Megalothoraca teleopsis Hennig, 1938b: 9

Wendt, Lisiane Dilli & Marinoni, Luciane, 2019, Taxonomic revision of Megalothoraca (Diptera: Richardiidae) with description of a new species, synonyms and new combination, Zoologia (e 31456) 36, pp. 1-15 : 13-14

Megalothoraca teleopsis Hennig, 1938b: 9 (fig. 3: head). Type locality: Colombia, San Antonio. Aczél 1950: 44 (catalogue); Steyskal 1968: 5 (catalogue); Carvalho et al. 2011: 42, 43 (citation, key).

Batrachophthamum quimbaya Carvalho, Wolff & Wendt, 2011: 44 (figs 6–10: male head, habitus, wing, and thorax). Type locality: Colombia, Pereira. Distribution: Colombia. References: Wendt and Ale-Rocha 2014b: 306–310 (female and terminalia descriptions; figs 1A-F, 2A-K; 3A-I: female habitus, head, thorax, terminalia, sternites, spermathecae; male terminalia and sternites); 2016: 587, 592 (catalogue of Colombia, material list). New synonymy.

Type-material examined. Megalothoraca teleopsis Hennig , holotype male, SDEI : “ S. Antonio \Columbia”; “coll. [collector] Fassl” [handwritten]; “ Holotypus ” [red label]; “ HOLOTYPUS ” [red label] ( Fig. 62). The holotype is pinned, in poor condition, very damaged: eyes, flagellomeres, left fore and mid legs, right hind leg, and left wing missing; head and abdomen glued to the thorax ( Figs 61, 63); apex of abdomen damaged ( Fig. 61). Bratrachophtalmum quimbaya Carvalho, Wolff & Wendt , holotype male, CEUA: ♂ “ COLOMBIA. Risaralda. Pereira./ Santuario de Flora y Fauna Otún-/ Quimbaya Trampa VSR bosque/ Mayo 2001 Grupo de Entomologia /CEUA 12796” ( CEUA). The holotype is pinned, and in excellent condition, with no damage. Paratype male, DZUP: ♂ labelled identical to the holotype ( DZUP) .

Distribution. Colombia.

Synonyms and new combinations

Megalothoraca teleopsis was described by Hennig (1938b) as the first and only species within the genus with stalked eyes, and Carvalho et al. (2011) described an enigmatic stalk-eyed fly from Colombia – Batrachophthalmum quimbaya . Upon comparing the types of both species, we did not find any morphological differences to distinguish them ( Figs 1–3 and see Carvalho et al. 2011: figs 6–10). Therefore, B. quimbaya is herein considered a junior synonymy of M. teleopsis . Additionally, although M. teleopsis has features similar to other species of Megalothoraca (thorax developed, setae on fore femur distinctly stouter than on mid and hind femora, mid and hind legs longer and more slender than fore leg), those features are also common among species of Batrachophthalmum and Euolena (in part).

Megalothoraca teleopsis and Batrachophthalmum rufiventre Hendel, 1911 type species of the genus, share several characteristics, then here we transfer M. teleopsis to Batrachophthalmum , based on: as well B. rufiventre , M. teleopsis has the mid and hind femora with rows of weak spine-like setae on antero- and posterodorsal surfaces, and contrasting with the mid and hind femora of the other species of Megalothoraca , which have one (sometimes two) stout spines only on anteroventral surface. Also, M. teleopsis has vein R 2+3 without spurious vein and sinuous just before margin ( Fig. 64), as in B. rufiventre (see Carvalho et al. 2011: figs 1, 2), and differing from species of Megalothoraca which have vein R 2+3 with two conspicuous preapical curves and a small postmedial spurious vein (e.g. Figs 16, 22, 57).

Batrachophthalmum species are recognized by the following combination of characteristics: head wider than high, especially in males; arista densely pubescent; all femora with spine-like setae on antero- and posteroventral; setae on fore femur distinctly more robust than those on mid and hind femora; hind coxa bare on posterior surface; costal vein of male with no modification, R 2+3 without spurious vein, with only one tender sinuosity on apical third sinuous just before margin; r-m at distal three-fourths of cell dm.