The taxonomy of Neotropical Brunettiina (Diptera, Psychodidae, Psychodinae, Mormiini), with descriptions of ten new species from Brazil and comments on the generic classification of the subtribe

Abstract

Ten new species of Brazilian Brunettiina are described. A cladistic analysis was used to test the two generic classifications of Brunettiina in the literature, providing a more objective classification of nine of the ten new species with 14 flagellomeres. The genus Mormia Enderlein was chosen to polarize the characters and root the cladogram. Seventeen characters were used for the analysis. The two classificatory proposals are coherent with the topology of the cladogram obtained in this study; however, the classification that recognizes three genera in the subtribe was accepted because it corresponds to the three major groups observed in the cladogram: Brunettia Annandale, with four subgenera; Atrichobrunettia Satchell, with five subgenera; and Gerobrunettia Quate & Quate. A new subgenus was proposed for the nine new species of Brunettiina with 14 flagellomeres. This new subgenus is classified with the subgenera Atrichobrunettia, Mirousiella Vaillant, Plesiobrunettia Duckhouse, and Horobrunettia Duckhouse in the genus Atrichobrunettia. The taxonomy of the subtribe Brunettiina in the Neotropical Region is re-examined. Keys are provided for the genera and subgenera of Brunettiina and for the Neotropical species of Brunettia and Atrichobrunettia.