Teuchophorus Loew, 1857

Grootaert, Patrick, 2006, The Genus Teuchophorus (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) In Singapore, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 54 (1), pp. 59-82 : 60

Teuchophorus Loew, 1857

The genus Teuchophorus belongs to the subfamily Sympycninae and is very closely related to the Sympycnus – Chaetogonopteron complex. Teuchophorus represents small flies of about 1.5-4 mm (diagnosis see Meuffels & Grootaert, 2003). The third antennal segment is generally triangular with a dorsal arista. However, in the T. gratiosus group (former genus Mastigomyia Becker ) the third antennal segment can range from 3.5 times to 5.5 times as long as wide. In these species the arista can be longer than the third antennal segment, shorter or even completely absent. Females of the T. gratiosus group have short, triangular antennae.

Chaetotaxy on the mesoscutum is stable and is as follows: The acrostichals are generally uniseriate in Teuchophorus and rarely absent. In the T. pauper group the acr are always absent. Some species of the T. gratiosus group also lack acrostichals. Four to five dorsocentrals; one humeral with a hair beside, two notopleurals, one posthumeral, one presutural, one sutural, one intraalar, two supraalars; scutellum with two strong marginals.

The first tarsomere of the hind leg is always shortened. Vein m1+2 is turned up immediately after the connection with the cross vein tp and not presenting a wing “boss” at some distance of the cross vein like in the Sympycnus – Chaetogonopteron- complex. Males have often a stigma, being a darkened swelling on the costa. It is present in most Palaearctic species, but in Singapore only T. stenostigma has a slight thickening and darkening of the costa. The other species do not display that character.