Types of Neotropical Mycetophilidae (Diptera) at the Natural History Museum collection, London.

The primary types, secondary types, and some other identified specimens of 407 Neotropical species of Mycetophilidae at the Natural History Museum, London were examined. Notes were made on the condition of the primary types, their labels, and presence of other specimens in the type series. Additional comments are made about types, secondary types and some few other cases worth of note mistakenly determined to be at the NHM. Lectotypes are designated for syntypes of 17 species: Epicypta insipiens (Williston), Epicypta dolosa (Williston), Leia amabilis Williston, Leia concinna(Williston), Leia nitens (Williston), Megalopelma cellularis Edwards, Megalopelma fraudulenta (Williston), Megalopelma platyura Edwards, Mycetophila borgmeieri Edwards, Mycomya meridionalis Johannsen, Monoclona digitata Edwards, Mycomya peruviana Edwards, Neoempheria maculipennis Williston, Procycloneura paranensisEdwards, Stenophragma nigricauda Edwards, Tetragoneura simplex Edwards, Trizygia nitens Edwards. Three species­Leia biamputata Edwards, Leia fuscicornis Edwards, and Neallodia flavida Edwards­previously considered subjective junior synonyms in the literature were revalidated. Mycetophila rufoides nom. nov. is proposed for Mycetophila rufaLane (preocc. Macquart 1826). Mycetophila dolosa Williston is transferred to Epicypta, without being assigned to a particular subgenus. The type of Sceptonia paiaguensis Freeman is formally considered lost. Photographs taken of holotypes and lectotypes are included, helping taxonomic documentation and in some extent, species identification. After the nomenclatural acts in this paper, the Natural History Museum, London, now holds holotypes of 292 Neotropical species of the Mycetophilidae, 23 lectotypes, syntypes of 3 species that have syntypes in other collections, paratypes of 81 species that have holotypes in other collections, identified specimens of 5 species with types lost and specimens of three species which fit in other cases.

Taxonomic revision of the genus Neopleurophora Brown (Diptera: Phoridae), with the description of thirty seven new species.

Thirty seven new Neotropical species of the phorid genus Neopleurophora are described­ N. acrensis, sp. nov., N. acrochaetopyga,sp. nov., N. atlantica, sp. nov., N. balbii, sp. nov., N. boliviana, sp. nov., N. brachypyga, sp. nov., N.brachytarsus, sp. nov., N. browni, sp. nov., N. carcharopyga, sp. nov., N. cauca, sp. nov., N. ceratopyga, sp. nov., N. chocoensis, sp. nov., N. colobopyga, sp. nov., N. costaricana, sp. nov., N. dichaeta, sp. nov., N. dicrodrilus, sp. nov., N. diffusa,sp. nov., N. dolichopyga, sp. nov., N. dorsimaculata, sp. nov., N. hymenodrilus, sp. nov., N. kleini, sp. nov., N. kungi, sp.nov., N. lamasi, sp. nov., N. manauara, sp. nov., N. marquesi, sp. nov., N. megalopyga, sp. nov., N. microssoma, sp. nov.,N. odontopyga, sp. nov., N. platypyga, sp. nov., N. polychaetopoda, sp. nov., N. prionotopyga, sp. nov., N. ptychodrilus,sp. nov., N. reginensis, sp. nov., N. scleropyga, sp. nov., N. setiventris, sp. nov., N. synaptodrilus, sp. nov., N. tanytarsus,sp. nov. The female holotypes of N. scutellata and N. scutellata var. jamaicensis could not be associated to any male specimen and there is no sufficient morphological evidence to consider either as different species. Neopleurophora setipes is redescribed and illustrated. The hypopygial morphology is studied in detail and the first illustrations of the phallus of the genus are presented. An identification key for the species of the genus is provided and groups of species are proposed.

The Neotropical chloropine genus Ischnochlorops Paganelli 2002 (Diptera: Chloropidae), with the description of a new species.

