Variations in the gonostyle of Nyssomyia intermedia (Lutz & Neiva) (Diptera: Psychodidae)

ABSTRACT

This paper describes sand flies similar to Nyssomyia intermedia (Lutz & Neiva) with variations in the number of spines at the gonostyle and tests the hypothesis whether these specimens belong or not to N. intermedia species. Using Principal Component Analysis and Neighbour Joining, the measurements of 15 structures of the phlebotomine with variations in number of spines were compared with measurements of 30 sand flies of N. intermedia species. Both analyses didn't cluster the specimens with variation in spines number in one group and provided evidence to the hypothesis that those sand flies belong to N. intermedia.