First record of Diastatidae (Diptera: Ephydroidea) from Brazil, with the description of a new species.

The ephydroid family Diastatidae is recorded for the first time from Brazil. A new species, Diastata fachini Costa, Pirani & Mathis, sp. nov. which was collected from the Atlantic Forest, is described. The description is based on an adult male and female and includes photographs and detailed illustrations.

On the uncommon genera Pseudiastata Coquillett and Hyalistata Wheeler (Diptera: Drosophilidae: Steganinae): new species and additional records from the Neotropical Region.

Two uncommon genera of Steganinae (Drosophilidae) are herein studied based on material from the Neotropical Region, Pseudiastata Coquillett and Hyalistata Wheeler. Additional records for Pseudiastata Coquillett are provided, including the redescription of the species Pseudiastata brasiliensis Costa Lima, originally described in 1937. An update to the morphological nomenclature is also proposed, as well as a lectotype and some paralectotype designations. Moreover, the genus Hyalistata Wheeler, for which two new species are described (Hyalistata cerradensis sp. nov. and Hyalistata emas sp. nov.) is first recorded in Brazil. We present photographs and detailed illustrations of the terminalia of all species described here.

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.

Monotypic no more: A new species of the unusual genus Mayagueza Wheeler, 1960 from the Neotropical region (Diptera: Drosophilidae: Steganinae).

A new species belonging to the previously monotypic steganine genus Mayagueza Wheeler, 1960 (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is described. The new species, Mayagueza lopesi sp. nov., was collected in the Brazilian Cerrado. This is the first record of this genus for South America, and the description of the new species, based on male and female adult specimens, includes photographs and detailed illustrations of male and female terminalia.

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.

Rediscovery, redescription, and reclassification of the rare and unusual fly Pyrgometopa penicillata Kertész (Diptera: Drosophilidae).

For slightly more than a century only the type specimen has been known for Pyrgometopa penicillata, a monotypic genus of Drosophilidae whose sole species has an ocellar triangle distended into a bizarre tubercle bearing a tuft of large, spine-like bristles in both sexes. Here we report additional specimens of both sexes of the species, recently rediscovered from Brazil, Peru and French Guyana, allowing us to state that Pyrgometopa is a junior synonym for Stegana, a large cosmopolitan genus. A detailed redescription of Stegana penicillata (Kertész) new combination is provided, including new morphological information, like the male and female terminalia, the egg and a short discussion is provided about its hallmark feature.

A new species and notes on unusual natural history of Cladochaeta Coquillett, 1900 (Diptera: Drosophilidae).

A new species of Cladochaeta Coquillett (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is described, C. caxiuana sp. nov. from the Brazilian Amazon, based on 10 male and 10 female specimens obtained from nymphs of Sphodroscarta trivirgata (Amyot Serville, 1843) (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Aphrophoridae). The female of Cladochaeta atlantica Pirani Amorim, 2016 is described based on specimens reared from spider egg sacs of the spider Cryptachaea migrans (Keyserling, 1884) (Araneae: Theridiidae) obtained in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. This is the first record of this fly genus attacking a spider egg sac. The species Cladochaeta sororia (Williston, 1896) is recorded for the first time from Brazil, based on specimens collected in an urban garden in the Amazon. In addition, an unidentified female specimen of Cladochaeta Coquillett, 1900 was obtained from the cocoon of a spider wasp of the genus Notocyphus Smith (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae).

Going beyond the tip of the Drosophilidae iceberg: New Cladochaeta Coquillett, 1900 (Diptera: Drosophilidae) from Brazil.

Drosophilidae comprises more than 4,000 described species worldwide. Despite the huge number of papers published on the genus Drosophila Fallén, 1823, large parts of the family are still poorly known. The drosophiline genus Cladochaeta Coquillet, 1900 has more than 100 Neotropical and several southern Nearctic described species, but there is quite a large number of undescribed species. The Brazilian fauna of the genus was studied and 12 new species are herein described-Cladochaeta armatopsis nov. sp., C. balbiae nov. sp., C. paraitinga nov. sp., C. asapha nov. sp., C.chauliodactyla nov. sp., C. conicophallus nov. sp., C. dicrophallus nov. sp., C.grimaldii nov. sp., C. atlantica nov. sp., C. periotoi nov. sp., C. phallotrixa nov. sp. and C. stigmata nov. sp. We set the first record of C. arthrostyla Grimaldi & Nguyen, 1999 for northeastern Brazil a species otherwise known from Costa Rica, and the first record of C. bomplandi (Malloch, 1934) for the state of Minas Gerais, a species known for northeastern Argentina and southern Brazil. The descriptions include photographs for each species and detailed illustrations of the male terminalia in different views. A synopsis on the taxonomy and natural history of the genus is provided, as well as comments about the relationships of species in the genus, a discussion on problems of male terminalia sclerite homology and the problem of association between males and females.