An annotated catalogue of the stalk-eyed flies (Diopsidae: Diptera) of India with description of new species in Megalabops Frey and Teleopsis Rondani

An overview is given of the literature on Indian Diopsidae. An annotated catalogue is presented for the Diopsidae known to occur in India, while species erroneously reported for India are listed. Diopsis indica and Diopsis assimilis are now con­sidered of Indian origin, while D. assimilis is designated as junior synonym of D. indica. For D. assimilis, lectotype and paralectotype are designated. The synonymy of the Java species Diopsis westwoodii and Diopsis graminicola with D. indica is rejected. Diopsis abdominalis is considered an Indian species. The following new combinations are proposed: Megalabops bigotii, Megalabops cheni and Megalabops yunnana, all ex Teleopsis. Sphyracephala bipunctipennis and Eurydiopsis argentifera are new for the Indian list. Megalabops dharaensis n. sp. from Darjeeling district is described as a species in the Megalabops quadriguttata species-group. Teleopsis amnoni n. sp. is described as the sister species of the well-known Indian Teleopsis sykesii (Westwood). The T. sykesii species-group takes up a rather isolated position in its genus. Teleopsis amnoni n. sp. occurs in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala. For T. amnoni, limited allometric data are presented with respect to eye span and compared with those for T. sykesii.