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As part of a Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation initiative, the Brazilian Societies of Botany, Microbiology, Virology, and Zoology conducted a comprehensive evaluation of biological collections in Brazil. This assessment aimed to gather insights into the current state of these collections, with the goal of providing support for future public policies, including financial subsidies and prioritization policies. In this context, we present the findings related to microbiological collections, essential to ex situ biodiversity conservation and crucial in supporting research, development, and innovation. A survey was distributed to public and private institutions across Brazil, yielding responses from 168 microbiological collections representing 79 different entities. Notably, 73 of these collections are affiliated with public research institutions and universities, underscoring the State's pivotal role in preserving and safeguarding Brazilian microbial diversity. The primary taxonomic groups encompass bacteria (found in 70.24% of collections) and fungi (comprising 52.98% of collections), sourced from diverse Brazilian ecosystems and biomes, including those that contain several type strains. Furthermore, the collections preserve microorganisms harboring biotechnological potential applicable to environmental protection, public health, industry, and agribusiness. Despite these promising economic and biotechnological prospects, our meticulous data analysis has revealed significant limitations and vulnerabilities, especially regarding physical infrastructure and human resources, emphasizing the urgent need for interventions to guarantee their sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three species of the subgenus Neoscatella Malloch, 1933 within the genus Scatella Robineau‐Desvoidy, 1830 from the New Zealand subregion are revised: Scatella (Neoscatella) nelsoni Tonnoir & Malloch, 1926 and Scatella (Neoscatella) vittithorax Malloch, 1925 and a new species, Scatella (Neoscatella) moriori Mathis & Costa sp. nov., from Chatham Island. For perspective, diagnoses for Scatella and Neoscatella are provided, and to facilitate identification of Neoscatella and its species from the New Zealand subregion, keys to subgenera and species are provided as well as figures of wings and structures of male terminalia. Where information is available, we comment on the natural history of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ateralphus Restello, Iannuzzi & Marinoni, 2001 is a Neotropical genus of longhorn beetles composed of nine species. This genus was proposed from splitting Alphus White, 1855 into other two genera: Ateralphus and Exalphus Restello, Iannuzzi & Marinoni, 2001. Even though Ateralphus (nine species), Alphus (four) and Exalphus (18) were recently revised, their validity has not been tested using phylogenetic methods. In this study, we carried out a cladistic analysis of Ateralphus and its related genera, Alphus and Exalphus, based on 44 morphological characters of the adults, to test their monophyly and infer the relationships between their species. Our results support the monophyly of the three genera and recovered two clades that corroborate the species-groups previously recognized in Ateralphus. A new genus, Grandateralphus gen. n., is proposed for one of these clades, which is supported by three synapomorphies: width of upper ocular lobes less than width between the lobe and the coronal suture (character state 6: 0), genae parallel in frontal view (8: 1) and scape gradually expanded toward apex, reaching widest diameter just near apex (9: 2). Grandateralphus gen. n. includes three new combinations: G. lacteus (Galileo & Martins, 2006), comb. n.; G. tumidus (Souza & Monné, 2013), comb. n.; and G. variegatus (Mendes, 1938), comb. n. Notes on the distribution of G. variegatus comb. n. and a new record of E. cicatricornis Schmid, 2014 for Bolivia (Santa Cruz) are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species of two genera of the tribe Discocerinini from the Neotropics are reviewed with an emphasis on the fauna from Brazil. The two species, Orasiopa (Reymontopa) mera (Cresson, 1939) and Pectinifer aeneus (Cresson, 1918), are described, illustrated and new occurrence data are provided. Phylogenetic relationships of these two genera into the tribe are discussed. To facilitate identification of these species, we have included diagnoses of the Discocerinini and both genera and have also provided an annotated key to the New World genera in this tribe. We have also provided illustrations, photographs, and scanning electron micrographs of external structures and of structures of the male terminalia for included species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Richardiidae are a family of Tephritoidea in which most genera are poorly known taxonomically, including some which were poorly described with limited or no illustrations. With the aim to decrease this taxonomic gap, herein we review two scarcely known monotypic genera: Odontomerella Hendel, 1912 and Maerorichardia Hennig, 1937, both known only from the holotypes of their type species. Maerorichardia is the only genus of Richardiidae with mid and hind tibiae thicker than their respective femora, and the wing with the anal lobe distinctly developed. Odontomerella can be distinguished from the others richardiids by the postcranium reduced and little wider ventrally, the compound eye well developed, occupying most of the head, with the gena and postcranium very reduced, and the face short, with the oral margin distinctly concave. The limits of both genera are revised and better supported with the addition of new diagnostic characters. Odontomera flavipleura Hennig, 1938 is transferred to Odontomerella. The types of the species are revised and illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An inventory of the species of Sciomyzidae that occur in the Coastal Plains of southern Brazil was conducted. Sampling resulted in 304 specimens, 278 of which were collected with nets and 26 with Malaise traps. A total of 11 species distributed in eight genera were collected. New distribution records for Protodictya iguassu Steyskal, 1950 and Thecomyia lateralis (Walker, 1858) are recorded from Rio Grande do Sul. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With discovery of four new Neotropical species, the New World shore-fly genus Rhysophora Cresson, 1924 is revised, including a phylogenetic reassessment of some generic relationships within Discomyzini and of species within Rhysophora. The reconstructed phylogenetic relationships are basedon43adult morphological characters and resulted in the following discoveries, mostly based on the well-supported cladogram: (1) the monophyly of Rhysophora is corroborated; (2) its sister group is Helaeomyia Cresson, not Guttipsilopa Wirth, as previously proposed; (3) three species groups within Rhysophora are recognized; and (4) greater species diversity is in South America, where there is also greater diversity in host plants. We hypothesise that the two Nearctic species, R. robusta and R. laffooni, resulted from two independent dispersal and speciation events when their water lettuce and pickerel weed hosts also dispersed there from the Neotropics. All of these flies are associated with aquatic plants of the families Pontederiaceae (Pontederia, Eichhornia) and Araceae (Pistia stratiotes), with the exception of R. griseola. All species are redescribed and an identification key, distribution maps and illustrations of male terminalia are provided to assist identification of these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scatellini was proposed by Wirth & Stone, 1 956 and currently includes 242 described species in nine genera. The tribe has representatives in all biogeographic regions and about 70 species occur in the Neotropical Region. Prior to this study, only two species were recorded from Brazil: Scatella obscura and Limnellia itatiaia. In this paper, species of Scatellini from Brazil are reviewed with an emphasis on the fauna from southern Brazil, where six new species have been discovered and are described herein: Scatella praia, S. plaumanni, S. rara, Scatophila darrowae, S. dianneae, and S. prainha. To facilitate identification of the tribe and included genera and species, we have included diagnoses of these taxa and have also provided an annotated key to the Neotropical genera in Scatellini. We have also provided illustrations of structures of the male terminalia of all included species of the genus Scatophila. