Family Platystomatidae Diagnosis. Body length 2.4–8.5 mm in the Israeli fauna (2.5–20.0 mm in the world fauna, according to Whittington, 2010), ranging from slender to robust. Body color gray to black, often with metallic luster. Wings usually with pigmented pattern, either dark reticulated with hyaline spots or predominantly hyaline with dark bands. Head higher than long, with either frons and face bulging anteriorly or gena swollen and extending posteriorly. Ocelli present. Antenna: pedicel with elongate dorsal seam; first flagellomere elongate, sometimes with apical point; arista varies from bare to short or long pubescent. Proboscis stout, palpus flattened. Chaetotaxy: 1–2 orbitals, medial and lateral verticals, and genal setae present. Postocellar setae weak or absent; vibrissae absent to rudimentary. Thorax longer than wide; setae (pairs): 1 postpronotal, 2 notopleural, 1 anepisternal, 1 postsutural supra-alar, 1 postalar, 1 intra-alar, 1 acrostichal, 1 dorsocentral, 3 scutellar (in most platystomatids). Wing venation: humeral break present; R1 and R4+5 dorsally setulose for almost entire length; cell bcu closed by straight vein Cu2 that is perpendicular to Cu (bcu without posterodistal lobe). Abdomen subcylindrical to narrow-ovate. Male sternite 6 reduced or absent; 2 surstyli present (medial well developed). Female tergite 6 reduced or absent; aculeus with apical sensory setae laterally.

Published as part of Bodner, L. & Freidberg, A., 2016, Taxonomy and immature stages of the Platystomatidae (Diptera: Tephritoidea) of Israel, pp. 201-245 in Zootaxa 4171 (2) on page 208, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4171.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/158862