Abstract

The Tachinidae (Diptera) of Chile are catalogued and information is given on distributions, name-bearing types, synonyms, nomenclatural issues, and pertinent literature. The history of tachinid collectors in Chile and authors who have contributed to the systematic knowledge of Chilean tachinids is extensively reviewed. The classification has been updated and 122 genera and 264 species are recognised in Chile. There is a significant amount of endemism with 28 genera and 100 species known only from Chile. There are also 113 species with distributions shared only between Chile and Argentina, particularly in the southern portions of these countries comprising Patagonia. The catalogue is based on examination of the original descriptions of all nominal species and all other references known to us containing relevant taxonomic and distributional information, for a total of approximately 450 references. Many of the name-bearing types and other Chilean specimens housed in collections were examined. Taxa are arranged hierarchically and alphabetically under the categories of subfamily, tribe, genus, subgenus (where recognised), and species. Nomenclatural information is provided for genus-group and species-group names, including lists of synonyms (mostly restricted to Neotropical taxa) and name-bearing type data. Species distributions are recorded by country within the New World and by larger geographical divisions in the Old World. Additional information is given in the form of notes and references under valid names at the level of tribe, genus, and species. Two genera are newly recorded from Chile: Chaetoepalpus Vimmer & Soukup, 1940 (Tachinini) (also newly recorded from Argentina) and Patelloa Townsend, 1916 (Goniini). Four species are newly recorded from Chile or other countries: Lypha ornata Aldrich, 1934 (Chile); Chaetoepalpus coquilleti Vimmer & Soukup, 1940 (Argentina and Chile); Phytomyptera evanescens (Cortes, 1967) (Argentina); and Xanthobasis unicolor Aldrich, 1934 (Chile). Eight species previously recorded from Chile are deemed to have been misidentified or misrecorded from Chile (known distributions in parentheses): Archytas incertus (Macquart, 1851) (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay); Archytas seminiger (Wiedemann, 1830) (Brazil, Colombia); Gonia crassicornis (Fabricius, 1794) (Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Middle America, West Indies, Nearctic); Lespesia andina (Bigot, 1888) (Cuba); Lespesia archippivora (Riley, 1871) (widespread Nearctic and most of Neotropical); Neoethilla ignobilis (van der Wulp, 1890) (Mexico, United States); Siphona (Siphona) geniculata (De Geer, 1776) (Palaearctic, Nearctic [introduced]); and Winthemia quadripustulata (Fabricius, 1794) (Palaearctic, Nearctic, Oriental]. As First Reviser we fix Paratheresia rufiventris Townsend, 1929 as the senior homonym and Sarcoprosena rufiventris Townsend, 1929 as the junior homonym when the two are placed together in Billaea Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830; and we fix Mayophorinia angusta Townsend, 1927 as the senior homonym and Metarrhinomyia angusta Townsend, 1927 as the junior homonym when the two are placed together in Myiopharus Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1889. New replacement names are proposed for eight preoccupied names of Neotropical species (country of type locality in parentheses): Billaea rufescens O'Hara & Wood for Sarcoprosena rufiventris Townsend, 1929, preoccupied in the genus Billaea Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 by Paratheresia rufiventris Townsend, 1929 (Peru), nom. nov.