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversity of hoverflies in five different habitats of the Parque Estadual de Vila Velha, Ponta Grossa, Parana´ , Brazil, from September 1999 to August 2002 was studied. These five areas had been exposed to various types of anthropogenic disturbance at different times, which resulted in different stages of plant succession. In total, 2,841 specimens of 151 species of Syrphidae were collected using malaise traps. The highest species richness and abundance were found at the edge of the forest (Forest Edge), whereas the lowest was found in the most conserved areas. Evenness values increased along the succession gradient. The accumulation curve of new occurrences of syrphid species nearly approached an asymptote starting on the third month of the third year. Estimates of syrphid species richness using different methods indicated that between 155 and 288 species are found in the study area, according the Michaelis–Menten and the Chao2 estimators, respectively. The richness and abundance of representatives of the subfamily Syrphinae were higher in more open areas, where herbaceous plants predominate. Nineteen hoverfly species can be considered as environmental indicators, as they were collected exclusively or mainly in one of the defined habitat types. The degree of opening of the vegetation seems to be the factor determining the distribution of Syrphidae species, a conclusion based on the finding that grassy clearings in Araucaria Forests had more species. Hence, we conclude that, to become established, Syrphidae communities need conserved mosaic landscapes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species of Canacidae sensu lato of Brazil are reviewed, including the subfamilies Canacinae and Tethininae. Included are seven species in five genera with two species, Nocticanace austra and N. packhamorum, from southern Brazil being newly described. To facilitate identification, we have included keys and diagnose to taxa at all levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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• The phylogeny of Lamiinae was reconstructed using a multilocus approach. • The subfamily Lamiinae is recovered as monophyletic. • Five major lineages with hypotheses of tribal relationships are recognized in Lamiinae. • New tribe classification hypotheses are proposed based on the principle of monophyly. Lamiinae is the most diverse subfamily of longhorned beetles, with about 20,000 described species classified into 80 tribes. Most of the tribes of Lamiinae were proposed during the 19th century and the suprageneric classification of the subfamily has never been assessed under phylogenetic criteria. In this study, we present the first tribal-level phylogeny of Lamiinae, inferred from 130 terminals (representing 46 tribes, prioritizing generic type species of the tribes) and fragments of two mitochondrial and three nuclear markers (cox1 , rrnL , Wg , CPS and LSU ; 5,024 aligned positions in total). Analyses were performed under Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian methods based on two datasets: a dataset including all taxa available for the study, and a reduced dataset with 111 terminals where taxa only contributing with mitochondrial markers were excluded from the matrix. The monophyly of Lamiinae was corroborated in three of the four analyses and 11 of the 35 tribes with more than one species represented in the analyses were consistently recovered as monophyletic. However, 15 tribes were not retrieved as monophyletic, requiring a revision of their boundaries: Acanthocinini, Acanthoderini, Agapanthiini, Apomecynini, Desmiphorini, Dorcaschematini, Enicodini, Hemilophini, Monochamini, Onciderini, Parmenini, Phytoeciini, Pogonocherini, Pteropliini and Saperdini. Based on these results, when strong support values for paraphyly were recovered, we argue a number of tribe synonymies, including Moneilemini as synonym of Acanthocinini; Onocephalini of Onciderini; Dorcadionini, Gnomini, Monochamini and Rhodopinini of Lamiini; and Obereini and Phytoeciini of Saperdini. Other taxonomic changes proposed in this study based on the criterion of monophyly and supported by morphological characters include the transfer of Tricondyloides and Stenellipsis to Enicodini, and of Dylobolus stat. rest., which is removed as subgenus of Mecas and restituted as genus, to Hemilophini. Furthermore, our analyses suggest that Ostedes and Neohoplonotus should be removed from Acanthocinini and Parmenini, respectively, and Colobotheini should be redefined to encompass several genera currently placed in Acanthocinini. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myzomorphus Sallé is a charismatic genus of prionine longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) composed of nine species. Myzomorphus species are found from Costa Rica to southern Brazil, but only two species have wide distributions across this range: M. scutellatus Sallé from Costa Rica to northern Brazil, and M. quadripunctatus (Gray) from Colombia to southern Brazil. These species are highly polymorphic and their limits are difficult to determine due to their strong morphological similarities--males are only distinguishable by subtle size variations and females by color patterns. Here, we used mitochondrial DNA (cox1 and 12S) to reconstruct the first phylogeny of Myzomorphus and, in combination with morphological data, assess the taxonomic limits between M. scutellatus and M. quadripunctatus. Our phylogenetic results confirm the monophyly of Myzomorphus and reveal a close relationship among M. birai, M. quadripunctatus and M. scutellatus. Using pairwise distance estimations, we found that the intraspecific variation of M. quadripunctatus is remarkably high (K2P: 0-11.7%; p-distances: 0-9.7%) and the interspecific distances of M. quadripunctatus in relation to M. birai and M. scutellatus (K2P: 14.8-20.1%; p-distances: 12-15%) are close to the intraspecific distances of M. quadripunctatus. We further analyzed the diagnostic characters of these species and found that their morphological intraspecific variations largely overlap. Altogether, our results demonstrate that the variability of M. birai, M. scutellatus and M. quadripunctatus represent polymorphisms of a single species. We thus argue for the synonymy of M. birai and M. scutellatus under M. quadripunctatus (syn. nov.) and highlight the need for multiple lines of evidence to solve the taxonomic problems in polymorphic species of Cerambycidae.

