Abstract
In recent years several Neotropical Psychodidae Psychodinae were collected from Bromeliaceae. These plants are a kind of aquatic microcosmos and harbour a diverse and probably specialized fauna (Frank & Lounibos 2009, Kitching 2000, Richardson 1999). Quite a number of psychodids collected from Bromeliaceae is from genus Arisemus (Satchell, 1955). In some cases adults were reared from larvae collected in bromeliads, so that both stages were associated Wagner et al. 2008; Wagner et al. accepted. From some other species and genera it is known or supposed that their habitat is related to bromeliads (more information in Quate & Brown 2004, Frank et al. 2004). Additional information with description of a new species can be found in Wagner & Hribar (2005). Remarkably one newly described species was transported with a bromeliad from Brazil via the Netherlands to Sweden, where larvae or eggs developed to the adult stage and were collected in a terrarium (Wagner & Svensson 2006). So it appears that the small water bodies in tank bromeliads and other plants or the high atmospheric humidity in the environment of Tillandsia plants provide a sufficient environment for successful development of psychodids, at least in the Neotropical region. Here we report about another new species collected from bromeliads in Florida that belongs to the remarkable genus Neurosystasis Satchell, 1955, of which so far only two species were known: N. terminalis (Satchell, 1955) from Jamaica, and N. amplipenna (Knab, 1914) from Cuba. Quate & Brown (2004) mentioned 3 females from Orange County Florida, U.S.A. collected from Tillandsia utriculata (Bromeliaceae) where larvae live in the leaf axils. Most probably these females are not N. amplipenna (Knab, 1914) but belong to the new species described below.
References
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