Occurrence of kleptoparasitic sarcophagid flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae: Miltogramminae) in natural and human modified sites in Southern South American Andean landscapes

Sarcophagid flies belonging to the subfamily Miltogramminae are mainly kleptoparasites of bees and solitary wasps. Twenty-six locations were surveyed to accomplish the first specific exploration on the diversity of Miltogramminae in southern Andean areas of South America. We evaluated changes in abundance, richness and composition among habitat types to establish the effect of anthropization on the Miltogramminae community. Habitat types were considered as human modified (trails and roads, parks and meadows) and natural sites (watercourses and lake beaches, sandy and shrubby areas), distributed in two ecoregions (Valdivian forest and Patagonian steppe). We found differences in the capture rate and composition of Miltogramminae among habitat types. The species Opsidia intonsa Aldrich was highly dominant in samples, with higher proportional abundance in human modified habitats. Richness of Miltogramminae was higher in natural sites. Comparisons between the ecoregions surveyed indicated the genus Opsidia Coquillett did not show differences in abundance between ecoregions, whereas Senotainia Macquart was more abundant in the Patagonian steppe. The results provide evidence on the significant effects of human influence on landscapes in kleptoparasitic fly diversity. Slight modifications of natural areas (as proliferation of trails or isolated houses) should be addressed to evaluate the conservation of kleptoparasitic Diptera.

Morphological and Molecular Evidence to Segregate a Disjunct Species of Hymenophyllum (Hymenophyllaceae) from Southern South America

Abstract—Morphological studies and molecular phylogenetic analyses were carried out to assess the taxonomic status of Hymenophyllum caudiculatum, a species with a disjunct distribution in South America. The species is found in tropical and subtropical forests of Brazil and in temperate forest of southern Argentina and Chile. Based on the results of morphological, molecular, and species delimitation analyses, Hymenophyllum caudatum of the Valdivian forest of southern Chile and Argentina is proposed as a species separate from H. caudiculatum, endemic to Brazil. The two taxa are delimited, respectively, as follows: 1‐5 cm long non-alate stipes (vs. 0.3‐1 cm long non-alate stipes in Brazilian H. caudiculatum); stipe wings gradually ending (vs. stipe wings abruptly ending very near the rhizome); margin entire to somewhat undulate (vs. margin undulate to crispate); soriferous segment alate, angustate, or null (vs. soriferous segment with laminar constriction at apex); and widely obovoid receptacle with sessile sporangia (vs. flattened obovoid or globose receptacle with shortly pedunculated sporangia). Descriptions for the two species recognized here and a map of their geographical distribution are provided, along with nomenclatural revision, illustrations, and conservation status assessments.

Contribution to the knowledge of the oribatid mite genus Eutegaeus (Acari, Oribatida, Eutegaeidae)

The genus Eutegaeus (Oribatida, Eutegaeidae) comprises 13 species, which are distributed in the Australian, Neotropical and Antarctic regions; of these, two new species are described from litter in the relictual Valdivian forest of Chile. Eutegaeus parapapuaensis sp. nov. (description based on the adult and tritonymph) differs from Eutegaeus papuensis Aoki, 1964 by the absence of translamella, interbothridial tubercles, notogastral setae h3 and epimeral setae 3a. Eutegaeus paralagrecai sp. nov. (description based on the adult and proto-, deuto- and tritonymph) differs from Eutegaeus lagrecai Arcidiacono, 1993 by the presence of lanceolate bothridial setae and long notogastral setae p1, and the absence of striate ornamentation on the notogaster. A revised generic diagnosis and an identification key to known species of Eutegaeus are presented. Nymphs of Eutegaeus and related genera in Eutegaeoidea are compared.

New record of the endemic jewel beetle Pygicera scripta krahmeri (Coleoptera, Buprestidae, Nacionini) from a coastal forest of Hualpén, Biobío Region, Chile

Pygicera Kerremans, 1903 is an endemic genus of jewel beetle of Chile distributed in the central Chile hotspot, which is distributed from the Atacama Desert in the north to the Valdivian Forest in the south (Myers et al., 2000). Currently, Pygicera is composed of one species and two subspecies: Pygicera scripta scripta Laporte & Gory, 1837 and the Valdivian rainforest subspecies Pygicera scripta krahmeri Moore 1981 (Figs 2–6). The first subspecies is distributed from Limarí in the Coquimbo Region to Curicó in the Maule Region, both in the coast as well as Andean foothills. This is considered the common subspecies (Moore, 1981; Moore & Vidal, 2015). The southern subspecies is distributed from Victoria in the Araucanía Region to La Unión in Los Ríos Region (Moore, 1981; Moore & Vidal, 2015) and is the rarest and less abundant subspecies. The larvae of both subspecies have been recorded in the “maitén” (Maytenus boaria) Molina, from which they have been reared (Moore, 1981, 1987; Moore & Vidal, 2015).

