Stilobezzia Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from the Brazilian Amazon: three new species, redescription of S. (Stilobezzia) maculata Lane and new records.

Three new species of Stilobezzia Kieffer, 1911 are described and illustrated from the Brazilian Amazon, two in the nominotypical subgenus Stilobezzia: S. (Stilobezzia) brasiliensis n. sp. and S. (Stilobezzia) campinaranensis n. sp., and one in the subgenus Acanthohelea: S. (Acanthohelea) medialuna n. sp. We also redescribe and re-illustrate S. (Stilobezzia) maculata Lane based on the examination of type material and additional specimens. In addition, S. (Eukraiohelea) proxima Cazorla & Felippe-Bauer, S. (Eukraiohelea) quasielegantula Cazorla & Felippe-Bauer, S. (Stilobezzia) chaconi Macfie, S. (Stilobezzia) glauca Macfie, and S. (Stilobezzia) maculata are recorded for the first time from the state of Amazonas, northern Brazil. The number of Stilobezzia species in Brazilian Amazon increases from 11 to 19.

A new species of Atrichopogon (Atrichopogon) Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), redescription and first record from Argentina of Atrichopogon (A.) eucnemus and Atrichopogon (A.) woodfordi by Macfie.

A new species of the subgenus Atrichopogon (Atrichopogon) Kieffer without distinctive pigmented wings is described and illustrated based on males and females: A. (A.) rufiventris. Atrichopogon (A.) eucnemus Macfie and A. (A.) woodfordi Macfie are redescribed and illustrated from specimens collected in several provinces of Argentina. This is the first record of those species from Argentina.

Redescription of Stilobezzia (Stilobezzia) albicoxa Lane amp; Forattini, 1956 with new synonymy (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae).

Stilobezzia Kieffer, 1911 is a diverse genus of predaceous Ceratopogonidae (Ceratopogoninae: Ceratopogonini) with 349 species recognized worldwide (Borkent Dominiak 2020). The genus has four subgenera, three occurs in Brazil, where Stilobezzia s. str. is the most speciose, with 23 species registered (Santarém Felippe-Bauer 2019).

Schizonyxhelea thomsenae (Wirth), description of the pupa and first records from Argentina, Brazil and Peru (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae).

The pupa of Schizonyxhelea thomsenae (Wirth) is described and illustrated from material collected in Misiones province, Argentina. A key for the four known species of pupae of Schizonyxhelea is given, a diagnosis and photographs of the adult are also provided, and the geographic distribution of the species in the Neotropical region is enlarged including first records from Argentina, Brazil and Peru based mainly on adult specimens.

Synanthropy and Community Structure of Ceratopogonidae From the Northeast of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.

Synanthropy and community structure of Ceratopogonidae in temperate Argentina were compared across an urbanization gradient to assess the impact of urbanization on species diversity and abundance. Adult ceratopogonids were collected from one natural, one Peri-urban, and two urban sites monthly for 12 months using CDC light traps. Nine-hundred one individuals belonging to nine genera and 59 species were collected. Forcipomyia Meigen was the genus with the highest species richness (n = 20), followed by Atrichopogon Kieffer (14), Dasyhelea Kieffer (8), Stilobezzia Kieffer (7), Culicoides Latreille (5), Bezzia Kieffer (2), Alluaudomyia Kieffer, Monohelea Kieffer, and Palpomyia Meigen (1). Only 15 species were present at the three different areas. Indices of species abundance (ISA) values were statistically similar between urban and Peri-urban areas, but these were significantly lower than those from the natural area. Atrichopogon balseiroi Spinelli, Dasyhelea sp. C., Forcipomyia poulaineae Ingram, and Macfie and F. nana (Macfie) were positively associated with rain fall, while A. albinensis, A. delpontei, D. suarezi, Forcipomyia sp. B, F. sp. I, F. pinamarensis, and F. calchaqui were associated to relative humidity. Species diversity was reduced in urbanized areas and these areas favored ubiquitous species: Forcipomyia taragui Marino, Spinelli and Cazorla, F. poulaineae, and Culicoides venezuelensis Ortiz and Mirsa.

The fate of endemic insects of the Andean region under the effect of global warming.

Three independent but complementary lines of research have provided evidence for the recognition of refugia: paleontology, phylogeography and species distributional modelling (SDM). SDM assesses the ecological requirements of a species based on its known occurrences and enables its distribution to be projected on past climatological reconstructions. One advantage over the other two approaches is that it provides an explicit link to environment and geography, thereby enabling the analysis of a large number of taxa in the search for more general refugia patterns. We propose a methodology for using SDM to recognize biogeographical patterns of endemic insects from Southern South America. We built species distributional models for 59 insect species using Maxent. The species analyzed in the study have narrow niche breadth and were classified into four assemblages according to the ecoregion they inhabit. Models were built for the Late Pleistocene, Mid-Holocene and Present. Through the procedure developed for this study we used the models to recognize: Late Pleistocene refugia; areas with high species richness during all three periods; climatically constant areas (in situ refugia); consistent patterns among in situ refugia, Pleistocene refugia and current distribution of endemic species. We recognized two adjacent Pleistocene refugia with distinct climates; four in situ refugia, some of which are undergoing a process of fragmentation and retraction or enlargement. Interestingly, we found a congruent pattern among in situ refugia, Pleistocene refugia and endemic species. Our results seem to be consistent with the idea that long-term climate stability is known to have a key role in promoting persistence of biodiversity in an area. Our Pleistocene and in situ refugia are consistent with refugia identified in studies focusing on different taxa and applying other methodologies, showing that the method developed can be used to identify such areas and prove their importance for conservation.

