Brunetti, E. 1911. Revision of the Oriental Tipulidae with descriptions of new species. Records of the Indian Museum 6: 319.
The genus Atypophthalmus is based both on the near holoptic condition of the head and the tendency for the proctriger, and possibly 10th tergite, to appear complex and comprised of various lobes, a condition that differs from the more typical simple or nearly absent condition of the proctriger found in other genera of Limoniinae. While typically complex and prominent, the appearance of the proctriger in Atypophthalmus may range from inconspicuous to nearly masking the remaining male hypopygium. This genus is maintained based only on a weak character of the complexly produced proctriger (shared by some Rhipidia and other genera) and the holoptic condition of the head (a condition shared by the genus Microlimonia and may be easily confuses with many species of various other genera that show a near holoptic condition). The wing venation of the genus is that of the typical Limonia/Dicranomyia type. Additional revisionary work should be conducted on this genus to better define group defining characters.
Atypophthalmus finds is greatest richness in the Afrotropical Region (28 species) where it is distributed across continental Africa and into Madagascar. The Oriental Region is represented by 8 species that are distributed across both the continental and insular areas of the region. The genus is additionally represented in the Western Palearctic (3 species), Eastern Palearctic (4 species), Australian/Oceanic (8 species), and Neotropical (1 species) Regions.
The larvae of Atypophthalmus umbrata de Meijere is described from Java as living in the slimy green algae floating in stagnant water (Alexander, 1920).
