two new species of lepidiella (diptera: psychodidae: psychodinae) from the atlantic rainforest of southeastern brazil

Abstract

Currently, the Neotropical genus Lepidiella Enderlein, 1937 comprises ten species, only one of them recorded from Brazil. In this paper, two new species of this genus are described from the Atlantic Rainforest of the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Lepidiella robusta sp. nov. can be distinguished from all known species by the relative size of the first flagellomere, twice as long the second. Lepidiella flabellata sp. nov. can be distinguished from all known species by the absence of cornicula, cercus with 17 tenacula and pair of inner parameres apically bifurcated. A diagnosis of Lepidiella (species with flagellomeres 1-11 barrel-shaped, bearing simple, unbranched ascoids; flagellomeres 12-14 smaller, without ascoids; wing with acute apex and R4 ending at tip; Rs not pectinated) and an identification key to males of the genus are provided.