Bittacus femoralis Klug, 1838

(Figs. 3b, 6c, 8h, 12b)

Bittacus femoralis: Klug, 1838:98; Esben-Petersen, 1921:152, 1927:13; Souza-Lopes & Mangabeira, 1942:338; Penny & Byers, 1979b:367; Penny & Arias, 1982:269; Machado et al., 2009:36, 2010:605; Machado, 2018. Thyridates femoralis: Willmann, 1983:51; Collucci & Amorim, 2000:7, 2001:4.

Syntypes: 2 females: ZMHB (high resolution images examined). Species also known from: Bahia (new record), Ceará (new record), Espírito Santo (new record), Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais (new record), Pará (new record), Rondônia (Fig. 12b) .

Bittacus femoralis is another relatively common species in Brazil, but unlike B. diversinervis it seems to be restricted to open areas. The species is quite abundant in Maranhão state, particularly during the rainy season (Machado et al. 2010). Bittacus femoralis, together with B. omega and another two species from Argentina, B. fritzi Williner and B. golbachi Williner, are the only species in South America known to have an elongated lateral expansion on the male epandrium (Williner 1990). This striking characteristic easily separates these four species from the remaining ones; however, a detailed study of these species will be of great interest in order to assess their respective taxonomic statuses.

Examined specimens. Brazil: Bahia: Encruzilhada, 15°34’35’’S– 40°56’51’’W, 15.xii.2012, J.A. Rafael & E.J. Grossi, Arm. Luz, 850m (1♀ INPA) ; Ceará: Ubajara, P N Ubajara, -3.83830 0 /-40.89803 0, 14–19.ii.2013, ML Oliveira (1♂ INPA) ; Espírito Santo: Anchieta, Praia de Ubu, i.2006, luz, SA Vanim (1♀ MZSP) ; Mato Grosso: Cuiabá, 6.xi.1989, Miriam Serrano (1?— CEMT) ; 24.x.1990, Andréa Netto (1♀ CEMT); Campus UFMT, 09.xi.1990, Noraney Almeida (1♀ CEMT) ; 25.xi.1990, Herika Matsunaga (1? CEMT); Minas Gerais: Águas Vermelhas, Faz. Faceiro, 15°23’56’’S– 41°23’57’’W, 12.xii.2012, J.A. Rafael & E.J. Grossi, Ar. Luz, 850m (4♀ INPA) , Pará: São Geraldo do Araguaia, Serra das Andorinhas, Cerrado, 1–10.xii.2001, Malaise, I.S. Gorayeb, et al. (3 ♀ MPEG)