The genus Chaetonerius Hendel has 25 valid species, predominantly distributed in the Afrotropical Region with only three species recorded for the Oriental Region. Herein, we describe a new species, Chaetonerius colavitei sp. n., from material collected in Thailand and Malaysia.

Taxonomy is essential to biological sciences and the priority field in face of the biodiversity crisis. The industry of scientific publications has made extensive promotion and display of bibliometric indexes, resulting in side effects such as the Journal Impact Factor™ (JIF) mania. Inadequacies of the widely used indexes to assess taxonomic publications are among the impediments for the progress of this field. Based on an unusually high proportion of self-citations, the mega-journal Zootaxa , focused on zoological taxonomy, was suppressed from the Journal Citation Reports (JCR, Clarivate™). A prompt reaction from the scientific community against this decision took place exposing myths and misuses of bibliometrics. Our goal is to shed light on the impact of misuse of bibliometrics to the production in taxonomy. We explored JCR's metrics for 2010-2018 of 123 zoological journals publishing taxonomic studies. Zootaxa , with around 15 000 citations, received 311% more citations than the second most cited journal, and shows higher levels of self-citations than similar journals. We consider Zootaxa 's scope and the fact that it is a mega-journal are insufficient to explain its high level of self-citation. Instead, this result is related to the ' Zootaxa phenomenon', a sociological bias that includes visibility and potentially harmful misconceptions that portray the journal as the only one that publishes taxonomic studies. Menaces to taxonomy come from many sources and the low bibliometric indexes, including JIF, are only one factor among a range of threats. Instead of being focused on statistically illiterate journal metrics endorsing the villainy of policies imposed by profit-motivated companies, taxonomists should be engaged with renewed strength in actions directly connected to the promotion and practice of this science without regard for citation analysis., (© 2021 The Authors.)