Local persistence of Mann’s soft-haired mouse Abrothrix manni (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae) during Quaternary glaciations in southern Chile

Quaternary climatic oscillations have impacted Patagonian sigmodontine fauna, leaving traceable genetic footprints. In southern Chile, changes in the landscape included transitions to different vegetation formations as well as the extension of ice sheets. In this study, we focus on the Valdivian forest endemic and recently described sigmodontine species Abrothrix manni. We aim to assess the genetic structure of this species, testing for the existence of intraspecific lineages, and inferring the recent demographic history of the species. Analyses were based on the first 801 bp of the mitochondrial gene Cytocrhome-b from 49 individuals of A. manni collected at 10 localities that covers most part of its geographic distribution. Genealogical analyses recovered two main intraspecific lineages that are geographically segregated and present an intermediate site of secondary contact. Historical demography shows signal of recent population decrease. Based on these results, we proposed that current genetic diversity of A. manni differentiated in at least two distinct refugial areas in southern Chile. This scenario, in addition to be unique among those uncovered for the so far studied Valdivian forest rodents, is noteworthy because of the reduced geographic scale inhabited by the species.

Map and shapefile of the biogeographic provinces of Argentina

We provide a map of the 15 biogeographic provinces of Argentina based on the ecoregions recognized for the country, combining climatic, geological and biotic criteria. Argentinean provinces belong to the Neotropical region (Yungas, Paraná Forest, Araucaria Forest, Chaco and Pampean provinces), the South American transition zone (Puna, Monte, Comechingones and Cuyan High Andean provinces) and the Andean region (Patagonian, Maule, Valdivian Forest, Magellanic Forest, Falkland Islands and Magellanic Moorland provinces). In order to facilitate future biogeographic analyses, we provide a file of this biogeographical regionalisation in vector format using the World Geodetic Survey 1984.

Systematic revision of the South American genus Praocis Eschscholtz, 1829 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Part 1: Introduction and subgenus Praocis s. str.

The first part of a revision of the species comprising the genus Praocis Eschscholtz, 1829 (Pimeliinae: Praociini) is present-ed. The history of taxonomic research on Praocis is reviewed. The subgeneric classification is outlined. The subgenusPraocis s. str., distributed in Central and Southern Chile, is revised. Species occur from 26º South to 42º South in the bio-geographic provinces of Atacama, Coquimbo, Santiago, Maule and Valdivian Forest. Included is a redescription of the sub-genus Praocis s. str., redescription of its species, an identification key, habitus photographs of the most representative species,illustrations of external morphology and genital features, scanning electron micrographs of pronotum, head and antenna, as well as distribution maps. Praocis s. str. comprises 18 species, two of which are new: Praocis (Praocis) bicentenario sp.nov. and P. (P.) medvedevi sp. nov. Other species include: Praocis (Praocis) aenea Gay & Solier 1840, P. (P.) costata Gay& Solier 1840, P. (P.) curta Solier 1840, P. (P.) elliptica Philippi & Philippi 1864, P. (P.) hirtella Kulzer 1958, P. (P.) mar-ginata Germain 1855, P. (P.) parva Gay & Solier 1840, P. (P.) quadrisulcata Germain 1855, P. (P.) rufipes Eschscholtz1829 (type species), P. (P.) sanquinolenta Gay & Solier 1840, P. (P.) spinolai Gay & Solier 1840, P. (P.) subaenea Erichson1834, P. (P.) subsulcata Gay & Solier 1840, P. (P.) sulcata Eschscholtz 1829 and P. (P.) tibialis Gay & Solier 1840. Thestatus of P. (P.) bicostata Philippi & Philippi 1864, currently considered a valid name, is discussed. A lectotype is desig-nated for Praocis (P.) laevicosta Curtis 1845 (synonym of P. (P.) subaenea). The subgenus Praocis (Parapraocis) Kulzer 1958 is excluded from Praocis.