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.

Description of a new species of Neorhinotora Lopes, 1934 (Diptera: Heleomyzidae) from Central America.

A new species of Neorhinotora Lopes, 1934 (Diptera, Heleomyzidae) is described: Neorhinotora elsalvadorensis sp. nov., from El Salvador, Central America, with illustrations of external and internal morphological characters and update of the identification key.

A taxonomic synopsis of Chrysomydas Wilcox, Papavero amp; Pimentel (Diptera: Mydidae: Mydinae), with first bionomic records for the genus and description of a new species from Brazil.

Chrysomydas Wilcox, Papavero Pimentel, 1989 (Diptera, Mydidae, Mydinae, Stratiomydina), is a poorly known monotypic genus, with the type-species, C. nitidulus (Olivier, 1811), recorded from Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, and Suriname. The present work aims to provide an updated diagnosis for the genus and type-species, C. nitidulus, along with the description of C. phoenix Calhau Lamas sp. nov. from the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, based on a male imago and associated pupal exuviae. Additionally, the first bionomic data for the genus are reported, with the rearing of adult C. nitidulus in the laboratory from larvae collected under the decaying trunk of a coconut palm (Cocos nucifera L.) in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. The new species is easily distinguished from C. nitidulus by the predominantly black tergal and scutal setulae, which are golden in the type-species. They also differ by the male genitalia and shape of the proboscis.

A new Mapinguari Papavero & Wilcox (Diptera, Mydidae, Mydinae) from Minas Gerais State, Brazil.

Mapinguari Papavero & Wilcox, 1974 (Diptera, Mydidae, Mydinae) is a very rare monotypic genus, with the type-species, M. politus (Wiedemann, 1828), occurring exclusively in Amazonia. With the description of Mapinguari uai sp. nov. from a remnant of the Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil, the distribution of the genus is greatly expanded. In addition, an updated diagnosis for the genus and its type-species is provided.

FAMILY MYDIDAE.

Mydidae (Diptera, Asiloidea) are a relatively rare group of flies, and the knowledge on the Colombian mydids is very poor. According to available literature, only two species are registered to this country, Protomydas coerulescens (Olivier, 1811) and P. rubidapex (Wiedemann, 1830).

FAMILY THEREVIDAE.

This catalogue presents the Colombian fauna of stiletto flies (Diptera: Therevidae). According to available literature, only four species, distributed in three genera, are registered to this country, Ataenogera brevicornis (Bromley, 1934), Brachylinga punctifrons (Kröber, 1914), B. xanthoperna Irwin and Webb, 1991 and Chromolepida pruinosa (Coquillett, 1904).

Review of Rhinotora (Diptera, Heleomyzidae) with description of a new species and key to all known heleomyzid species from Brazil.

Rhinotora Schiner, 1868, are a rare group of flies, previously including seven species distributed in the Americas, six of them occurring in Brazil. This work aims to provide a taxonomic review for Rhinotora Schiner, with addition of two species in the genus: Rhinotora fonsecai, which is transferred back to its original genus, and R. paschoali sp. nov. New distributional records are presented for R. lopesi and R. travassosi. A key to the all known heleomyzid species recorded from Brazil is provided.

Review of the Gauromydas giant flies (Insecta, Diptera, Mydidae), with descriptions of two new species from Central and South America.

Gauromydas Wilcox, Papavero & Pimentel, 1989 are giant flies, and include the largest fly known, G. heros (Perty, 1833). This genus was originally erected to group four Neotropical species, namely G. apicalis (Wiedemann, 1830), G. autuorii (d'Andretta, 1951), G. heros, and G. mystaceus (Wiedemann, 1830). As with most of the remaining Mydidae, adults of Gauromydas are very rarely collected. We here describe two new species of Gauromydas (G. mateus sp. nov. and G. papaveroi sp. nov.) discovered in entomological collections, including specimens unstudied for up to eight decades. We also provide revised diagnoses for the remaining four species of Gauromydas, along with a new key and new distribution records for the genus.

Taxonomic revision of Pseudorhopalia Wilcox & Papavero, 1971 (Insecta, Diptera, Mydidae, Rhopaliinae), with description of a new species from the Brazilian Amazon .

The previously monotypic genus Pseudorhopalia Wilcox & Papavero, 1971 is here revised, with description of a new species, Pseudorhopalia manauara, sp. n. The type-species, P. mirandai (d'Andretta & Carrera, 1951), is only found in northeastern Brazil, in the semiarid Caatinga biome. On the other hand, the new species is found in the humid Brazilian Amazonia, within dense ombrophilous forest and campina (scleromorphic scrub vegetation associated with white sand).