Hydrellia Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Ephydridae) from Brazil with an emphasis on the faunas from the states of Parana and Rio de Janeiro.

With more than 200 species worldwide, Hydrellia Robineau-Desvoidy is the largest genus of the family Ephydridae (Diptera). However, knowledge of this genus is much reduced in Brazil and throughout the Neotropical Region, where only 8 species are known, including one from Brazil (H. xanthocera Cresson). The objective of this study is to review the species of Hydrellia from Brazil, with an emphasis on the faunas of Paraná and Rio de Janeiro states. Six new species are described: H. bocaiuvensis sp. nov. (Brazil, Paraná, Bocaiúva do Sul, 25°14.9'S, 49°8.9'W, 890 m), H. longiseta sp. nov. (Brazil, Paraná, Parque Iguaçú, 25°33.4'S, 49°13.6'W, 880 m),H. vilelai sp. nov. (Brazil, Paraná, Bocaiúva do Sul, 25°16.6'S, 48°58.5'W, 770 m), H. simplex sp. nov. (Brazil, Paraná, Parque Iguaçú, 25°33.4'S, 49°13.6'W, 880 m) e H. schneiderae sp. nov. (Brazil, Paraná, Parque Iguaçú (25°33.4'S, 49°13.6'W, 880 m), H. similis sp. nov. (Brazil, Paraná, Bocaiúva do Sul, 25°14.9'S, 49°8.9'W, 890 m). Seven new registers are recorded: H. agitator (Pará), H. apalachee (Paraná and Rio de Janeiro), H. calverti (Amazonas and Paraná), H. cavator (Rio de Janeiro), H. tibialis (Amazonas, Paraná and Rio de Janeiro), H. vulgaris (Paraná, São Paulo, Santa Catarina and Rio de Janeiro), H. wirthi (Pará, Paraná and Santa Catarina). Together with H. xanthocera, Hydrellia now includes 14 species from Brazil.

New species and redescriptions of the New Zealand genus Exsul Hutton (Diptera: Muscidae: Coenosiinae).

Exsul Hutton (Diptera, Muscidae) is revised and the genus diagnosis is enlarged. The female of Exsul singularis Hutton is described for the first time. The male and female terminalia of all species are described and illustrated. Exsul alfredoi sp. n. is described and illustrated and compared with the other known species. A key to separate the species is given.

Vertical stratification of insect abundance and species richness in an Amazonian tropical forest.

Tropical forests are among the most biodiverse biomes on the planet. Nevertheless, quantifying the abundance and species richness within megadiverse groups is a significant challenge. We designed a study to address this challenge by documenting the variability of the insect fauna across a vertical canopy gradient in a Central Amazonian tropical forest. Insects were sampled over two weeks using 6-m Gressitt-style Malaise traps set at five heights (0 m-32 m-8 m intervals) on a metal tower in a tropical forest north of Manaus, Brazil. The traps contained 37,778 specimens of 18 orders of insects. Using simulation approaches and nonparametric analyses, we interpreted the abundance and richness of insects along this gradient. Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Coleoptera had their greatest abundance at the ground level, whereas Lepidoptera and Hemiptera were more abundant in the upper levels of the canopy. We identified species of 38 of the 56 families of Diptera, finding that 527 out of 856 species (61.6%) were not sampled at the ground level. Mycetophilidae, Tipulidae, and Phoridae were significantly more diverse and/or abundant at the ground level, while Tachinidae, Dolichopodidae, and Lauxaniidae were more diverse or abundant at upper levels. Our study suggests the need for a careful discussion of strategies of tropical forest conservation based on a much more complete understanding of the three-dimensional distribution of its insect diversity.

On Aethiopomyia Malloch (Diptera, Muscidae) with the revision of the type specimens deposited in the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin (Germany) with a key to species.

