First description of larvae of Paryphoconus Enderlein with a new species from Brazilian Amazonia and phylogenetic placement of the genus based on immature stages (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Abstract

Two species in the predaceous midge genus Paryphoconus Enderlein, P. inesae sp. n. and P. flavidus (Johannsen), are described from adults, pupae and larvae. Immatures were collected in Brazilian Amazonia using pipettes and plastic trays where “kinon”, macrophytes and wet sand were placed and raised in the laboratory to adults. All described stages of both species are compared with their most similar congeners. In addition, a cladistic analysis was performed based on 37 characters of larvae, 83 pupal characters, and three adult characters of 44 genera of Ceratopogonidae whose larvae and/or pupae have been described. The TNT version 1.1 was used to assess the phylogenetic position of Paryphoconus. This is the first description of the larval stage for this genus, and it suggests that Paryphoconus is very closely related to genera in the tribe Palpomyiini in the subfamily Ceratopogoninae.