First record of the predaceous midge Schizonyxhelea zoologica Huerta & Grogan, 2017 (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in South America, with description of the female

Abstract

Schizonyxhelea zoologica Huerta & Grogan, 2017, previously known from North America (Mexico), is reported for the first time in South America (Brazil). Additionally, the female of this species is described and illustrated for the first time. The females were collected in association with males in a preserved forest and an urban forest fragment, located in Amazonas State, Brazil. Schizonyxhelea zoologica is the fifth species of the genus recorded in Brazil, and the first species of the genus documented in Amazonas. Finally, a brief commentary on the environment in which the specimens were found, as well as their biogeographical importance, is provided.