New genus and new species of Muscidae (Diptera) from the Andes highlands and discussion of its phylogenetic position based on morphological evidence

Abstract

The Andes harbours a rich diversity of Muscidae. A new muscid genus, Polletella de Carvalho & Haseyama, gen. nov., is described from the Ecuadorian and Peruvian highlands, and it comprises three new species: Polletella polleti de Carvalho, Haseyama & Gomes, sp. nov. (type species) and Polletella norrbomi de Carvalho, Haseyama & Gomes, sp. nov., both from Loja, Cajanuma, Ecuador, and Polletella inca de Carvalho, Haseyama & Gomes, sp. nov. from Cuzco, Peru. Collected data indicate that species of Polletella are probably confined to high‐altitude cloud Andean forests and may be abundant at 3000 m. A key to the species of Polletella is provided. The morphological features and a morphology‐based phylogenetic analysis indicate that Polletella is monophyletic and that it does not concur with the current concepts of any of the Neotropical Phaoniinae genera.