Two new species of the subgenus Acanthohelea of Stilobezzia from Brazilian Amazonia (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae).

The predaceous genus Stilobezzia Kieffer is a large, diverse group of Ceratopogonidae that is worldwide in distribution except for Antarctica and some islands (Borkent 2014). Adult females are important predators on other small insects, and the immature stages are found in a wide variety of aquatic and semiaquatic habitats, including streams, lakes and pond margins, puddles, swamps, rice fields, rock pools, and tree holes (de Meillon and Wirth 1991; Cazorla et al. 2006).

New contributions to the knowledge of the immatures of Stilobezzia punctulata Lane and Stilobezzia fiebrigi Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae).

The fourth instar larva of Stilobezzia punctulata Lane is described for the first time and the one of Stilobezzia fiebrigi Kieffer is redescribed. They are illustrated and photomicrographed from material collected in different aquatic environments of the province of Corrientes, Argentina. Both species show features typical to carnivorous-predatory larva.

A new species of Stilobezzia Kieffer from the neotropical region (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) / Uma espécie nova de Stilobezzia Kieffer da Região neotropical (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae)

A new species from the Neotropical Region, Stilobezzia (Stilobezzia) pseudopunctulata Cazorla & Ronderos, is described and illustrated based on male and female adults and pupal exuviae. Adults were collected in the Argentinian provinces of Chaco, Formosa, Corrientes and Buenos Aires, and in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The pupa was collected from mats of floating aquatic macrophytes in a lagoon in Ilha da Marchantería, in the vicinities of Manaus, Brazil. This new species is compared with its similar congener Stilobezzia punctulata Lane, from which it can be mainly distinguished by the wing with only two dark spots, the parameres longer and hook-shaped, the pupal respiratory organ with 11-12 pores and the very short apicolateral processes of the anal segment.

Uma espécie nova da Região Neotropical, Stilobezzia (Stilobezzia) pseudopunctulata Cazorla & Ronderos, é descrita e ilustrada a partir de adultos macho e fêmea e exúvia pupal. Os adultos foram coletados nas províncias argentinas de Chaco, Formosa, Corrientes e Buenos Aires e em Santa Cruz, Bolívia. A pupa foi coletada em tapetes de macrófitas aquáticas flutuantes em um lago na Ilha de Marchantaria, nas proximidades de Manaus, Brasil. Esta espécie nova é comparada com a sua congênere semelhante Stilobezzia punctulata Lane, a partir da qual pode ser distinguida principalmente pela asa com apenas duas manchas escuras, parâmeros mais longos e em forma de gancho, órgão respiratório da pupa com 11-12 poros e processo apicolateral do segmento anal muito curto.

A new predaceous midge of the Palpomyia tibialis group from northeastern Argentina (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Palpomyia iberaensis n. sp., was collected by Malaise trap in the province of Corrientes, Argentina and its female and attached male genitalia are described and illustrated. The species is distinguished by the following combination of characters: females with dark brown legs except fore trochanter, basal 1/2 of fore femur, basal 2/3 of mid femur, fore and mid tibiae except extreme tip, yellowish brown; fore femur with four to five, mid femur with two ventral spines; abdomen lacking gland rods. Males with gonocoxite stout, with a conspicuous posteromesal pointed hook; gonostylus short, curved; parameres entirely divided, the distal portions slender with two posteriorly directed processes. This species is placed in the tibialis group in spite of the curious parameres without recurved tips. The species is compared with its congener Palpomyia mellichroa, from southeastern Brazil.

Se describe Palpomyia iberaensis n. sp., recolectada con trampa Malaise en Corrientes, Argentina, con base en una hembra que traía adheridos los órganos genitales del macho. Se ubica la especie en el grupo tibialis a pesar de tener parameros con puntas curvadas. Se compara la especie con su congénere brasileño Palpomyia mellichroa.

A new predaceous midge of the Palpomyia tibialis group from northeastern Argentina (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae).

Palpomyia iberaensis n. sp., was collected by Malaise trap in the province of Corrientes, Argentina and its female and attached male genitalia are described and illustrated. The species is distinguished by the following combination of characters: females with dark brown legs except fore trochanter, basal 1/2 of fore femur, basal 2/3 of mid femur, fore and mid tibiae except extreme tip, yellowish brown; fore femur with four to five, mid femur with two ventral spines; abdomen lacking gland rods. Males with gonocoxite stout, with a conspicuous posteromesal pointed hook; gonostylus short, curved; parameres entirely divided, the distal portions slender with two posteriorly directed processes. This species is placed in the tibialis group in spite of the curious parameres without recurved tips. The species is compared with its congener Palpomyia mellichroa, from southeastern Brazil.