Cladistic analysis of the genus Bruggmanniella Tavares (Diptera, Cecicomyiidae, Asphondyliini) with evolutionary inferences on the gall inducer-host plant association and description of a new Brazilian species.

Abstract

In this study, we present a phylogenetic analysis of the genus Bruggmanniella Tavares based on morphological features. Cladistic analyses were conducted using 57 characters from 26 species. All species of Bruggmanniella except for B. byrsonimae were selected as ingroup and the genera Asphondylia Loew, Bruggmannia Tavares, Illiciomyia Tokuda, Parazalepidota Maia, Pseudasphondylia Monzen, Schizomyia Kieffer, and Lopesia Rübsaamen as outgroup. We used characters from larvae, pupae, adults, and galls. The results of this study supported Bruggmanniella as the sister group of Pseudasphondylia. Bruggmanniella actinodaphnes Tokuda and Yukawa and B. cinnamomi Tokuda and Yukawa have been moved to genus Pseudasphondylia (Pseudasphondylia actinodaphnes (Tokuda and Yukawa) comb. nov. and Pseudasphondylia cinnamomi (Tokuda and Yukawa) comb. nov.). The new genus Odontokeros gen. nov. has been erected for the single species Odontokeros brevipes (Lin, Yang & Tokuda) comb. nov. In addition, we described a new Brazilian species, Bruggmanniella miconia Garcia, Lamas and Urso-Guimarães sp. nov. Identification keys to the New World species of Bruggmanniella are presented.