Taxonomic revision of the Amazonian species of Ropalomera Wiedemann, 1824 (Diptera: Ropalomeridae)

Abstract

A taxonomic revision of the Amazonian species of Ropalomera Wiedemann, 1824 (Diptera: Ropalomeridae) is presented,based on well-known and new morphological characters, especially of the male terminalia. Eight previously known spe-cies are redescribed, with illustrations: Ropalomera clavipes (Fabricius, 1805) (lectotype and paralectotypes here desig-nated), R. femorata (Fabricius, 1805), R. glabrata Prado, 1966, R. goyana Prado, 1966, R. nudipes Frey, 1959, R. tessellataPrado, 1966, R. tibialis Walker, 1852, and R. titillatrix Steyskal, 1967 (lectotype and paralectotypes here designated). Onenew species, R. albifaciata sp. nov., is described from the type-locality in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. The nine speciescan be identified with the dichotomous key provided. R. glabrata and R. goyana are reported for the first time for the stateof Amazonas, and the latter is also reported for the state of Pará. With this study, the number of known species in Amazonia is increased from six to nine.

First records of Ropalomeridae (Diptera, Acalyptratae) from French Guiana

“…Ropalomera tibialis can be distinguished from the latter species by the presence of a brown scutum and black setae on the anterior surface of the mid femur and the apex of the mid tibia, whereas the scutum of R. titillator is reddish brown and the setae on the anterior surface of the mid femur and the apex of the mid tibia are rather red or dark brown. Both species were revised by Kirst & Ale-Rocha (2012). Although we cannot explain why neither the Butterfly banana traps nor the traps baited with chicken hearts produced any Ropalomeridae, we believe that a more intensive use of these types of traps would yield a much more reliable picture of the diversity of this family in this part of South America.…”

“…Species of this genus are recognized by the following features: predominantly brown body coloration, wide and deepened frons, frontal setae weak or absent, ocellar, postocellar, inner and outer vertical and postpronotal setae present, face with welldeveloped hemispherical tubercle, arista plumose, dorsocentral setae lacking, projection of hypandrial arms ("spinus titillatorius", "epiphallus") anchor-shaped, with short or long branches. Ropalomera is probably a natural group with several derived characters, the most prominent of which are the dorsal projection of the hypandrial arms with lateral branches as an anchor-shaped structure (Kirst & Ale-Rocha 2012) and the bristles inserted on the callus at the dorsal apex of the mid femur. Ropalomera can be distinguished from Apophorhynchus by the presence of an ocellar seta; from Rhytidops and Willistoniella by the central tubercle on the face, while a carina is lacking; from Kroeberia, Lenkokroeberia and Dactylissa by the plumose arista; and from Mexicoa by the presence of postpronotal setae, a plumose arista and 1-3 setae on the upper margin of the metathoraxic spiracle.…”

“…The genus is characterized by the presence of ocellar, postocellar and postpronotal setae, a central tubercle on the face, a plumose arista and 1-3 setae on the upper margin of the metathoracic spiracle. The most recent contribution to the knowledge of the genus is the revision of Kirst & Ale-Rocha (2012), which deals with Amazonian species.…”

Saprophytic flies in impacted areas of the Belo Monte Dam, Pará, Brazil (Diptera: Mesembrinellidae, Neriidae, Ropalomeridae, and Sarcophagidae): community composition, abundance, and species richness

“…Ropalomera is the most species-rich genus of the Ropalomeridae, with about 16 described species (Kirst & Ale-Rocha 2012). In this study four species were collected, but all with abundances equal to or less than two specimens.…”