New species of Neriidae (Diptera: Schizophora): an addition to the previously monotypic genus Protonerius

ABSTRACT

In recent years, our knowledge of the Oriental fauna of Neriidae has improved with the studies of Telostylus Bigot, 1859 and Teloneria Aczél, 1954. However, the small genera (less than three species) have never been revised and their taxonomy remains obscure. Neriidae has 18 genera of which 10 occur exclusively in the Oriental and Australasian Regions, including four monotypic genera, of which one, Protonerius de Meijere, 1924, is only known from the female holotype of Protonerius guttipennis de Meijere, 1921 from Indonesia. We here describe a second species of the genus, Protonerius opacus sp. nov., based on a female specimen from Selangor, Malaysia, which differs from the type species of the genus by the patterns of infuscate spots on the wing and the coloring of pleuron and femora. Additionally, an identification key for the two species and an updated diagnosis of the genus are provided.