Validating Indigenous Farmers' Practice in the Management of the Fall Armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) in Maize Cropping Systems in Africa.

Before the invasion of the fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda into Africa, smallholder farmers had been using indigenous practices such as applying fish soup to plants to manage stemborer pests. Although farmers have since begun adapting this practice against FAW, no attempt has been made to scientifically evaluate this practice. Therefore, we assessed the efficacy of applying fish soup to maize plants that were artificially infested with FAW under semi-field conditions. Our results showed that foliar damage is inversely correlated with the concentration of a fish soup and sugar solution, with the highest (100%) concentration resulting in the lowest foliar damage and the highest plant recovery. The FAW foliar damage results for maize plants treated with 100%, 50%, 10% fish soup and sugar, and distilled water were 46.3 ± 5.6, 51.1 ± 5.0, 71.6 ± 5.2, and 99.4 ± 0.4%, respectively, whereas plant recovery results from the same treatments were 35.2 ± 3.7, 31.1 ± 5.4, 20.0 ± 4.6, and 0.0 ± 0.0%, respectively. A concentration of fish soup and sugar solution of at least 25.9% was required to achieve the lowest foliar damage of 17.8% and peak plant recovery of 73.6%. Fish soup and sugar solutions attracted a wide range of insects, including potential natural enemies (predators and parasitoids) of FAW, in a dose-dependent manner. Maize plants treated with fish soup and sugar showed higher chlorophyll content and better growth than the control did. Proximate and chemical analysis showed that fish soup contains essential plant growth nutrients (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus, and calcium). Through GC-MS analyses, we identified 76 volatile organic compounds in fish soup, of which 16 have been reported as insect attractants, highlighting their potential ecological significance. Therefore, the indigenous pest management practices for FAW, such as the use of fish soup, deserve particular attention. These practices could contribute to food security and improve the livelihoods of vulnerable communities. Further field validation studies, economic analyses, product development, and optimisation are therefore required to optimise the use of fish soup based on fish waste.

The Chalcidoidea bush of life: evolutionary history of a massive radiation of minute wasps.

Chalcidoidea are mostly parasitoid wasps that include as many as 500 000 estimated species. Capturing phylogenetic signal from such a massive radiation can be daunting. Chalcidoidea is an excellent example of a hyperdiverse group that has remained recalcitrant to phylogenetic resolution. We combined 1007 exons obtained with Anchored Hybrid Enrichment with 1048 ultra-conserved elements (UCEs) for 433 taxa including all extant families, >95% of all subfamilies, and 356 genera chosen to represent the vast diversity of the superfamily. Going back and forth between the molecular results and our collective knowledge of morphology and biology, we detected bias in the analyses that was driven by the saturation of nucleotide data. Our final results are based on a concatenated analysis of the least saturated exons and UCE datasets (2054 loci, 284 106 sites). Our analyses support an expected sister relationship with Mymarommatoidea. Seven previously recognized families were not monophyletic, so support for a new classification is discussed. Natural history in some cases would appear to be more informative than morphology, as illustrated by the elucidation of a clade of plant gall associates and a clade of taxa with planidial first-instar larvae. The phylogeny suggests a transition from smaller soft-bodied wasps to larger and more heavily sclerotized wasps, with egg parasitism as potentially ancestral for the entire superfamily. Deep divergences in Chalcidoidea coincide with an increase in insect families in the fossil record, and an early shift to phytophagy corresponds with the beginning of the "Angiosperm Terrestrial Revolution". Our dating analyses suggest a middle Jurassic origin of 174 Ma (167.3-180.5 Ma) and a crown age of 162.2 Ma (153.9-169.8 Ma) for Chalcidoidea. During the Cretaceous, Chalcidoidea may have undergone a rapid radiation in southern Gondwana with subsequent dispersals to the Northern Hemisphere. This scenario is discussed with regard to knowledge about the host taxa of chalcid wasps, their fossil record and Earth's palaeogeographic history.

African Platyplectrus Ferrire (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) from Kenya, with description of nine new species.

