Alexander, C.P. 1965. New or little-known Tipulidae from Madagascar (Diptera). Transactions of the American Entomological Society 91: 53.
The 22 species of Rhipidia (Eurhipidia), like R. (Rhipidia), are generally similar in structure to Dicranomyia. They show the generic characteristic of the males with produced antenomeres into a bipectinate condition. Rhipidia (Eurhipidia) is separated from R. (Rhipidia) by: 1) the variable number of antennal articles, 11-14 in R. (Eurhipidia) and 14 in R. (Rhipidia), 2) a generally smaller size, 3) the absence of the discal cell (dm) by the atrophy of crossvein m, 4) and rostral projection of the ventral gonostyle with two spines arising from a common enlarged basal tubercle.
Head: Anterior vertex of head suppressed. Rostrum length less than or equal to that of the remaining head. Maxillary palpus length equal to or less than that of the remaining head; palpomeres subequal. Antennae: 11-14 articles; antennomeres bipectinate (female antenomeres less-developed). Wing: Subhyline, typically patterend with darker areas; stigma present or absent; anal angle of wing present. Wing venation: Sc1 long, removed from Sc2; both elements ending before or at origin Rs; R1+2 in near alignment with R2; two branches of Rs (R3, R4+5) attaining wing margin; two Medial veins (M1+2, M3) attaining wing margin; discal cell (dm) absent by atrophy of m; CuA crossvein near split of M; two Cubital veins (CuA1, CuA2) attaining wing margin; two Anal veins (A1, A2) attaining wing margin.
Male hypopygium: 9th tergite (9t) and sternite (9s) separate, 9s reduced and ajoined to adeagus. Mesoventral lobe of gonocoxite present; Gonostylus bifid; doral gonostyle heavily sclerotized, falcate; ventral gonostyle with a basal rostral prolongation equipted with 2 spines arising from a basal tubercle. Aedeagus simple with one or two terminal openings. Proctriger simple, without modification.
The 22 species of Rhipidia (Eurhipidia) are strongly an Oriental (11 spp.) and Afrotropical (8 spp.) group. The Oriental species a widely spread throughout the region. Three additional species are known from the southern Eastern Paleactic.
The larval habitat of this subgenus is unknown.
