Abstract
The New World species of the genus Paralimna Loew are revised. Fifteen new species are described and four new synonyms are proposed ( Paralimna cilifera Hendel = Paralimna sana Cresson, Paralimna sticta Hendel = Paralimna taurus Cresson, and Paralimna bistriata Hendel = Paralimna molossus Schiner, P. multipunctata Williston = Paralimna thomae (Wiedemann)). A key to the 34 known, New World species of the subgenera Paralimna is provided, as is a key to the three New World species of the subgenus Phaiosterna Cresson. Diagnoses, detailed distributional data for the species of the genus, notes on the biology, and illustrations (photographs and drawings) are provided to assist species identification. A cladistic analysis was performed to examine the monophyly of the known species groups of Paralimna . The ingroup includes a total of 64 exemplar species. Outgroup sampling includes the following exemplar genera: Afrolimna Cogan Oedenops Becker, and Papuama Mathis and Zatwarnicki. The analyses of the 36 included characters recovered a monophyletic subgenus Phaiosterna Cresson and a paraphyletic subgenus Paralimna if the limbata species group is included. Except for the limbata species group, the remaining known species groups of Paralimna were not sustained. — Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology , number 643, x + 148 pages, 215 figures, 31 maps, 1 table, published 1 June 2015.
Highlights
The shore-fly genus Paralimna Loew is one of the most species rich in the subfamily Hydrelliinae Robineau-Desvoidy, having 98 described species worldwide (Mathis and Zatwarnicki 1995, 2002, and updates, including those described in this paper)
A cladistic analysis was performed to examine the monophyly of the known species groups of Paralimna
We have followed the terminology for most structures of the male terminalia that other workers in Ephydridae have used, such as surstylus, which in Dryxini is divided into a presurstylus and postsurstylus
Summary
The shore-fly genus Paralimna Loew is one of the most species rich in the subfamily Hydrelliinae Robineau-Desvoidy, having 98 described species worldwide (Mathis and Zatwarnicki 1995, 2002, and updates, including those described in this paper). The New World fauna of Paralimna is diverse, its species richness has never been adequately explored or documented, which are the primary objectives of this paper. Cresson’s synopsis was the best available, it was incomplete, including only 16 of nearly 25 described species and lacking keys, illustrations, and adequate descriptions. In his synopsis, and perhaps partially accounting for the incomplete synoptic treatment, Cresson (1947:47) observed that the subgenus Paralimna is “a group of very difficult species.”. Since Cresson, the New World fauna of Paralimna has been largely neglected, undoubtedly in part because of the difficulty in recognizing species, as Cresson observed Perhaps partially accounting for the incomplete synoptic treatment, Cresson (1947:47) observed that the subgenus Paralimna is “a group of very difficult species.” Since Cresson, the New World fauna of Paralimna has been largely neglected, undoubtedly in part because of the difficulty in recognizing species, as Cresson observed
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