Belongs within: Dolichopodidae.
The Sciapodinae are a group of dolichopodid flies with a deeply excavated vertex and/or a prominent fork in vein M1+2 (Bickel 2013). In members of the subcosmopolitan genus Mesorhaga, vein M is unbranched (with M2 totally absent) but is slightly bent anteriad beyond crossvein dm-cu (Bickel 2009).
Characters (from Bickel 2013): Vertex usually strongly excavated on either side of ocellar tubercle, or if weakly excavated, vein M distinctly branched, with M2 present at least as fold on membrane; scutum short, about as wide as long; hypopygium exerted and distinctly pedunculate; posterior mesonotum never flattened.
<==SciapodinaeB13 |--Sciapus connexusB09, CM91 |--Pilbara Bickel 1994B13 | `--P. octava Bickel 1994B13 |--Parentia Hardy 1935B13 | `--P. vulgaris Bickel 1994B13 |--Dytomyia Bickel 1994B13 | `--D. flaviseta Bickel 1994B13 |--Chrysosoma Guérin-Méneville 1831B13 | |--C. nobile Parent 1933B13 | `--C. proliciensB13 |--HeteropsilopusCM91 | |--H. cingulipesCM91 | `--H. ingenuusCM91 |--CondylostylusB09 | |--C. brevisB09 | |--C. graenicheriB09 | `--C. siphoM81 |--Mesorhaga Schiner 1868B13 | |--M. flavicoma Bickel 1984B13 | |--M. lacrymansB09 | |--M. longipenis Bickel 1994B13 | `--M. pallidicornisB09 |--Pseudoparentia Bickel 1994B13 | |--P. advenaB13 | |--P. canalicula Bickel 2013B13 | |--P. centralisB13 | `--P. niharae Bickel 2013B13 `--Amblypsilopus Bigot 1888B13 |--A. commoniB13 |--A. fortescuia Bickel 1994B13 |--A. gressitti Bickel 1994B13 |--A. maculusB09 |--A. natalis Bickel 1994JG19 |--A. neoplatypusB13 |--A. pallidicornisB13 |--A. putealis Bickel 1994B13 |--A. scintillans [=Sciapus scintillans]B09 `--A. zonatusB13
*Type species of generic name indicated
References
[B09] Bickel, D. J. 2009. Dolichopodidae (long-legged flies). In: Brown, B. V., A. Borkent, J. M. Cumming, D. M. Wood, N. E. Woodley & M. A. Zumbado (eds) Manual of Central American Diptera vol. 1 pp. 671–694. NRC Research Press: Ottawa.
[B13] Bickel, D. J. 2013. The family Dolichopodidae (Diptera) of the Pilbara region, Western Australia in its Australasian biogeographic context, with the description of 19 new species. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 83: 291–348.
[CM91] Colless, D. H., & D. K. McAlpine. 1991. Diptera (flies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 717–786. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).
[JG19] James, D. J., P. T. Green, W. F. Humphreys & J. C. Z. Woinarski. 2019. Endemic species of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean. Records of the Western Australian Museum 34 (2): 55–114.
[M81] McAlpine, J. F. 1981. Morphology and terminology—adults. In: McAlpine, J. F., B. V. Peterson, G. E. Shewell, H. J. Teskey, J. R. Vockeroth & D. S. Wood (eds) Manual of Nearctic Diptera vol. 1 pp. 9–63. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.