Ortalidina Blanchard

Gaimari, Stephen D., 2012, A new genus and species of Chamaemyiidae (Diptera: Lauxanioidea) from South America feeding on Ceroplastes wax scales (Hemiptera: Coccidae), and status of the genus Ortalidina as a chamaemyiid, Zootaxa 3342, pp. 39-50 : 44

Ortalidina Blanchard

Ortalidina Blanchard 1852: 455 . Type species, Ortalidina cellularis Blanchard , by monotypy. Steyskal, 1968: 23 (catalog, as unplaced genus); Gaimari 2010: 1004 (in key).

Toropamecia Cogan 1978: 230 , syn. nov. Type species, Acrometopia punctata Coquillett , by original designation. Tanasijtshuk 1986: 55 (distribution), 1992: 207/74 (in key), 214/82 (diagnosis), 2003: 168 (distribution), 170 (in cladogram).

Remarks. The genus Ortalidina Blanchard was considered part of the Ortalidae (= Ulidiidae ) when originally described, likely based on the strongly pictured wing of the type species, although Blanchard (1852) did acknowledge that this genus was somewhat different from most ortalids. Some confusion about the included species within the genus was introduced by Steyskal (1968), which has been perpetuated in various online scientific-name resources. In the South American catalog of Otitidae, Steyskal (1968) had a section on “Unplaced genera and species”, wherein Dorycera conspersa Walker is listed first, followed by the genus Ortalidina (represented as a heading) with the species cellularis below it, then followed by seven additional species ( Ortalis decorata Blanchard , Ortalis ochraspis Wiedemann , Ortalis picta Blanchard , Ortalis striolata Blanchard , Ulidia fulvifrons Bigot , Ulidia metallica Bigot , and Urophora antillarum Macquart ). Having Ortalidina appear as a heading had evidently confused some databasers to include the seven additional species as members of this genus. However, this would be contrary to their being in the “unplaced” category, and in the index they are listed as “unrecognized”. Additionally, Steyskal (1968) suggested that Ortalidina cellularis may be the same species as Acrometopia australis Malloch. Although he did make the very astute connection of their being congeneric, they are not synonyms. Although the genus is under revision by me with several recognized new species, the key of Cogan (1978) and the wing photographs and various illustrations therein, as well as the photographs of primary types provided here, work to delimit the described species (with the exception that Ortalidina cellularis keys out to its synonymic species Toropamecia grossa Cogan ).

Interestingly, the spelling Ortalidina was used by Rondani (1856) as a family-group name based upon Fallén’s (1810) name Ortalides (based on his genus Ortalis ); this name is currently a junior synonym of Ulidiidae ( Ulidiinae : Seipterini) ( Kamaneva & Korneyev 2006).

Following is a list of species currently recognized in the genus Ortalidina , including all new combinations and a new synonymy.