RESUMO
The genus Rhamphempisgen. nov. (Diptera: Empididae: Empidinae: Empidini) is described and includes the following five new species from French Guiana and the USA: Rhamphempis concavasp. nov. (France: French Guiana, Roura); R. distinctasp. nov. (France: French Guiana, Roura); R. mirificasp. nov. (France: French Guiana, Régina); R. montreuilisp. nov. (Type species, France: French Guiana, Mitaraka, Roura, St-Georges-de-l'Oyapock); and R. septentrionalissp. nov. (USA: Maryland, College Park). The genus differs from other empidine genera by the following combination of characters: scape and postpedicel lengthened, proboscis long, strongly sclerotised with labella as long as prementum bearing annulations, wing with R2+3 somewhat shortened, more or less recurved at pterostigma, R4+5 unforked, base of abdomen yellowish in male, brownish to blackish in female, male pregenital segments strongly modified and postabdomen more or less downcurved, presence of large surstylus, very fine and long phallus. The genus is fully illustrated and keyed along with a discussion of its peculiar disjunct geographic distribution and its phylogenetic relationship within the tribe Empidini.
RESUMO
The genus Tropicohilaragen. nov. (Diptera: Empididae: Empidinae: Hilarini) is described and includes the following six new species from Brazil: Tropicohilara amazonensissp. nov. (type species, Brazil: Amazonas, Manaus); T. bahiensissp. nov. (Brazil: Bahia, Camacan); T. bellasp. nov. (Brazil: Pernambuco, Jaqueira); T. mineirasp. nov. (Brazil: Minas Gerais, Itamonte); T. paranaensissp. nov. (Brazil: Paraná, Piraquara); and T. sinclairisp. nov. (Brazil: Paraná, Morretes). The genus is presently recorded from the Amazonian and Atlantic Forest biomes. It differs from other hilarine genera by the following combination of characteristics: predominantly yellowish specimens; occiput somewhat conical in dorsal view; postpedicel elongate, male first fore tarsomere unmodified; hind tibia slightly shorter than hind femur; wing vein R2+3 with setae on ventral surface; male tergite 7 with a sclerotized band at posterior margin, tergite 8 reduced and upwardly directed so that terminalia can be flexed forward. A key to the species is provided.
RESUMO
The tribe Empidini (Diptera: Empididae: Empidinae) is a diverse group with fourteen genera, seven of which are exclusive to the Neotropical region: Bolrhamphomyia Rafael, Chilerhamphomyia Rafael, Hystrichonotus Collin, Lamprempis Wheeler and Melander, Macrostomus Wiedemann, Opeatocerata Melander and Porphyrochroa Melander. Although Empidini itself is likely paraphyletic, many presumably monophyletic genera and species groups are recognized. Here, we apply DNA sequences from multiple genes to infer the phylogeny of Empidini, focusing on placing the Neotropical lineages within the entire tribe and identifying monophyletic groups. We included 98 Empidini taxa along with 18 outgrous terminals, spanning the diversity within the group. The results from the analyses performed are largely similar, with major groupings of genera in common. Specifically, the analyses recovered a monophyletic Hilarini and a paraphyletic Empidini. Most species from Chile and Argentina (Andean region) are found to belong to an early branching lineage within Empidinae, and are not monophyletic with other Empidini. A large portion of the remaining Neotropical Empidini (not Andean) comprises a single clade that includes four endemic genera and a number of Neotropical Empis Linneaus species. Macrostomus and Porphyrochroa each recovered as monophyletic and sister to one another, although generic placement of a few taxa remains uncertain due to conflicting morphological features. Lamprempis+Opeatocerata are also found to be sister-taxa in most analyses. Several large genera were found to be polyphyletic or paraphyletic including Empis and Rhamphomyia Meigen. We evaluate our findings and discuss them in light of current Empidinae taxonomy.