Inventory of Sarcophaginae (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) for the Humid Chaco,a poorly surveyed ecoregion of South America

ABSTRACT

Sarcophaginae is a large subfamily of sarcophagid flies (Diptera: Calyptratae: Oestroidea: Sarcophagidae) which have diverse habits, mainly sarcosaprophagous, and have forensic and sanitary importance. This is the first work that analyzes the fauna of Sarcophaginae exclusively in the Humid Chaco ecoregion where diversity of flies has scarcely been studied. This inventory was based on: a) samplings at different locations in the province of Chaco, Argentina, and in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil; b) examination of entomological collections and c) bibliographic records. Sixty-two species of Sarcophaginae flies are included in this paper, of which 31 species are recorded for the first time in the Humid Chaco ecoregion. Ten species are new records for Argentina, two for Brazil and three for Paraguay. Lepidodexia (Neophytodes) lindneri Townsend, 1931, Lepidodexia (Notochaeta) adelina Mulieri, Schaefer, Duré and González, 2018, Lepidodexia (Pachygraphomima) lenti Lopes, 1980, Oxysarcodexia berthet Dufek and Mulieri, 2017, Oxysarcodexia ibera Dufek and Mulieri, 2017 and Retrocitomyia paraguayensis Lopes, 1985 are registered as endemic species of the Humid Chaco ecoregion. Species with forensically and sanitary importance are listed. Some comments on species distribution previously published in catalogues are provided.     

Notes on the Amazonian genus Hyogonia China (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Proconiini) with a description of a new species

Oncometopia batesi Distant, described from northern Brazil (State unknown), is transferred to the genus Hyogonia China. Hyogonia brasiliana sp. nov. is described from Northern Brazil, Pará State, the easternmost record of the genus. The new species is easily distinguished from all other Hyogonia species by the following combination of characters: (1) pronotum without distinct transverse contrasting band; (2) pygofer with short processes that do not attain its apex; (3) both pairs of aedeagal atrial processes divergent and short, never longer than aedeagal shaft; and (4) aedeagal caudal pair of atrial processes with bases close to each other, appearing as a single bifurcated robust process. Hyogonia batesi and H. brasiliana, together with an unidentified female from Acre State, represent the first authentic records of the genus Hyogonia from Brazil. Previous records of H. reticulata (Melichar) and H. youngi Emmrich and Lauterer from Brazil are erroneous as their recorded locality ‘Cumbase’ is most probably located in Peru (San Martín Department). Other new records from countries and major federal divisions are noted as follows: the genus Hyogonia (unidentified species) from Barinas State (Venezuela); H. batesi from Ecuador (Orellana Province); H. reticulata from Amazonas and Junín Departments (Peru); and H. youngi from Ecuador (Napo Province). A key to the known species of Hyogonia is provided.     

New species of cheilostomatous Bryozoa from subantarctic Marion and Prince Edward Islands

Fifteen new species of cheilostomatous Bryozoa are described from the subantarctic Marion and Prince Edward Islands: Pyriporoides judyae, Valdemunitella dianae, Cornucopina elongata, Cornucopina bryonyae, Cornucopina antlera, Paracellaria elizabethae, Filaguria lithocrustata, Celleporella marionensis, Catenicella glabrosa, Ipsibuffonella hyalina, Parkermavella corrugata, Calloporina spinosa, Fenestrulina pumicosa, Microporella mandibulata, and Reteporellina berylae. Two species originally described from the region, Sclerodomus myriozoides and Reteporella gigantea, are here reported for only the second time, while three others, Celleporella alia, Celleporella bougainvillei, and Talivittaticella frigida, represent new records for Marion Island. Phonicosia jousseaumei was previously recorded from Marion Island as P. circinata.     

New taxa of the family Trochometridiidae (Acari: Heterostigmata) associated with insects from Iran

A new genus and two new species of mites of the family Trochometridiidae (Acari: Heterostigmata) are described from Iran: Neotrochometridium sensillum Hajiqanbar and Khaustov gen. nov., sp. nov. associated with two carabid beetles and Trochometridium iranicum Hajiqanbar and Khaustov sp. nov. associated with a halictid bee. We also present the first report of two previously described species. These findings provide the first record of the family Trochometridiidae from Iran. The chaetotaxy of tarsus I of the family is discussed and a key to world genera and species is provided.     

