Revisiting the genus Pararhagadochir (Embioptera: Archembiidae): an update of Brazilian biodiversity

Abstract

Pararhagadochir is a genus of Embioptera comprising 19 valid species distributed in the Neotropical region. Ten species occur in Brazil. The information described in this work was made possible through expeditions dedicated to collecting Pararhagadochir colonies containing females and immatures, which were fundamental for this study. Additionally, sporadic collections were carried out in various municipalities, complementing the understanding of the studied species. In this study, the male of the species Pararhagadochir castaneus Salvatierra, 2020 (only known for the holotype) is redescribed, and for the first time data on female and nymphal stages, biological data, and intraspecific variations are presented. A new species Pararhagadochir Davis, 1940 from several localities of Tocantins is described and illustrated here. Finally, we provide an updated key and a distribution map with newrecords for the Brazilian species.