Aethiopomyia Malloch (Diptera, Muscidae) is a small genus with occurrence restricted to the Afrotropical region. Only five species are currently known in this genus: A. patersoni Zumpt, 1969, A. williamsi Snyder, 1951, A. arguta (Karsch, 1879), A. steini Curran, 1935, and A. gigas (Stein, 1906). All Aethiopomyia species are large, reaching up to 15 mm, as in A. patersoni and the most visible differences among them are based in the color pattern of the body. The species are mostly yellow, with a broad scutum and abdomen, males and females are dichoptic, the anepimeron is haired and they have stubby spines on the upper side of the palpi. Phylogenetically, Aethiopomyia, together with two other genera restricted to the Afrotropical region, Alluaudinella Giglio-Tos and Ochromusca Malloch, appear to form a monophyletic group, defined by the presence of the remarkably short stubby spines on the upper side of the palpi. Four species deposited in the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin (Germany) were analyzed; three of them are types. Diagnosis for all species, colored illustrations, male dissections and illustrations and a key to separate them are presented herein.

Organochlorine pesticides (OCs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediments and crabs (Chasmagnathus granulata, Dana, 1851) from mangroves of Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil.

Organochlorinated compounds, seven indicator PCB congeners, DDT and its main metabolites, were determined in sediment and crab (Chasmagnathus granulata) samples collected from mangrove areas near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Samples were analysed according to the FAO/SIDA protocols using continuous non-polar solvent extraction and a conventional GC-ECD apparatus. The highest levels of total PCB congeners and total DDT metabolites in sediments (184.16 and 37.40 ng g(-1)d.w. respectively) and crab eggs (570.62 and 98.22 ng g(-1)d.w. respectively) were found at impacted mangroves. The higher PCB congeners than DDT metabolites levels suggesting a stronger industrial impact in this area. The results indicate that the population density of crab is negatively affected by sediment contamination that is reflected basically by the organochlorine content in the female eggs. The organochlorine concentration in eggs is more significant to evaluate or estimate an impact of these pollutants upon C. granulata population than the organochlorine concentration in sediment samples.

A new species of Liriomyza Mik (Diptera, Agromyzidae) on okra in Brazil.

Liriomyza okrae sp. n. is a new species from Brazil that does not have the yellow thoracic spots usually characteristic of the genus. The specimens were collected in Rondônia state (Brazil), reared from okra-Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench (Malvaceae). Detailed descriptions of adult male, larva and puparium are made, and images of the male, male terminalia, larva, puparium and host-plant are given. A key is provided for Neotropical Liriomyza with an entirely dark thorax.

Neodexiopsis Malloch (Diptera, Muscidae) from Ecuador: description of new species and a key to the species

ABSTRACT Neodexiopsis Malloch (Diptera, Muscidae) is a member of the subfamily Coenosiinae, with more than a hundred species recorded in the Neotropical region. In Ecuador, it is known by four species, which may be an underestimated number. We describe five new species based on recently collected material: Neodexiopsis bicoloratta new species, N. longialata new species, N. nigrocalyptrata new species, N. plana new species, and N. secunda new species. A key to segregating all the recorded species from Ecuador is presented. The male and female terminalia of the new species were dissected and illustrated. Images of the habitus of the adult from the new species are presented.

The SISBIOTA-Diptera Brazilian Network: A long-term survey of Diptera from unexplored Brazilian Western Arc of Amazon, Cerrado, and Pantanal