The ontogeny description of two Neotropical species of Crotonia (Acari: Oribatida: Crotonioidea)

A remarkable new species of black fungus gnat Pnyxiopalpus roslii sp. nov., was discovered from nests of the termite Nasutitermes proatripennis in Ulu Gombak, Malaysia, and is described based on the female morphology and DNA barcodes. This is the first record of a termitophilous black fungus gnat from South-east Asia. The new species is easily distinguished from its known congeners by the degeneration of all thoracic setae into tiny setulae. This species is described as a symbiont of the host termite based on field observations and the examination of specimens. The “wing stump” structure of the new species indicates that this species has wings after eclosion and later loses them, an adaptation to a cryptic life. A second still undescribed termitophilous species of Pnyxiopalpus was observed walking in a marching column of the termite Longipeditermes longipes in Ulu Gombak.     

Environmental humidity and leaf-litter depth affecting ecological parameters of a leaf-litter frog community in an Atlantic Rainforest area

We studied a leaf-litter frog community from an Atlantic Rainforest area in the state of Espírito Santo, south-eastern Brazil. Frogs were sampled using 4 × 4-m plots. We recorded 348 individuals from 13 species. The estimated overall density of leaf-litter frogs in the study area was 6.6 frogs/100 m² with an estimated overall frog biomass of 0.04 g/ha. Brachycephalus didactylus was the species with the highest estimated density and highest abundance. Five of the litter frog species recorded are considered endemic to the Atlantic Forest and two species are endemic to the state of Espírito Santo, including Euparkerella robusta, which is considered threatened as the result of habitat loss. The overall abundance of leaf litter was positively related to relative humidity and depth of the leaf litter. The relationship between frog body mass and frog abundance was significant, suggesting that a general biological trend in this relationship occurs in our study area.     

New species of Dolichopus Latreille, 1796 from China (Diptera: Dolichopodidae)

The following three new species of Dolichopus are described from China: Dolichopus (Dolichopus) jilinensis sp. nov., D. (D.) longipilosus sp. nov. and D. (D.) yangi sp. nov. Three new species are reported from China, and a key to the Chinese species of the genus Dolichopus is presented for the first time.     

Cave Sinella (Collembola: Entomobryidae) from China

All nine Chinese cave Sinella species are reviewed; four of them from South China are new to science: Sinella lipsae sp. nov., Sinella longiantenna sp. nov., Sinella yunnanica sp. nov. and Sinella longiungula sp. nov. Some important characters, such as length of antennae, mucro, claw structure, chaetae on ventral side of the head and body chaetotaxy are discussed.     

The haemoproteids of the avian order Falconiformes

The haemoproteid parasites of the raptors of the avian order Falconiformes are reviewed. In the Falconidae, Haemoproteus erythropi Tartakovskii, 1913 was previously declared a nomen nudum and H. cerchneisi Bhatia, 1938 is synonymized with H. tinnunculi (Wasielewski and Wulker, 1918) Wingstrand, 1947. Along with H. brachiatus Valkyunas and Ezhova, 1989, there are the only valid haemoproteids in this family. In the Accipitridae, H. accipiter Zeiniev, 1975 was previously declared a nomen nudum and H. asturisdussumieri de Mello, 1937 and H. saviannae Tendeiro, 1947 are declared species incertae sedis. Haemoproteus buteonis Wingstrand, 1947, H. figueiredoi Travassos Santos Dias 1953 and H. circus Yakunin and Zhazyltaev, 1977 are synonymized with H. elani de Mello, 1937 and this latter species, together with H. janovyi Greiner and Mundy, 1979 and H. nisi Peirce and Marquiss, 1983, are the only three valid species in this family. No haemoproteids have been described from the Cathartidae, Pandionidae or Sagittaridae, the three remaining families of the Falconiformes.     

Revision of the obligate mushroom‐feeding African “dung beetle” genus Coptorhina Hope (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

The African genus Coptorhina Hope is revised. Nine new synonymies are established which reduces the number of valid names from 15 to six. One new species is also described. The name changes are the following: C. subaenea Janssens, C. bicolor Ancey, C. pygmaea Balthasar and C. saganicola Müller are considered junior synonyms of C. nitidipennis Boheman; C. africana Hope, C. vicina Péringuey, C. obtusicornis Boheman, C. punctata Ferreira and C. optata Péringuey are considered junior synonyms of C. klugii Hope. The new species, C. excavata sp. n., is described from southern Africa. A key to the species and notes on biology are given.