Eleven species of Platyplectrus have been recorded from the Afrotropical region. Ch. Ferrire described nine species in 1941: two of them as Platyplectrus (P. capensis and P. ornatus) and seven under Euplectromorpha (Platyplectrus ausensis, P. brevicornis, P. kiambuensis, P. obscuratus, P. nitidiceps, P. striolata and Euplectromorpha variegata (not synonymized until the present paper)). Subsequently, P. meruensis was described by Delucchi (1962) and P. desertus by Yefremova (2008). To date, only one species, P. kiambuensis, has been recorded from Kenya. Recently, a wide-ranging survey and inventory project in Kenya raised this number to 18 species, nine of which are new and described herein: Platyplectrus albiclavatus sp. nov., P. kayaensis sp. nov., P. marenjeensis sp. nov., P. mrimaensis sp. nov., P. ngangaoensis sp. nov., P. nyambeneensis sp. nov., P. nyanzaensis sp. nov., P. pseudoornatus sp. nov., and P. pyrrhomaculatus sp. nov. Three species are redescribed: two for both sexes (P. meruensis, P. obscuratus) and one for females (P. ornatus). A new combination is proposed for Platyplectrus striolatus (Ferrire) from Euplectromorpha striolata Ferrire, 1941, and Euplectromorpha variegata Ferrire, 1941 is synonymized with Platyplectrus nigroflaveatus Yefremova, and the female is redescribed. A key to the genus Platyplectrus is provided for the 18 species found in Kenya.

Phylogenetic resolution of the fly superfamily Ephydroidea-Molecular systematics of the enigmatic and diverse relatives of Drosophilidae.

The schizophoran superfamily Ephydroidea (Diptera: Cyclorrhapha) includes eight families, ranging from the well-known vinegar flies (Drosophilidae) and shore flies (Ephydridae), to several small, relatively unusual groups, the phylogenetic placement of which has been particularly challenging for systematists. An extraordinary diversity in life histories, feeding habits and morphology are a hallmark of fly biology, and the Ephydroidea are no exception. Extreme specialization can lead to "orphaned" taxa with no clear evidence for their phylogenetic position. To resolve relationships among a diverse sample of Ephydroidea, including the highly modified flies in the families Braulidae and Mormotomyiidae, we conducted phylogenomic sampling. Using exon capture from Anchored Hybrid Enrichment and transcriptomics to obtain 320 orthologous nuclear genes sampled for 32 species of Ephydroidea and 11 outgroups, we evaluate a new phylogenetic hypothesis for representatives of the superfamily. These data strongly support monophyly of Ephydroidea with Ephydridae as an early branching radiation and the placement of Mormotomyiidae as a family-level lineage sister to all remaining families. We confirm placement of Cryptochetidae as sister taxon to a large clade containing both Drosophilidae and Braulidae-the latter a family of honeybee ectoparasites. Our results reaffirm that sampling of both taxa and characters is critical in hyperdiverse clades and that these factors have a major influence on phylogenomic reconstruction of the history of the schizophoran fly radiation.

Revision of the endemic African genus Dinapsis (Dinapsini, Megalyridae, Hymenoptera) with description of seven new species.

The endemic Afrotropical genus Dinapsis is revised, and seven new species are described and illustrated: D.bicolor van Noort & Shaw, sp. nov., D.gamka van Noort & Shaw, sp. nov., D.igneus van Noort & Shaw, sp. nov., D.spinitibia van Noort & Shaw, sp. nov., D.taita van Noort & Shaw, sp. nov., D.tricolor Shaw & van Noort, sp. nov., D.zulu Shaw & van Noort, sp. nov. The distribution of the Central African Republican species D.centralis Shaw & van Noort, 2009 is extended to include Cameroon, Kenya and Uganda. Dinapsisturneri Waterston, 1922, previously only known from the poorly preserved holotype female, is redescribed based on newly collected specimens. The distribution of this Western Cape species is extended to include the Eastern and Northern Cape provinces of South Africa. Four distinct species groups within the genus are proposed and diagnosed. An illustrated identification key to all described species of Dinapsis is provided. Online interactive Lucid keys to Afrotropical megalyrid genera and Dinapsis species are available at http://www.waspweb.org.

Diversity, Host Plants and Potential Distribution of Edible Saturniid Caterpillars in Kenya.