ABSTRACT The SISBIOTA-BRASIL was a three-year multimillion-dollar research program of the Brazilian government to document plants and animals in endangered/understudied areas and biomes in Brazil. Distributional patterns and the historical events that generated them are extensively unknown regarding Brazilian fauna and flora. This deficiency hinders the development of conservation policies and the understanding of evolutionary processes. Conservation decisions depend on precise knowledge of the taxonomy and geographic distribution of species. Given such a premise, we proposed to research the diversity of Diptera of the Brazilian western arc of Amazon, Cerrado, and Pantanal in the states of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Rondônia. Three important biomes of the South American continent characterize these Brazilian states: Amazon forest, Cerrado (Brazilian Savannah), and Pantanal. Besides their ecological relevance, these biomes historically lack intensive entomological surveys. Therefore, they are much underrepresented in the Brazilian natural history collections and in the scientific literature, which is further aggravated by the fact that these areas are being exponentially and rapidly converted to commercial lands. Our project involved over 90 collaborators from 24 different Brazilian institutions and one from Colombia among researchers, postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students, and technicians. We processed and analyzed nearly 300,000 specimens from ~60 families of Diptera collected with a large variety of methods in the sampled areas. Here, we provide a detailed overview of the genera and species diversity of 41 families treated. Our results point to a total of 2,130 species and 514 genera compiled and identified for the three states altogether, with an increase of 41% and 29% in the numbers of species and genera known for the three states combined, respectively. Overall, the 10 most species-rich families were Tachinidae, Cecidomyiidae, Tabanidae, Psychodidae, Sarcophagidae, Stratiomyidae, Bombyliidae, Syrphidae, Tephritidae, and Asilidae. The 10 most diverse in the number of genera were Tachinidae, Stratiomyidae, Asilidae, Mycetophilidae, Syrphidae, Tabanidae, Muscidae, Dolichopodidae, Sarcophagidae, and Chloropidae. So far, 111 scientific papers were published regarding taxonomic, phylogenetic, and biogeographical aspects of the studied families, with the description of 101 new species and three new genera. We expect that additional publications will result from this investigation because several specimens are now curated and being researched by specialists.

FAMILY LONCHAEIDAE.

This family was poorly known in the Neotropical region, mainly in Colombia. However, recent studies increased its knowledge with new distribution records. This catalogue presents 44 species distributed in three genera.

FAMILY AGROMYZIDAE.

Agromyzidae are a family with many species described throughout the world. The family is known as leaf-miner flies, for the phytophagous habits of their larvae, feeding within plant tissues. This catalogue presents 74 species recorded from Colombia, distributed in 12 genera and two subfamilies. For each species we present the available geographical distribution in the country.

The leaf-miner Nemorimyza Frey, 1946 in the Neotropical region: key to species and first record of Nemorimyza posticata (Meigen, 1830) from Brazil (Diptera, Agromyzidae)

ABSTRACT Nemorimyza Frey, 1946 (Diptera, Agromyzidae) is a genus of leaf-miner flies, with only five known species, some potentially polyphagous. Nemorimyza posticata (Meigen, 1830) is recorded from Brazil here for the first time. We provide a diagnosis of this species, including images of the male terminalia. We also provide a key for the five Neotropical species of the genus Nemorimyza, with host and distribution information for each species.

An illustrated catalogue of the types of Stratiomyidae (Diptera: Brachycera) in the collection of Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

A catalogue of the type specimens of Stratiomyidae (Diptera: Brachycera) held in the collection of Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (MNRJ) is presented. A total number of 50 type specimens of 18 valid Neotropical species were recognized and are listed in alphabetical order of subfamily, genus and specific epithet. Photos of 12 primary types of the species and bibliographical data of the original descriptions, labels and condition of all type specimens are also provided.

FAMILY EPHYDRIDAE.

This catalog presents 53 species of Ephydridae from Colombia that are classified into five subfamilies, 15 tribes and 26 genera. For each species we present the available geographical information.

Cordiluroides Albuquerque (Diptera: Muscidae): new species and key to the Neotropical genus

Abstract Here we describe three new species of Cordiluroides Albuquerque, one striking new species from Brazil, Minas Gerais, C. albitarsata sp. nov., and two from Peru, Cuzco, C. inca sp. nov. and C. wayqechensis sp. nov. Additionally, photographs from the types of C. listrata Albuquerque, 1954, C. megalopyga Albquerque, 1954 and C. insularis (Williston, 1896) are included. With the new species, Cordiluroides is now known from 11 species exclusively distributed in the Neotropical region with records from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Saint Vincent, and Peru. We give an updated identification key to species from the Neotropical region. Finally, we describe for the first time the external morphology and genitalia of the Cordiluroides species using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images.

