A review of the net-winged midges (Diptera: Blephariceridae) of the West Indies, with description of a new species from Puerto Rico

ABSTRACT

The Caribbean blepharicerid fauna comprises three described species: Paltostoma palominoi Hogue and Garces, 1990, found in eastern Cuba; P. agyrocincta Curran, 1927, widespread in Puerto Rico; and P. schineri Williston, 1896, which occupies most major islands of the Lesser Antilles. In this paper, we describe P. portoricensis Hogue and Courtney, sp. n., a second species from Puerto Rico. We also provide keys to adults, pupae, and larvae of known Caribbean species, re-describe P. argyrocincta and P. schineri, and present a brief discussion of the bionomics and phylogenetic affinities of the net-winged midge fauna.

KEYWORDS:

• Blephariceridae
• Paltostoma
• new species
• Puerto Rico
• Caribbean

Acknowledgements

The following individuals and institutions are thanked for assisting CLH during his 1987 trip: Direccion Nacional de Parques and Departamento de Recursos Naturales, Secretaria de Estado de Agricultura (for permits) and Jacob Brodzinsky (Hispaniola, Dominican Republic); U.S. Forest Service (for permits), Center for Energy and Environment Research (El Verde Station), and Rosser Garrison (Puerto Rico); Institute of Jamaica, Thomas H. Farr, and Natural Resourse Conservation Department, Ministry of Mining (for permits) (Jamaica); Institut de Recherches Entomologiques de la Caraibe, Fortune Chalumeau (Guadeloupe); National Research and Development Foundation (for permits), Foelix Finisterre and Yves Renard (St. Lucia). We are grateful to James N. Hogue for valuable field and laboratory assistance. Reference material for this study was provided by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (David Grimaldi), Smithsonian Institution (National Natural History Museum (Wayne Mathis), and Institut de Zoologie de L'Universite de Vienne (Antilles) (Ferdinand Starmuhlner). Also appreciated were miscellaneous lots of material from Douglas Craig, George Edmunds, Erick Hernandez, Brian Stuckenberg, and Peter Zwick. Original drawings were rendered by Sharon Belkin and CLH, and technical assistance for scanning electron microscopy was provided by Tracey Pepper. We also thank Greg Curler for advice on homologies in male terminalia.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported partly by National Science Foundation grants to Charles L. Hogue [BSR-8415044] and Gregory W. Courtney [DEB-0933218], [EF-1115156] and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture [project number 6693], [project number 5473]. Other pertinent field work was supported by funds from the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History Foundation; Taylor Science Fund; Ralph J. Weiler Foundation; and Iowa State University.