The general aim of this study is to contribute to and summarize knowledge of the Bolivian fauna of the genus Anastrepha Schiner (Tephritidae) which includes species of both ecological and economic importance. In addition to compiling data from the literature, we report the results of fruit fly sampling using McPhail or multilure traps in the Tropic of Cochabamba region and at the private natural reserve of Potrerillo del Guendá in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, as well as records from various other sites based on specimens in museum collections. Fifty-seven named species and three unnamed species of Anastrepha are recorded from Bolivia. Distribution maps for all of these species are provided. Numerous new department records are reported as well as the first records for Bolivia of A. castanea Norrbom, A. dissimilis Stone, A. elegans Blanchard, A. haywardi Blanchard, A. macrura Hendel, A. montei Lima, A. punctata Hendel, and A. rosilloi Blanchard. Pacouria boliviensis (Markgr.) A. Chev. (Apocynaceae) is reported as a host plant of A. woodleyi Norrbom Korytkowski, and Myrciaria floribunda (H. West ex Willd.) Berg (Myrtaceae) and Pouteria glomerata (Miq.) Radlk. (Sapotaceae) as host plants of A. fraterculus (Wiedemann). This distribution and host information will be useful to monitor and manage species that damage fruit crops in Bolivia.

Species of the genus Euarestoides Benjamin (Diptera: Tephritidae) are revised. Euarestoides comprises six species: E. abstersus (Loew) (Bahamas, eastern Canada and USA); E. acutangulus (Thomson) (Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad Tobago, USA, and Venezuela); E. bimaculatus Savaris Norrbom, n. sp. (Peru); E. dreisbachi Foote (Guatemala, Mexico, Peru); E. pereirai Savaris Norrbom, n. sp. (Brazil); and E. rionegrensis Savaris Norrbom, n. sp. (Colombia). A key to the known species of the genus is provided, as well as descriptions, illustrations, distributions, notes on the biology and host plant data for each species.

Two new, brachypterous species of Limnellia are described from specimens collected in the Venezuelan Andes: L. vounitis (Trujillo: Bocon, La Cristalina (Andes; 09°14.7'N, 70°19.1'W; 2500 m)) and L. flavifrontis (Mérida: Mérida, Sierra Nevada National Park (Laguna Negra; 8°47.1'N; 70°48.4'W; 3300 m)). To facilitate identification of these unusual species, we have included a diagnosis of the tribe Scatellini and of the genus Limnellia and have also provided an annotated key to the South American genera of this tribe. The descriptions are supplemented with illustrations, photographs, and scanning electron micrographs of external structures and structures of the male terminalia.

The Sciomyzidae are a family of acalyptrate flies of worldwide distribution, with 543 extant species and 14 described subspecies in 63 genera. Although 274 species in 37 genera are found in the Western Hemisphere, the sciomyzid fauna of Central and South America remains relatively unknown, comprising 103 species in 25 genera, with only seven species in five genera having been recorded from Colombia: Dictya bergi Valley, Perilimnia albifacies Becker, Pherbellia guttata (Coquillett), Sepedomerus bipuncticeps (Malloch), S. macropus (Walker), Sepedonea guianica (Steyskal), and S. isthmi (Steyskal).

The present Catalogue includes 90 species and 23 genera of Tephritidae that have been recorded in Colombia. Four subfamilies (Blepharoneurinae, Dacinae, Trypetinae and Tephritinae), and eight tribes (Acrotaeniini, Carpomyini, Dacini, Eutretini, Myopitini, Noeetini, Tephritini, and Toxotrypanini) are represented in the Colombian territory. The species Toxotrypana littoralis and Tomoplagia pleuralis are new records for the country. Trypeta conferta Walker, 1853 is here formally transferred to the genus Neomyopites.

