The oldest Gondwanan fossil of Leiinae (Diptera, Mycetophilidae): Phylogenetic and evolutionary implications.

A fossil Mycetophilidae from the Aptian Crato Formation-Cretomanota gondwanica gen. nov., sp. nov.-is described, which is the first mycetophilid from the Crato Formation and corresponds to the oldest known fossil leiine and only the second Gondwanan fossil mycetophilid described so far. Cretomanota gondwanica and both species of Alavamanota Blagoderov and Arillo were added as terminals to the data matrix of a general phylogenetic analysis of the Mycetophilidae, and both fit into the Leiinae. Alavamanota is monophyletic, sister to the clade composed by Cretomanota and the extant genus Manota Williston. The biology of the extant members of this fungivorous family corroborates the reconstruction of the Crato palaeoenvironment as including woodlands with humid habitats and microhabitats. The presence of a Cretaceous member of the tribe Manotini at low latitudes in South America reinforces the hypothesis that the clade with all manotines except Leiella Edwards corresponds to a Lower Cretaceous offshoot from a group in southern Gondwana expanding its distribution to more northern areas into the Gondwana and into Laurasia.

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.

Extinct Neuropterida of Brazil (Insecta: Neuroptera, Megaloptera, Raphidioptera)

ABSTRACT The currently-known extinct Neuropterida fauna of Brazil comprises 18 families, 55 genera and 99 species (Neuroptera: 15 families, 49 genera, 89 species; Raphidioptera: 1 family, 2 genera, 5 species, + 1 genus incertae sedis with 2 species; Megaloptera: 1 family, 2 genera, 2 species; Order incertae sedis: 1 family, 1 genus, 1 species). All of these species have been described since 1980 and they collectively constitute the overwhelming majority of extinct Neuropterida presently known from South America. Other than one species of Permithonidae (Neuropterida incertae sedis) described from the Late Permian Irati Formation (Paraná Basin) of Rio Grande do Sul state, all extinct Brazilian Neuropterida taxa are known only from the Early Cretaceous Crato Formation (Araripe Basin) in Ceará and Pernambuco states. Of the 35 authors who have contributed to the descriptive literature of this fauna over the past 42 years, the work of Brazilian paleontologists Rafael Gioia Martins-Neto [1954-2010] and Maria Aparecida Vulcano-d'Andretta [1921-2018] - who together contributed to the description of 67 species - is especially notable. However, since their deaths, extinct Neuropterida have received little attention from Brazilian scientists and most later work on this fauna has been undertaken by workers outside Brazil. We provide this updated synthesis of the extinct Neuropterida of Brazil in order to centralize baseline knowledge for this fauna, to support efforts to document and conserve Brazilian fossil sites, and to encourage future work on the fauna, particularly by the next generation of Brazilian paleoentomologists.

Twenty years of Dipterology through the pages of Zootaxa.

We present a summary and analysis of the Diptera-related information published in Zootaxa from 2001 to 2020, with a focus on taxonomic papers. Altogether, 2,527 papers on Diptera were published, including 2,032 taxonomic papers and 1,931 papers containing new nomenclatural acts, equivalent to 22% of all publications with new nomenclatural acts for Diptera. The new nomenclatural acts include 7,431 new species, 277 new genera, 2,003 new synonymies, and 1,617 new combinations. A breakdown by family of new taxa and new replacement names proposed in the journal during the last two decades is provided, together with a comparison of Zootaxa's output to that of all other taxonomic publications on Diptera. Our results show that the journal has contributed to 20% of all biodiversity discovery in this megadiverse insect order over the last 20 years, and to about 31% in the last decade.

Systematics of the genus Maietta Alexander with description of three new species (Diptera: Tipulomorpha: Limoniidae).

The Neotropical genus Maietta Alexander (Diptera: Limoniidae), endemic to Southern South America (Chile), is revised. Three new species, M. dextra sp. n., M. edwardsi sp. n. and M. sinistra sp. n., are described and illustrated. An identification key is provided for all species. The phylogenetic relationships of the species are investigated in a cladistic analysis, resulting in one single most parsimonious cladogram with the topology ((M. squamigera + M. dextra sp. n.) (M. edwardsi sp. n. (M. trimedia + M. sinistra sp. n.))).

Systematics of the genus Aphrophila Edwards with description of fifteen new species (Diptera: Tipulomorpha: Limoniidae).

The genus Aphrophila (Diptera: Limoniidae) is revised. All previously described species are redescribed and illustrated, along with fifteen new species. From the Campbell Island (New Zealand): A. whakapapa sp. n.; from Argentina: A. argentina sp. n., A. huahua sp. n. and A. peuma sp. n.; from Chile: A. aequalitas sp. n., A. alexanderi sp. n., A. dentata sp. n., A. dupla sp. n., A. edwardsi sp. n., A. minuscula sp. n., A. penta sp. n., A. regia sp. n., A. serra sp. n., A. sperancae sp. n. and A. vulcania sp. n. Identification key is provided for all the valid species. A phylogenetic analysis was made which resulted in one single most parsimonious tree with five main groups, classified into five subgenera: A. (Aphrophila) Edwards, A. (Magnodonta) subg. n., A. (Spinalia) subg. n., A. (Sirena) subg. n., A. (Zelandica) subg. n. In order to uncover the biogeographical pattern of the distribution of the species in terms of area relationships, a Paralogy-free subtree analysis was performed, which resulted in the following areagram: ((Campbell Is. + S. America) + New Zealand).

A non-destructive enzymatic method to extract DNA from arthropod specimens: Implications for morphological and molecular studies.

There is a growing necessity to integrate morphological and genetic studies. This paper proposes a new technique that allows DNA extraction of arthropods while still keeping intact the entire morphology of the specimens. The technique uses Proteinase K to dissolve protein tissues and preserve the chitinous exoskeleton of specimens. The method is fast, cheap, non-toxic, and allows for good morphological preparations of specimens retaining much of their tridimensional structure. The methodology works fine with specimens preserved in different kinds of media, such as for dry (pinned) specimens, and specimens preserved in Ethanol. In addition, it allows the extraction of DNA from fresh specimens, as well as from specimens preserved for a long time. The technique works well for morphological studies alone, but allows the generation of an associated genomic library at an individual-scale. Among the advantages of the new technique is the possibility of extracting DNA from the entire specimen (necessary for the study of diseases transmitted by arthropod vectors), while still keeping the morphology intact for correct taxonomic identification. In addition, in comparison with methods that extract DNA from small tissue samples (e.g., from legs or wings), the method allows for the extraction of a larger amount of DNA and is better suited for small specimens.