as incertae sedis within the family Dolichopodidae. In the World Catalog of Dolichopodidae (Insecta: Diptera) by Yang et al. (2006), the new subfamily Kowmunginae was proposed to include both Kowmungia and Phacaspis. This placement was later criticized by Sinclair et al. (2008), who suggested that the genus would have been better placed as incertae sedis until a later phylogenetic study determines its placement.^[3]

Species

The genus contains four species:^[1][4][5]

• Phacaspis mitis Grootaert & Meuffels, 2001 – Thailand
• Phacaspis ornata Meuffels & Grootaert, 1988 – Papua New Guinea
• Phacaspis palauensis Bickel, 2023 – Federated States of Micronesia (Yap), Palau
• Phacaspis petiolata Meuffels & Grootaert, 1988 – Papua New Guinea, Thailand