Revision of the Brazilian species of Ptilodexia Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1889 (Diptera: Tachinidae: Dexiinae), with the description of a new species.

The Brazilian species of the New World genus Ptilodexia Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1889 are revised. Before this study, only one species of Ptilodexia was recorded from Brazil, viz. P. lateralis (Walker, 1836). Herein we record, for the first time, two new records of known Ptilodexia species in Brazil, viz. P. striata (Wulp, 1891) and P. rubricornis (Wulp, 1891). In addition, a new species is described, Ptilodexia matogrossensis sp. nov. from Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul states in Brazil; hence four species of this genus are currently recorded from Brazil. The species Neomyostoma ptilodexioides Townsend, 1935, from Brazil, placed in the monotypic genus Neomyostoma Townsend, 1935, is proposed as junior synonym of P. lateralis. Illustrations and detailed descriptions are presented for P. lateralis, P. matogrossensis sp. nov., P. striata and P. rubricornis and the male terminalia is described for P. lateralis and P. striata. The female terminalia and the first larval instar are described for the first time for the genus, based on the descriptions of P. lateralis and P. striata. A key to the identification of all recognized Brazilian species of Ptilodexia is presented. Finally, an updated distributional record is given for all studied species.

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.

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.

Neotropical Stomopogon (Diptera, Muscidae): new species, redescriptions and key to species.

Stomopogon Malloch (Diptera, Muscidae) is a Neotropical genus recorded from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile and Peru. In this contribution, the genus is revised, and three new species are described, one from Bolivia (Murillo, La Paz), one from Brazil (Palmas, Paraná) and one from Peru (Wayqecha, Cuzco). The descriptions include color images, illustrations and ultrastructural morphology of the terminalia of the adult. We provide an identification key to the species of Stomopogon and an updated map with species' distributions. Stomopogon acuta (Malloch, 1934) is proposed as a new junior synonym of S. inculta Stein, 1911.

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.

Type specimens of Coenosiini (Diptera, Muscidae) deposited in the Museum für Naturkunde, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Berlin, Germany).

The Museum für Naturkunde of the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin houses one of the most important and extensive collections of Muscidae (Diptera) in Europe as it includes more than 700 species described by Paul Stein and many others described by two other European dipterists, F. H. Loew and T. Becker. The relevance of the collection is even greater due to the excellent geographic coverage of this material. In this paper, we give a morphological and taxonomic revision of the 114 types of Coenosiini deposited in this collection. Differential diagnoses, notes on the types and photographs of some of them (habitus and labels) are provided.

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.

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.

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.

A remarkable new Coenosiini genus (Diptera, Muscidae) from Colombian Páramos.

The new genus, Sumapazomyia gen. nov., is proposed for a new species, S. inusitata sp. nov., from the National Natural Park Sumapaz, Bogota, Colombia. The unique morphology of the head and mouthparts, in combination with characters from the male and female terminalia, demonstrate that this new species represents a new and remarkable genus within the muscid tribe Coenosiini.

Ethiopian muscids (Diptera, Muscidae) egg-carriers of Stylogaster Macquart (Diptera, Conopidae).

We here report for the first time on the presence of three species of the conopid genus Stylogaster Macquart (Diptera, Conopidae) in Ethiopia, viz. S. nitens Brunetti, S. westwoodi Smith and Stylogaster sp.. We further screened 908 muscid flies (Diptera, Muscidae) for the presence of impaled eggs of Stylogaster and recorded eggs on 89 individuals (9.8%). Eggs were impaled on eight species, viz. Limnophora translucida Stein, Musca lusoria Wiedemann, Musca splendens Pont, Neomyia chrysopyga (Emden), Pseudohelina nigritarsis (Jaennicke), Stomoxys omega Newstead, Stomoxys taeniatus Bigot and Stomoxys varipes (Bezzi). The maximum number of eggs found on a single muscid was six. We illustrated the dissected eggs. L. translucida, M. lusoria, M. splendens, N. chrysopyga and S. varipes are reported as new muscid hosts species for Stylogaster.

First record of Fanniidae (Diptera) from New Caledonia.

The family Fanniidae is newly recorded to New Caledonia. Adult male and female of Fannia capitalis Pont are illustrated as well as the peculiar male terminalia, the female ovipositor, and the egg. Male phallic process and egg are described for the first time.

Occurrence of the Parasitic Fly Philornis torquans on Fledglings of the Rufous-Fronted Thornbird ( Phacellodomus rufifrons) in Southeast Brazil.

Philornis is a neotropical genus of muscid fly that interacts with birds and may affect the development and survival of the birds' offspring. Although Philornis is a relatively common parasite, there is a lack of information about Philornis hosts in several parts of the Americas. In this study, two nests of the Rufousfronted Thornbird ( Phacellodomus rufifrons) were collected in Pedro Leopoldo, southeast Brazil. The first contained four nestlings of advanced age (about 20 d old) and a recently emerged Philornis torquans female adult fly. The second nest contained three nestlings (less than 7 d old) and several Philornis torquans subcutaneous larvae. One of the nestlings was infested by 53 larvae, which had attacked several parts of its body and caused individual wounds containing 1 to more than 15 larvae. The length of the larvae ranged from 3 to 18 mm and only one was a second instar; the remaining 69 were third instars. The pupal period lasted 9-13 d. In total, 71 larvae were collected from the nest, with nestling parasitism varying from 7 to 53 larvae (mean- 23.7±25.5 larvae/nestling).

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.

Anthomyiidae, Fanniidae and Muscidae (Diptera) from the Juan Fernández Archipelago (Chile): 60 years after Willi Hennig's contributions.

Sixty years ago, Willi Hennig last catalogued the Anthomyiidae, Fanniidae and Muscidae fauna of the Juan Fernández Archipelago. This archipelago, composed of three main volcanic islands (Robinson Crusoe, Alejandro Selkirk and Santa Clara), has many endemic species. We describe Fannia hennigi sp. n. from the Robinson Crusoe Island, and record 11 species in 10 genera of Anthomyiidae, Fanniidae and Muscidae. A key to the identification of all species found in Juan Fernández Archipelago and a table with all species found in the Archipelago are presented, including four new records from Robinson Crusoe Island: Delia platura (Meigen, 1826); Fannia hennigi sp. n.; Lispoides insularis Hennig, 1957 and Schoenomyzina emdeni Hennig, 1955.

The male terminalia of some African species of Helina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (Diptera, Muscidae).

The morphology of the male terminalia of fourteen African species of Helina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (Diptera, Muscidae) is described and illustrated: H. dorsalis (Stein, 1914); H. emdeni Pont, 1980, H. fuscibasis Emden, 1951; H. gracilior Emden, 1951; H. hirtipes metatarsalis Emden, 1951, H. juxtamedialis Emden, 1951; H. lasiopa Emden, 1951; H. mollis (Stein, 1906); H. naivashensis Emden, 1951, stat. nov. (herein raised to species rank); H. nemoralis (Stein, 1913); H. novarae (Schiner, 1868), H. penicillata Emden, 1951; H. quadruplex (Stein, 1913); and H. trinubilifera (Malloch, 1921). These species demonstrate that the terminalia can be very varied, with different shapes of sternite 5, sometimes with very strong and long setae, and a short or elongated cercal plate and surstylus that sometimes can bear spines. Some of these species also share other external characters that are unusual among Helina, such as the arrangement of the katepisternal setae as an equilateral triangle, the absence of an anterodorsal seta on mid tibia, and wings with dark clouds. Most of these species are well described in the literature, but the male terminalia have never been studied in detail. The material studied here is deposited in the Natural History Museum (BMNH), London, United Kingdom.