Taxonomia de Argidae Konow, 1890 (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinoidea) da Amazônia brasileira

Abstract

The Amazon is the largest tropical rainforest in the world, with biodiversity considered as rich as it is unknown especially among neglected groups. Tenthredinoidea has a cosmopolitan distribution, with the exception of Antarctica, and currently comprises five distinct families: Argidae, Cimbicidae, Diprionidae, Pergidae, and Tenthredinidae. The Argidae family is divided into two subfamilies: Arginae, with two genera and 55 species, and Sterictiphorinae, predominantly represented in the Neotropical Region, with 29 genera and approximately 240 valid species. The lack of specialists in the group, the scarce available information, and the large number of morphotyped specimens have increased the need to study the taxonomy of the genera and species of Argidae occurring in the Brazilian Amazon. The study focused on individuals deposited in the entomological collections of the National Institute of Amazonian Research and the Emílio Goeldi Museum, the main reference collections of invertebrates from the Amazon. A total of 153 specimens belonging to 13 genera and 27 species were examined, resulting in two new records for Brazil and six new occurrences for the Brazilian Amazon. Additionally, 11 new species belonging to five genera were described: Acrogymnia sp. nov. 1, Acrogymnia sp. nov. 2, Acrogymnia sp. nov. 3, Atomacera sp. nov. 1, Didymia sp. nov. 1, Didymia sp. nov. 2, Didymia sp. nov. 3, Didymia sp. nov. 4, Sphacophilus sp. nov. 1, Tanymeles sp. nov. 1, and Tanymeles sp. nov. 2. Female genitalia characters, such as the shape of the lancet, the number of annuli on the lamnium, the shape of the saw teeth, the presence, absence, and position of lateral and marginal campaniform sensilla, as well as the sizes of the ctenidia and the shape of the aulax, proved crucial for differentiating Argidae species. This study presents images of diagnostic characteristics, an identification key for the genera, and detailed information on the geographic distribution of the studied genera and species. Additionally, this study highlights the potential for a rich diversity of Argidae species in the Brazilian Amazon, hitherto poorly documented in previous taxonomic studies.