The promotion of edible insects, including saturniid caterpillars as potential food source is widely gaining momentum. They are adequately rich in nutrients such as proteins, amino acids, fatty acids, and micronutrients. Despite saturniids being a traditional food source with economic benefits, information on their diversity, host plants and their potential distribution in Africa are lacking, which this study seeks to address. Edible saturniids and their host plants were characterized using specific primers (LepF1/LepR1 and 3F_KIM_F/1R_KIM_R, respectively). Maximum entropy (MaxENT) and GARP (genetic algorithm for ruleset production) models were used to characterize the potential distribution of commonly consumed saturniids under current and future climate scenarios. Seven species of saturniids were recorded from 11 host plants in Kenya: Gonimbrasia zambesina, Gonimbrasia krucki, Bunaea alcinoe, Gonimbrasia cocaulti, Gonimbrasia belina, Gynanisa nigra and Cirina forda. Two morphotypes of G. zambesina and B. alcinoe were recorded. These saturniid caterpillars occur twice a year except for G. cocaulti. Predictive models revealed that tropical and subtropical regions were potentially suitable for B. alcinoe and C. forda. The information generated from this study would be important to guide conservation efforts and their sustainable utilization as food in Africa.

Transmission of 'Candidatus Anaplasma camelii' to mice and rabbits by camel-specific keds, Hippobosca camelina.

Anaplasmosis, caused by infection with bacteria of the genus Anaplasma, is an important veterinary and zoonotic disease. Transmission by ticks has been characterized but little is known about non-tick vectors of livestock anaplasmosis. This study investigated the presence of Anaplasma spp. in camels in northern Kenya and whether the hematophagous camel ked, Hippobosca camelina, acts as a vector. Camels (n = 976) and > 10,000 keds were sampled over a three-year study period and the presence of Anaplasma species was determined by PCR-based assays targeting the Anaplasmataceae 16S rRNA gene. Camels were infected by a single species of Anaplasma, 'Candidatus Anaplasma camelii', with infection rates ranging from 63-78% during the dry (September 2017), wet (June-July 2018), and late wet seasons (July-August 2019). 10-29% of camel keds harbored 'Ca. Anaplasma camelii' acquired from infected camels during blood feeding. We determined that Anaplasma-positive camel keds could transmit 'Ca. Anaplasma camelii' to mice and rabbits via blood-feeding. We show competence in pathogen transmission and subsequent infection in mice and rabbits by microscopic observation in blood smears and by PCR. Transmission of 'Ca. Anaplasma camelii' to mice (8-47%) and rabbits (25%) occurred readily after ked bites. Hence, we demonstrate, for the first time, the potential of H. camelina as a vector of anaplasmosis. This key finding provides the rationale for establishing ked control programmes for improvement of livestock and human health.

Identification of Edible Short- and Long-Horned Grasshoppers and Their Host Plants in East Africa.

There is a paucity of information on the edible grasshoppers and their host plants in East Africa. This study adopted morphological and molecular analysis to identify edible grasshoppers in Kenya and Uganda. The associated host plants were identified through molecular analysis of the gut contents of the grasshoppers. The cytochrome b and 16s gene primers were used for grasshopper DNA analysis; while matK gene primers were used for plant DNA analysis. All long-horned grasshoppers sampled were identified as Ruspolia differens (Serville) (Orthoptera: Tettigonidae); whereas short-horned grasshoppers were identified as Acanthacris ruficornis (Fabricius) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) and Cyrtacanthacris tatarica (L.) (Orthoptera: Acrididae). Host plants of A. ruficornis were Achyranthes aspera (L.), Centella virgata L.f. Drude, Digitaria gayana (Kunth), Galinsoga quadriradiata Ruiz and Pavon, and Triumfetta pilosa Roth; whereas those of C. tatarica were Alysicarpus rugosus (Willd.) DC and Teramnus uncinatus (L.) SW. Host plants of R. differens were Ageratum conyzoides (L.), Citrus depressa Hayata, Cynodon dactylon (L.), D. gayana, Eragrostis mexicana Hornem, Eucalyptus saligna SM., Indigofera arrecta Hochst. ex A. Rich., Persicaria nepalensis (L.), and Sorghum halepense (L.). Information on the host plants of edible grasshoppers can help in the development of their mass rearing protocols.

