Publication details
Subgenus Meloehelea (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in the Neotropical Region?
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2008 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Introduction: The diverse biting midge genus, Atrichopogon Kieffer, contains 476 species worldwide. The subgenus Meloehelea Wirth includes ectoparasitic species that feed on the haemolymph of blister beetles (Meloidae) and other related coleopteran families. There are 16 species of this subgenus, 10 of which occur in the Palaearctic, 3 in the Nearctic, 2 in the Holarctic and 1 in the Afrotropical Region. Hitherto the subgenus Meloehelea has not previously been reported from the Neotropical Region. Material and Methods: A slide-mounted adult males and females of Meloehelea (CNCI) from the Neotropical and Nearctic Regions have been examined, described and photographed with a Leica DM5500 compound microscope with Leica DFC320 digital camera. The specimens have been also compared to other Palaearctic and Nearctic Meloehelea species. Results: The genus Atrichopogon is diverse but most species usually cannot be accurately identified and the subgeneric classification of Atrichopogon is poorly understood, particularly in the Neotropical region. The record of the subgenus Meloehelea from the Neotropical region is therefore noteworthy. The record of A. (M.) oedemerarum and two additional new species of the sg. Meloehelea from the Neotropical Region deposited at the CNCI increases our knowledge of the diverse Neotropical biting midge fauna. Conclusions: A more thorough focus on generic and subgeneric characters of Atrichopogon as well as the construction of workable keys for the Holarctic and Neotropical Regions are badly needed. The study has been supported by the Ministry of Education grant MSM No. 0021622416 and by the 6th Framework Program – The Mobility Program of Masaryk University. |
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