The Neotropical genera and species of the tribe Ephydrini are revised and include nine genera and 33 species. Of the nine genera, Setacera Cresson, Cirrula Cresson, Dimecoenia Cresson, Paracoenia Cresson and Ephydra Fallén are mostly temperate in distribution, primarily in the Northern Hemisphere. The other four genera, which are exclusively Neotropical, include two, Austrocoenia and Notiocoenia, that were treated previously in the tribe Scatellini, and two recently described genera: Paraephydra (type species: Paraephydra freitasi (Oliveira)) and Neoephydra (type species: Neoephydra araucaria Mathis). New species described herein are: Neoephydra neotropica (Chile), N. dasycephala (Argentina and Peru), N. mallonota (Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile), N. shewelli (Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile), N. inca (Argentina, Bolivia, Peru), N. penai (Chile) and N. trichina (Argentina and Chile). New synonyms are (cited in their original combinations): Ephydra densepilosa Hendel = E. ciligena Rondani, Dimecoenia grumanni Oliveira = E. ciligena Rondani, D. coltaensis Cresson = D. zurcheri Hendel, D. carrerai Oliveira = D. zurcheri Hendel, D. lopesi = E. ciligena Rondani, D. travassosi Mello and Oliveira = E. prionoptera Thomson. A neotype is designated for E. caesia Wulp, and the following lectotype designations have also been made to better stabilize nomenclature (here cited in their original combination): Ephydra chilensis Macquart, Ephydra densepilosa Hendel, Ephydra pravoneura Hendel, Ephydra prionoptera Thomson, and Dimecoenia zurcheri Hendel. Dimecoenia venteli Oliveira is listed as a species inquirenda, as the type series includes only female specimens that we cannot presently recognize. Although the genera and subgenera are fairly easily distinguished, the included species are frequently difficult to separate, and we have generally relied on characters of the male terminalia to determine a species identity. Illustrations of male terminalia and distribution maps are included for each species and keys to all taxa have been provided.

Rhagoletotrypeta chapecensis Norrbom & Savaris, new species, and R. gelabertae Norrbom & Savaris, new species, are described and illustrated from specimens from southern Brazil (Paraná, Santa Catarina) and Paraguay, and from the Dominican Republic, respectively. The larvae of R. chapecensis develop in fruits of Celtis iguanaea (Jacq.) Sarg. (Ulmaceae). A key to the species of the xanthogastra species group is provided.

The Neotropical shore-fly genus Peltopsilopa Hendel is revised and now includes three species: P. acuta n.sp.; P. anisotomoides (Karsch), new combination; and P. schwarzi Cresson. A fourth species name, P. aspistes Hendel, is recognized as a junior synonym of P. anisotomoides (Karsch). We confirm that Peltopsilopa is closely related to Cressonomyia Arnaud and that the genus is in the tribe Psilopini, subfamily Discomyzinae. We provide a revised generic diagnosis and key to South American genera of Psilopini to facilitate identification of Peltopsilopa. The included species descriptions are extensively documented with illustrations, photographs, and distribution map.

Species of Mimapsilopa from Brazil are reviewed with an emphasis on the fauna from southern Brazil, where six new species were discovered and herein are diagnosed and described. To facilitate identification of species, we have included a diagnosis of the tribe Discomyzini and of Mimapsilopa and have also provided an annotated key to the New World genera of the tribe. We have also provided photos of representative specimens, illustrations of structures of the male terminalia and a distribution map for all included species.

The diversity of hoverflies in five different habitats of the Parque Estadual de Vila Velha, Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil, from September 1999 to August 2002 was studied. These five areas had been exposed to various types of anthropogenic disturbance at different times, which resulted in different stages of plant succession. In total, 2,841 specimens of 151 species of Syrphidae were collected using malaise traps. The highest species richness and abundance were found at the edge of the forest (Forest Edge), whereas the lowest was found in the most conserved areas. Evenness values increased along the succession gradient. The accumulation curve of new occurrences of syrphid species nearly approached an asymptote starting on the third month of the third year. Estimates of syrphid species richness using different methods indicated that between 155 and 288 species are found in the study area, according the Michaelis-Menten and the Chao2 estimators, respectively. The richness and abundance of representatives of the subfamily Syrphinae were higher in more open areas, where herbaceous plants predominate. Nineteen hoverfly species can be considered as environmental indicators, as they were collected exclusively or mainly in one of the defined habitat types. The degree of opening of the vegetation seems to be the factor determining the distribution of Syrphidae species, a conclusion based on the finding that grassy clearings in Araucaria Forests had more species. Hence, we conclude that, to become established, Syrphidae communities need conserved mosaic landscapes., (© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.)