Description of Eniacomorpha hermetiae Delvare sp. n. (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Chalcididae) a pupal parasitoid of Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera, Stratiomyidae), and a potential threat to mass production of the fly as a feed supplement for domestic animals.

Eniacomorpha hermetiae Delvare sp. n. (Hymenoptera, Chalcididae, Dirhininae), reared from pupae of black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus, 1758) (Diptera, Stratiomyidae), is described and illustrated from Africa and compared with other similar species newly considered as forming the ehrhorni species-group within Eniacomorpha Girault, 1915. The newly described parasitic wasp may have a negative impact on efforts to mass produce BSF in Africa as a feed supplement for domestic animals. Eniacomorpha is removed from synonymy under Dirhinus Dalman, 1818, revised status, for the Afrotropical species of Dirhininae previously placed in Dirhinus subgenus Pareniaca Crawford, 1913. A checklist of the 10 recognized species of Afrotropical Eniacomorpha is given, of which 9 are new generic combinations.

Dryinidae of the Afrotropical region (Hymenoptera, Chrysidoidea).

An updated revision of Afrotropical Dryinidae is presented. Nine subfamilies, 23 genera and 430 species (including 60 new species) are treated. Six new species-level synonymies and three new combinations are proposed. Descriptions, geographic distribution, known hosts, natural enemies and type material of each species are presented, together with illustrations of the main morphological characters and keys to the subfamilies, genera and species. A complete list of references concerning the Afrotropical Dryinidae and their hosts is provided. The following new species are described: Anteon ambrense, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Anteon beankanum, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Anteon elongatum, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Anteon hoekense, sp. nov. (South Africa), Anteon mabibiense, sp. nov. (South Africa), Anteon majunganum, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Anteon malagasy, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Anteon musmani, sp. nov. (Kenya), Anteon nigropictum, sp. nov. (South Africa), Anteon nimbense, sp. nov. (Guinea), Anteon pseudohova, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Anteon sakalavense, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Anteon tulearense, sp. nov. (Kenya, Madagascar), Aphelopus sequeirai, sp. nov. (Kenya), Apoaphelopus fisheri, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Apoaphelopus wallacei, sp. nov. (Kenya), Bocchus forestalis, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Bocchus granulatus, sp. nov. (South Africa), Bocchus harinhalai, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Bocchus nigroflavus, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Bocchus parkeri, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Bocchus ruvidus, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Conganteon hawleyi, sp. nov. (Kenya), Conganteon sensitivum, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Crovettia afra, sp. nov. (Kenya, Madagascar), Deinodryinus ambrensis, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Deinodryinus granulatus, sp. nov. (South Africa), Deinodryinus nigropictus, sp. nov. (South Africa), Deinodryinus piceus, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Dryinus bellicosus, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Dryinus dentatiforceps, sp. nov. (South Africa), Dryinus erenianus, sp. nov. (Ivory Coast), Dryinus milleri, sp. nov. (Kenya), Dryinus mobotensis, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Dryinus nigrithorax, sp. nov. (Ivory Coast), Dryinus teres, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Dryinus tulearensis, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Dryinus whittleorum, sp. nov. (Kenya), Gonatopus avontuurensis, sp. nov. (South Africa), Gonatopus bellicosus, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Gonatopus comorensis, sp. nov. (Union of the Comoros), Gonatopus costalis, sp. nov. (South Africa), Gonatopus flavotestaceus, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Gonatopus gumovskyi, sp. nov. (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Gonatopus hantamensis, sp. nov. (South Africa), Gonatopus harinhalai, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Gonatopus karooensis, sp. nov. (South Africa), Gonatopus koebergensis, sp. nov. (South Africa), Gonatopus marojejyanus, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Gonatopus minutus, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Gonatopus nigropictus, sp. nov. (South Africa), Gonatopus ranomafanensis, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Gonatopus robertsoni, sp. nov. (South Africa), Gonatopus rugithorax, sp. nov. (South Africa), Gonatopus scholtzi, sp. nov. (South Africa), Gonatopus wikstrandae, sp. nov. (Kenya), Lonchodryinus madagascolus, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Madecadryinus ranomafanensis, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Neodryinus bimaculatus, sp. nov. (Madagascar), Neodryinus keleboensis, sp. nov. (Democratic Republic of the Congo). The ♀ of Deinodryinus danielssoni Olmi, 1998, is described for the first time. The following new synonymies are presented: Anteon fiorii Olmi, 1984 (=A. proteicolum Olmi, 2006, syn. nov.); Anteon madagascolum (Benoit, 1954) (=Anteon brooksi Olmi, 2003, syn. nov.); Anteon zairense Benoit, 1951 (=A. terminale Olmi, 2007, syn. nov.); Aphelopus incisus Olmi, 1984 (=A. himyarita Olmi van Harten, 2006, syn. nov.); Bocchus watshami Olmi, 1987 (=Bocchus simoni Olmi, 2005, syn. nov.); Dryinus ugandanus Olmi, 1984 (=Dryinus constantiae Olmi, 2006, syn. nov.). The following new combinations are presented: Dryinus luweli (Benoit, 1951) new comb. in place of Lestodryinus luweli Benoit, 1951; Gonatopus africanus (Benoit, 1951) new comb. in place of Aphelopus africanus Benoit, 1951; Gonatopus ghanensis (Olmi, 1987) new comb. in place of Pseudogonatopus ghanensis Olmi, 1987. Gynander specimens of Deinodryinus rusticus Olmi, 2004 and Deinodryinus steineri Olmi, 1994 are described (first gynander specimens of Dryinidae from the Afrotropical region). The authors provide well-illustrated identification keys to all species of Afrotropical Dryinidae. Online Lucid Phoenix and Lucid matrix interactive keys are provided at http://www.waspweb.org.

