As per techaiguide study Two new species of psychodids, insects known as moth flies or moth flies , were discovered in a little-known region of the Atlantic Forest, located in a group of mountains in the municipality of Conselheiro Pena, in eastern Minas Gerais. General. The discovery of these species serves as yet another indicator of the environmental quality of these mountains, which are still not protected and are subject to threats such as fires and deforestation.
The study carried out by researchers from the National Institute of the Atlantic Forest (INMA) and the National Institute for Research in the Amazon (INPA) is published in the Wednesday (19) edition of the scientific journal Zootaxa, published in New Zealand. The species were named as Arisemus sinuosus and Neopericoma bela . In addition to describing two new species, the study proposes a new genus, named Neopericoma , since one of the species did not fit into any of the already known genera of psychodids.
“Although they are similar to those little bathroom mosquitoes that we see in our homes, when we observe these new species under a microscope, we find many differences, such as the shape of the structures of the head and wings, and also structures used in copulation, characteristics used in recognition of the different species”, explains entomologist Danilo Pacheco Cordeiro, a researcher at the National Institute of the Atlantic Forest (INMA).
Cordeiro confirmed the discovery of the new species after field expeditions to collect insects in the region, carried out between March 2021 and February 2022, and the study Science t-shirts of these specimens in the laboratory. The research had the participation of doctoral student Jéssica Luna Camico, from the National Institute for Research in the Amazon (INPA).
“Although a few species of these little mosquitoes have adapted well to living in the urban environment, the vast majority of species are only found in preserved natural environments, reproducing on the banks of streams, inside the water accumulated in bromeliads and in several other environments, helping with the decomposition and cycling of nutrients”, explains the INMA researcher.
These very tiny insects – measuring less than 3 millimeters in length – are quite important for the environment. They participate in the cycling of nutrients, helping to make them available for absorption by plants, and in the trophic chain, serving as food for other small animals.
“Knowing these species is also very important because of the associated information, which helps to learn about the biodiversity of a given environment and keeps track of the evolutionary history of these insects”, says Cordeiro.
The Atlantic Forest is the most populous biome in Brazil and the first to be explored by researchers. Even so, many areas of the Atlantic Forest remain unexplored to this day. This is the case of the region studied by scientists from INMA, a research unit linked to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI). The region has revealed several new species of plants and animals in recent years.
The collections carried out by the INMA team in this area of the Atlantic Forest are being studied by the researchers and have brought many news about the fauna and flora. In 2022, a new species of a rare group of free-ranging lice was described and soon more news should be announced. These studies contribute to knowledge of the biodiversity of these areas and aim to support conservation actions in the region, such as the proposal for a Conservation Unit.
