ABSTRACT
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.
ABSTRACT
Pseudogaurax Malloch is a speciose genus of Chloropidae in the Neotropical region. The South American fauna is understudied, particularly in the Amazon basin. Here we provide a taxonomic revision of the Amazonian species of Pseudogaurax, including the description of five new species-P. flaviscutellatus sp. nov., P. infulatus sp. nov., P. longitriangularis sp. nov., P. pallidus sp. nov. and P. poseidoni sp. nov.-and a key to all Brazilian species. Including our results, Pseudogaurax is known from 19 species from Brazil, 10 of which occur in the Amazon Forest.
Subject(s)
Diptera , Animals , Animal Distribution , ForestsABSTRACT
The monotypic genus Metasiphonella, originally described from Costa Rica, is now formally recorded from South America with a new species from Brazil-M. amorimi sp. nov. The taxonomic revision includes a detailed description of adult external morphology, female and male terminalia, and the egg stage for all species. A lectotype of M. magnifica Duda is designated and new country records are given.
Subject(s)
Diptera , Animal Distribution , Animals , Female , MaleABSTRACT
The monotypic genus Chaethippus Duda is revised, including the description of four new species from South America and a key to all species. Detailed illustrations of morphological features are also given using light and scanning electron microscopy. The affinities of Chaethippus within Oscinellinae are briefly addressed.
Subject(s)
Diptera , Animal Distribution , AnimalsABSTRACT
The genus Paracalamoncosis gen. nov. is described based on the species P. brasiliensis gen. nov. et sp. nov., including a brief discussion of the morphological similarities and differences with other genera in the tribe Liparaini.
Subject(s)
Animal Distribution , Diptera , Animals , BrazilABSTRACT
The genus Camarota is revised with the description of a new species-C. ugandae-and a key to species. The genus Paracamarota Cherian is considered here as a new junior synonym of Camarota. Distinctive morphological characters, such as the dark transverse band on the arista, the "vena spuria" of the wing and the placement of apical scutellar bristles, are interpreted.
Subject(s)
Diptera , Animal Distribution , Animals , UgandaABSTRACT
Psilacrum Becker was recorded from the Neotropical Region by Wheeler (2010) based on Oscinoides annulicrus (Duda, 1933) described from Costa Rica with a further five to six species from the Region (Wheeler, 2010). Here we describe a new species from Brazil.
Subject(s)
Diptera , Animal Distribution , Animals , Brazil , Costa RicaABSTRACT
Coroichlorops is a monotypic genus of Chloropini known to occur only in South America. The type species, C. yungas (Sabrosky & Paganelli), is formally known only from the holotype, collected in Bolivia. The male genitalia of the genus has peculiar prolonged, forceps-like surstyli. Two additional species of the genus, C. plaumanni sp. nov. and C. antennatus sp. nov., are formally described and illustrated here, and a key to the species of the genus is provided. The atypical flat arista of C. antennatus sp. nov. is also found in the Mepachymerini genus Sagareocerus and its implications are discussed.
Subject(s)
Diptera/classification , Animal Distribution , Animal Structures/anatomy & histology , Animal Structures/growth & development , Animals , Body Size , Bolivia , Diptera/anatomy & histology , Diptera/growth & development , Ecosystem , Female , Male , Organ SizeABSTRACT
Bricelochlorops is a peculiar genus of Chloropinae because its species possess a swollen pedicel and an enlarged clypeus separated into two parts. According to previous phylogenetic studies, Bricelochlorops is known as the sister group of Psilochlorops and their relationships with the remaining chloropine genera are unclear (Paganelli, 2002; Riccardi & Amorim, 2012). There are two described species of Bricelochlorops, B. peregrinus Paganelli 2002 and B. celutae Carvalho-Filho & Esposito 2010. Both species are from Brazil and they are known only from the holotypes. Here, a further species from Peru is described, expanding the distribution of Bricelochlorops.
Subject(s)
Diptera/classification , Animal Distribution , Animal Structures/anatomy & histology , Animal Structures/growth & development , Animals , Body Size , Brazil , Diptera/anatomy & histology , Diptera/growth & development , Female , Male , Organ Size , PeruABSTRACT
The Chloropidae representatives from Colombia are poorly known, and are represented by one Shiphonellopsinae genus, five Chloropinae genera and 19 Oscinellinae genera, in a total of 46 described species.
