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.
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.