Insect (Hexapoda) diversity in the oceanic archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, Brazil: updated taxonomic checklist and new records

ABSTRACT Hexapods, commonly known as insects, are a neglected taxonomic group in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, with unanswered questions about their species richness and the ecological processes in which they are involved (e.g., colonization, introduction, establishment, and extinction). Herein, we provide an updated Hexapod checklist with current nomenclatural combinations. The entomofauna of the Fernando de Noronha archipelago is currently composed of 453 species in 21 orders. The orders, and their respective number of species, are: Blattaria (9), Coleoptera (118), Collembola (29), Dermaptera (3), Diplura (1), Diptera (134), Embioptera (1), Hemiptera (29), Hymenoptera (59), Isoptera (2), Lepidoptera (25), Mantodea (1), Neuroptera (3), Odonata (5), Orthoptera (11), Phasmatodea (1), Phthiraptera (6), Psocoptera (3), Siphonaptera (1), Thysanoptera (10), and Zygentoma (2). The archipelago has 263 new taxon records (family + genera + species). Thirty-eight species (3.39%) were described from local specimens and most of them are likely endemic species. This study more than doubles our knowledge (from the previous 190 records) of the entomofauna in this large Brazilian archipelago. This study also provides a baseline for studies on its conservation status and for implementing future environmental management programs.

Camptotarsopoda annulitarsis Stein: redescription, description of terminalia and new record to South Africa (Diptera: Muscidae).

Camptotarsopoda Strand (Diptera, Muscidae) comprises five species restricted to the Afrotropical region. The genus belongs to the subfamily Coenosiinae and tribe Limnophorini. The type-species, C. annulitarsis (Stein), is redescribed and the male and female terminalia are described and illustrated for the first time. The species is newly recorded from South Africa. The systematic placement of the genus is confirmed among the basal Limnophorini.

Redescription of Japanagromyza inferna Spencer, first recorded from Brazil, and a key to the Neotropical species of Japanagromyza Sasakawa (Diptera, Agromyzidae).

Japanagromyza inferna Spencer is recorded for the first time from Brazil, in the North coast of the State of Rio de Janeiro, inducing galls in Centrosema virginianum L. (Fabaceae). The species is redescribed, with illustrations of male and female terminalia. A key to the identification of the Neotropical species of Japanagromyza Sasakawa is presented.

A new genus and species of Coenosiini from Costa Rica (Diptera, Muscidae, Coenosiinae).

Palpilongus gen. n. is herein described for one species - Palpilongus bifurcus sp. n., from Costa Rica, based on male and females. The striking morphological characters of the species - palpus very long, about as long as prementum; upper calypter truncate and very short and setae of male sternite 5 bifurcated, confirm that this new species is also a new genus in the tribe Coenosiini. Male and female terminalia were dissected and illustrated.

A new species of Drepanocnemis (Diptera, Muscidae) from Andes in Peru, with an updated phylogenetic analysis of species

ABSTRACT Drepanocnemis Stein (Diptera, Muscidae) is a small genus of flies that occur in high altitudes in the Colombian Andes, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Herein we describe Drepanocnemis aurifrons sp. nov. from Cuzco, Peru, which is found from high (2904 m) to lower altitudes (707 m). An updated phylogeny, key to species and map of species' distributions are provided, together with images and illustrations of the male and the female terminalia.

Revision of the Neotropical genus Mulfordia Malloch (Diptera, Muscidae)

Revision of the Neotropical genus Mulfordia Malloch (Diptera, Muscidae). The present paper provides a revision of Mulfordia Malloch (Diptera, Muscidae), including redescriptions of the genus and of its three species. The descriptions are complemented with illustrations of some characters to make the recognition of the species easier and to help the use of the key. The male terminalia of M. ferruginea Malloch is described for the first time.