A new edible cricket species from Africa of the genus Scapsipedus.

A new cricket of the genus Scapsipedus is described from Kenya. The distribution, acoustic behavior, including call and courtship song, mitochondrial sequences, and data on the biology of that new species are given. This edible cricket is a very promising species for mass production for food and feed.

Four-horned wasps, description of some remarkable Dirhinus (Hymenoptera, Chalcididae) from Kenya, with a discussion of their taxonomic placement.

Five new species belonging to Dirhinus Dalman are described: D. quadrhinus Delvare sp. nov., D. gigasetosus Delvare sp. nov., D. kambae Delvare sp. nov., D. maasaii Delvare sp. nov. and D. leakeyorum Delvare sp. nov. These species belong to the newly defined and characterized quadrhinus species group, included in the subgenus Dirhinus of Dirhinus Dalman. Evidence for this taxonomic placement is provided despite the distinctive morphology exhibited by the relevant species. The himalayanus, claviger, anthracia and hesperidum groups, also included in subgenus Dirhinus, are similarly defined and characterized and lists of the relevant described species are provided. A key to the females of the quadrhinus group is given. The phylogeny of the genus Dirhinus, especially the other subgenera Pareniaca and Hontalia is discussed as well as the morphological characters the genus Dirhinus in relation to the potential hosts, and the restricted distribution of the members of the quadrhinus group in Kenya.

Corrigenda: Roques A, Copeland RS, Soldati L, Denux O, Auger-Rozenberg M-A (2016) Megastigmus seed chalcids (Hymenoptera, Torymidae) radiated much more on Angiosperms than previously considered. I- Description of 8 new species from Kenya, with a key to the females of Eastern and Southern Africa. ZooKeys 585: 51-124. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.585.7503.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.585.7503.].

Megastigmus seed chalcids (Hymenoptera, Torymidae) radiated much more on Angiosperms than previously considered. I- Description of 8 new species from Kenya, with a key to the females of Eastern and Southern Africa.