A new species is described for the Neotropical genus Ischnochlorops Paganelli (Diptera: Chloropidae), so far known only from the type-species, I. trilineatus Paganelli. The type-species is redescribed based on an additional male from the State of Paraná. A new species, I. lefevrei sp. nov., from Campos do Jordão, State of São Paulo, Brazil, is described. An emended diagnosis is proposed for Ischnochlorops and a key to the species is provided. Photographs of the habitus, head, and wing of both species are provided, as well as drawings of the male terminalia.

The stridulatory organ in Opetiidae and Phoridae (Diptera) and phylogenetic implications for the evolution of higher flies.

Stridulatory sound-making organs evolved in a group of flies-the family Phoridae-by modifications of the microstructure of foreleg segments present in the shared ancestor of the clade (Phoridae + Opetiidae). The opetiids are the only group amongst the lower Cyclorrhapha in which plausible homologous structures could be found, though in a less derived condition. On the forefemur of Opetia there are numerous elongate, flattened microtrichia that in basal phorids are organized into a curved linear group (the scraper) which are scraped against a curved, ridged carina on the forecoxa (the file). The file was possibly derived from an extremely unusual set of three setae that have transverse sculpturing and sockets that limit lateral motion, and which are distributed across the opetiid forecoxa. In some phorid lineages, these setae seem to be fused into the forecoxa forming the linear ridged surface against which the scraper on the forefemur could be moved. The relationship between opetiids and phorids dates back to the Cretaceous, and this pattern of file and scraper can be clearly seen in some 100 mya Myanmar amber phorid fly fossils. These structures shared between opetiids and phorids suggest that these two families may be sister groups amongst the Platypezoidea. Different modifications of the forelegs of other higher flies may have similar roles.

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.

Two new species of Neotraginops Prado from Costa Rica and Brazil (Diptera: Odiniidae: Traginopinae).

Two new species of Neotraginops Prado (Neotraginops fachini sp. nov. and Neotraginops arikemi sp. nov.) are added to the known Neotropical diversity of the Traginopinae (Odiniidae), and the range is expanded for Neotraginops mexicanus Herndez-Ortiz Dzul-Cauich. A key to the species of the genus is provided. Along with descriptions, photographs and detailed illustrations of the male terminalia are included for the new species.

Endemism within endemism: a new species of Austroleptis Hardy, 1920 (Diptera: Austroleptidae) from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest highlands.

A third species of the southern temperate tabanomorph genus Austroleptis Hardy, 1920 (Diptera: Austroleptidae)-A. camposgerais sp. nov.-from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest is described and illustrated. A key for the species of the genus in Brazil is provided. Shared derived features indicate a sister group relationship between the new species and A. longirostris Fachin et al., 2018. Whatever the relationships among the species of this clade, however, there is a process of endemism within endemism in the Atlantic Forest: species at higher altitudes undergo vicariance process that do not affect lowland species distributed around the mountain chains. The low number of specimens known from highland species and the very restricted geographic distribution of each species strongly indicate the urgency to protect the natural environments at higher altitudes in Brazil.

Psectrosciara Kieffer in Mexico (Diptera: Scatopsidae): two new species and additional records for the genus.

Two new species of Psectrosciara Kieffer from Mexico-Psectrosciara ahuatla sp. nov. and Psectrosciara otumba sp. nov., both belonging to the scatopsiformis-group, are described and illustrated based on males and females collected in Neotropical (Acapulco and Nuxco in the State of Guerrero) and Nearctic (Coyotepec, in the State of Mexico) areas in Mexico. We have a new record of Psectrosciara serrata Cook from Jalisco (in the Biological Station of Chamela) and females from different parts of Mexico. A key for the species of Psectrosciara from Mexico is presented.

Taxonomic revision of the Neotropical genus Arthropeina Lindner, 1949 (Diptera: Xylomyidae).

Five new species are herein described for the Neotropical genus Arthropeina previously known only from the type-species, A. fulva Lindner: A. colombiana, sp. nov., A. diadelothorax, sp. nov., A. lindneri, sp. nov., A. melanochroma, sp. nov. and A. pseudofulva, sp. nov. The new species are described and habitus, antenna, palpus, thorax, wing, and male and female genitalia, including genital fork and spermathecae, are illustrated. A key to the species of the genus is provided. The diagnosis of Arthropeina is emended to include these new species. Additionally, the genus is recorded for the first time for Guyana, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.