Scellus

Scellus is a genus of flies in the family Dolichopodidae. It is distributed in the Palearctic and Nearctic.

Males of the genus have a pair of flag-like appendages, known as "signa" (singular "signum"), that emanate laterally from between the 4th and 5th abdominal segments. These appendages are connected together by a band under the sternites, forming a U-shaped structure called the "cingulum". It has been suggested by researchers that these appendages are used for visual signalling or pheromone dispersal during courtship. The genus Hydatostega also has a cingulum, but much reduced, suggesting that Scellus and Hydatostega are closely related.

Species

 * Scellus abditus Hurley, 1995
 * Scellus alactaga Stackelberg, 1951
 * Scellus amplus Curran, 1923
 * Scellus asaroticus Hurley, 1995
 * Scellus avidus Loew, 1864
 * Scellus bianchii Stackelberg, 1951
 * Scellus coloradensis Harmston & James in Harmston & Knowlton, 1942
 * Scellus crinipes Van Duzee, 1925
 * Scellus dolichocerus Gerstaecker, 1864
 * Scellus dyscritus Hurley, 1995
 * Scellus exustus (Walker, 1852)
 * Scellus filifer Loew, 1864
 * Scellus gallicanus Becker, 1909
 * Scellus grichanovi Naglis, 2012
 * Scellus hissaricus Stackelberg, 1951
 * Scellus knowltoni Harmston, 1939
 * Scellus monstrosus Osten Sacken, 1877
 * Scellus notatus (Fabricius, 1781)
 * Scellus obuchovae (Stackelberg, 1951)
 * Scellus paramonovi Stackelberg, 1926
 * Scellus sinensis Yang, 1998
 * Scellus spinimanus (Zetterstedt, 1843)
 * Scellus tshernovskii Stackelberg, 1951
 * Scellus varipennis Van Duzee, 1925
 * Scellus vigil Osten Sacken, 1877
 * Scellus virago Aldrich, 1907