A survey of seed chalcids from woody plants in Kenya revealed 12 species belonging to the genus Megastigmus Dalman, 1820, and has increased to 16 the number of Megastigmus species presently recorded from the Afrotropical Region, of which at least 13 are seed feeders. A key to female Megastigmus of the Afrotropical Region is provided. Eight new species are described from morphological evidence: Megastigmus lanneae Roques & Copeland, Megastigmus laventhali Roques & Copeland, Megastigmus ozoroae Roques & Copeland, and Megastigmus smithi Roques & Copeland in seeds of species of the family Anacardiaceae, Megastigmus copelandi Roques & Copeland and Megastigmus grewianae Roques & Copeland in seeds of Malvaceae, Megastigmus helinae Roques & Copeland in seeds of Rhamnaceae, and Megastigmus icipeensis Roques & Copeland for which no host is known. These collections include the first records of Malvaceae and Rhamnaceae as hosts of Megastigmus seed chalcids, which appear to have radiated in Angiosperms much more than previously considered. Analyses of the mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase subunit one - COI) and nuclear DNA (28S ribosomal region) could be carried out on 8 of the 16 African species of which 5 were newly described ones. The species associated with Anacardiaceae always clustered together in phylogenies, confirming the existence of a strong and ancestral monophyletic clade, unlike the ones associated with Malvaceae and Rhamnaceae, whose position remains unclear. All holotypes are deposited in the National Museums of Kenya.

A new species of Alhajarmyia Stuckenberg (Diptera: Vermileonidae), the first wormlion fly described from East Africa and its biogeographical implications.

A second species of the genus Alhajarmyia Stuckenberg (A. stuckenbergi Swart, Kirk-Spriggs & Copeland, sp. n.), is described and figured, from the Eastern Arc Mountains of Kenya (Kasigau Mountain and Taita Hills), being the first vermileonid recorded from East Africa. The species is shown to differ from its congener, A. umbraticola (Stuckenberg & Fisher), described from Oman in the Arabian Peninsula, based on external characters including male and female terminalia. An identification key is provided together with distribution maps for the two species, and biogeographical aspects are discussed.

Folding wings like a cockroach: a review of transverse wing folding ensign wasps (Hymenoptera: Evaniidae: Afrevania and Trissevania).

We revise two relatively rare ensign wasp genera, whose species are restricted to Sub-Saharan Africa: Afrevania and Trissevania. Afrevania longipetiolata sp. nov., Trissevania heatherae sp. nov., T. hugoi sp. nov., T. mrimaensis sp. nov. and T. slideri sp. nov. are described, males and females of T. anemotis and Afrevania leroyi are redescribed, and an identification key for Trissevaniini is provided. We argue that Trissevania mrimaensis sp. nov. and T. heatherae sp. nov. populations are vulnerable, given their limited distributions and threats from mining activities in Kenya. We hypothesize that these taxa together comprise a monophyletic lineage, Trissevaniini, tr. nov., the members of which share the ability to fold their fore wings along two intersecting fold lines. Although wing folding of this type has been described for the hind wing of some insects four-plane wing folding of the fore wing has never been documented. The wing folding mechanism and the pattern of wing folds of Trissevaniini is shared only with some cockroach species (Blattodea). It is an interesting coincidence that all evaniids are predators of cockroach eggs. The major wing fold lines of Trissevaniini likely are not homologous to any known longitudinal anatomical structures on the wings of other Evaniidae. Members of the new tribe share the presence of a coupling mechanism between the fore wing and the mesosoma that is composed of a setal patch on the mesosoma and the retinaculum of the fore wing. While the setal patch is an evolutionary novelty, the retinaculum, which originally evolved to facilitate fore and hind wing coupling in Hymenoptera, exemplifies morphological exaptation. We also refine and clarify the Semantic Phenotype approach used in previous taxonomic revisions and explore the consequences of merging new with existing data. The way that semantic statements are formulated can evolve in parallel, alongside improvements to the ontologies themselves.

THE TRUE IDENTITY OF COPELAND'S AQUATIC SCUTTLE FLY (DIPTERA: PHORIDAE) FROM INDIANA AND RECOGNITION OF A SIBLING SPECIES FROM TEXAS.

Among the insects reported by Copeland (1989) breeding in the waters retained by treeholes in Indiana was a scuttle fly identified by W. H. Robinson as Megaselia scalaris (Loew). It is here reported that in fact this fly, along with fresh material from Illinois and Missouri, is M. imitatrix Borgmeier, whose type series was from Puerto Rico. An aquatic species reported from Texas is recognized as a sibling species of M. imitatrix and is named M. hansonix Disney, sp. nov. A single female from Brazil represents a third species of this complex, thus raising doubts about the identity of specimens from Brazil attributed to M. imitatrix by Benton and Claugher (2000).