The phylogenetic relationships of the tribe Rhingiini and the genus Cheilosia (Diptera, Syrphidae) were investigated using morphological and molecular characters. The genus Cheilosia is one of the most diverse lineages of hoverflies (Syrphidae). The mitochondrial protein coding gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), and the D2-3 region of the nuclear 28S rRNA gene were chosen for sequencing, and morphological characters were scored for both adults and immature stages. The combined dataset included 56 ingroup taxa. The datasets were analyzed separately and in conjunction, using both static and dynamic alignment under the parsimony criterion. The aim of the study was to assess the phylogenetic relationships of the tribe Rhingiini, and to explore if the subgenera of Cheilosia were supported as monophyletic clades. Results showed that the monophyly of subtribes of Rhingiini remained ambiguous, especially due to unstable phylogenetic placements of the genera Portevinia and Rhingia. We recovered most subgenera of Cheilosia as monophyletic clades. Dynamic alignment, using the optimization alignment program POY, always recovered more parsimonious topologies under all parameter weighting schemes, than did parsimony analyses using static alignment and analyzed with NONA.

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Conopidae material determined by Robineau-Desvoidy and held in the Hope Department of the University Museum, Oxford (UMO) has been examined. As a result, lectotypes for 13 of the species described by Robineau-Desvoidy can be designated, and the following new synonymies are proposed [syn. nov.]: Myopa nana Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 = Myopa occulta Wiedemann in Meigen, 1824; Myopa pellucida Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 = Myopa fulvipalpis Robineau-Desvoidy, 1853 = Myopa extricata Collin, 1960; Myopella florea Robineau-Desvoidy, 1853 = Myopa buccata (Linnaeus, 1758); Occemya nitidula Robineau-Desvoidy, 1853 = Zodion carceli RobineauDesvoidy, 1853 = Zodion cinereum (Fabricius, 1794); Purpurella nobilis Robineau-Desvoidy, 1853 = Myopa dorsalis Fabricius, 1794. Type species are fixed for the 11 conopid genera described by Robineau-Desvoidy in accordance with Article 70.3.1 of the ICZN. It is proposed to interpret Zodion kroeberi Szilády, 1926 as a valid species [stat. rev.] and to introduce this as the valid name for Zodion carceli auct.

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The first part of a Conopid faunal review for Costa Rica presents data for 25 species from the Conopinae (tribes Tropidomyiini and Conopini). Two hundred and eighty-five specimens have been examined and identified. Physocephala herrerai spec. nov. and Physoconops zumbadoi spec. nov. are new to science. Sixteen species are reported the first time for the country. We introduce the following taxonomic changes: Physoconops (Gyroconops) ocellatus (Giglio-Tos, 1892) is a valid species [status rev.]; Physoconops rufipennis (Macquart, 1844) belongs to the subgenus Pachyconops Camras, 1955 [status rev.]; Physoconops gracilianus Camras, 1955 is a junior synonym of Physoconops pallifrons (Coquillett, 1904) [syn. nov.]. Keys for the species of the genera Physocephala Schiner, 1861 and Physoconops Szilady, 1926 are presented. Most species are illustrated with photo plates.