Abstract To contribute to the documentation of Australian Phylinae, the second largest subfamily of Miridae (>300 species described from Australia), we examined 593 specimens collected from Casuarina Linnaeus, 1759 and Allocasuarina Johnson, 1982 throughout Australia between 1995 and 2004. We here describe 12 new species in the five new genera Swiftiephylus , gen. nov. and Umbraphylus , gen. nov. (Pilophorini) and Casuaphylus , gen. nov ., Luxiphylus , gen. nov. , and Pseudophytocoris , gen. nov. (Semiini: Exocarpocorina). Decisions on generic and tribal placement were based on morphological data and emerging molecular phylogenetic hypotheses. The similarity in color pattern among the Casuarinaceae-associated Phylinae suggests potential convergent evolution of cryptic coloration for blending with host inflorescences.
Non-biting midges (Diptera: Chironomidae) of the genus Polypedilum are among the most species rich and widespread genera of flies present on all continents except Antarctica. In this study, we document the diversity of Polypedilum species in the Neotropical region and describe 21 species new to science. Before this publication, 89 species were known from the region. We provide updated distributional data for 28 of these, describe the pupae for ten species and larvae for eight species, and provide a comprehensive key for adult males of all species from the Neotropical region. We generated 82 DNA barcodes that clustered into 20 defined units, aligning with groupings separated and identified based on morphological characteristics. This study contributes to our understanding of Neotropical Polypedilum diversity through description of novel species and new distributional records.
Manonychus Moser, 1919 is a poorly known South American genus, predominantly occurring in Brazil. Recently, phylogeny confirmed its monophyly and placement in Sericoidini. The taxonomic revision of Manonychus is presented. Its species number increased from 8 to 34 species, out of which 24 are new species: Manonychus androgracilis sp. nov.; M. boraceiensis sp. nov.; M. bravoi sp. nov.; M. brunneoiridis sp. nov.; M. casariae sp. nov.; M. cleideae sp. nov.; M. cordiformis sp. nov.; M. cuiabanus sp. nov.; M. depressus sp. nov.; M. freyi sp. nov.; M. leticiae sp. nov.; M. maranhensis sp. nov.; M. massuttiae sp. nov.; M. mermudesi sp. nov.; M. moroni sp. nov.; M. morretensis sp. nov.; M. moseri sp. nov.; M. paschoali sp. nov.; M. planaltinaensis sp. nov.; M. sandyae sp. nov.; M. stanleei sp. nov.; M. veretrimonodentatus sp. nov.; M. veretrotruncatus sp. nov. and M. virbidentatus sp. nov. The following species formerly placed in Astaena Erichson, 1847 are here transferred to Manonychus: M. micans (Frey, 1973) comb. nov. and M. rotundiceps (Frey, 1973) comb. nov. Based on this study Manonychus is distributed in Brazil except the Amazon region, Bolivia and Paraguay. An identification key to species is presented along with illustrations, distributional data, and maps.
The Dichotomius ( Selenocopris ) carbonarius species group now comprises eleven species, some of which are widely distributed with occurrence from Ecuador to Argentina: Dichotomius carbonarius (Mannerheim, 1829), Dichotomius cuprinus (Felsche, 1901), Dichotomius glaucus (Harold, 1869) Dichotomius luctuosus (Harold, 1869), Dichotomius lycas (Felsche, 1901), Dichotomius opacus (Blanchard, 1846) status. rev. Dichotomius schmidti sp. nov. , Dichotomius dimarei sp. nov. , Dichotomius zenaldoi sp. nov. , Dichotomius aguilari sp. nov. and Dichotomius jarafaeli sp.nov. Lectotypes are designate for D. carbonarius, D. cuprinus, D. glaucus, D. luctuosus , and D. lycas. Dichotomius pseudocuprinus Gandini & Aguilar, 2009 is here proposed as a junior subjective synonym of D. lycas. D. interstitialis is placed in its own species group. Key to the species, diagnoses, and distribution maps are provided. The components of the male genitalia of these species are described and illustrated for the first time.
Specimens of a number of undescribed Australian species of Fioriniina have been included in published molecular phylogenetic studies, labelled as belonging to the genus Pseudaulacaspis MacGillivray. We have re-examined all Pseudaulacaspis-like genera found in Australasia and place most Australian species previously placed in Pseudaulacaspis into Albastaspis MacGillivray, treating Anzaspis Henderson as a junior synonym of Albastaspis, new synonymy. We redescribe the adult females of type species of the genera Albastaspis and Trichomytilus Leonardi, along with 7 other species that we are transferring to Albastaspis, namely A. ethelae (Fuller, 1897) new combination, A. formosa (Green, 1904) new combination and A. frenchi (Green, 1915) new combination (ex Chionaspis Signoret); A. casuarinae (Maskell, 1893) new combination and A. pallens (Maskell, 1890) new combination (ex Lepidosaphes Shimer); A. nitida (Maskell, 1892) new combination (ex Pseudaulacaspis); and A. maskellalba new combination and replacement name for both Mytilaspis pallens alba Maskell, 1896, and Lepidosaphes australis Borchsenius, 1966. We describe the adult females of 7 new species of Albastaspis (A. brevis sp. n., A. bunubunuensis sp. n., A. bunya sp. n., A. gloria sp. n., A. gullanae sp. n., A. kamberra sp. n., and A. neocasuarinae sp. n.) and 4 of Poliaspis Maskell (P. hypipamee sp. n., P. brunyensis sp. n., P. melichri sp. n., and P. chamelaucium sp. n.), We also propose 12 other new combinations for Albastaspis: A. agonis (Fuller, 1897) new combination (ex Chionaspis); A. grisea (Maskell, 1890) new combination (ex Lepidosaphes); A. xanthorrhoeae (Fuller, 1897) new combination (ex Poliaspis Maskell); A. australis (Laing, 1925) new combination, A. brimblecombei (Williams, 1973) new combination, A.difissata (Brimblecombe, 1959) new combination, A. eugeniae (Maskell, 1892) new combination, A. grandilobis (Maskell, 1894) new combination, A.hartii (Laing, 1929) new combination and A. hilli (Laing, 1929) new combination (ex Pseudaulacaspis); A. angusta (Green, 1904) new combination and A.cordylinidis (Maskell, 1879) new combination (ex Anzaspis Henderson). We remove one species from Fiorinia Targioni Tozzetti, namely Anamefiorinia expansa (Maskell, 1895), new combination, and two species from Africaspis MacGillivray, Serenaspis rotundiloba (Laing, 1929) new combination and Hemiaspidis wilkeyi (Ben-Dov, 1973) new combination. Poliaspis chathamica Henderson is reported from Australia for the first time. We designate lectotypes for Trichomytilus formosus, Albastaspis nivea, A. casuarinae, A. formosa, A. frenchi, A. maskellalba, A. nitida and A. pallens. We illustrate all the new and redescribed species and provide a key to all 57 known species of Australian Fioriniina. We include a checklist of all species of Fioriniina in Australia and a table listing all Albastaspis species found outside of Australia.
