A new genus of Sensitibillini from Brazilian caves (Psocodea: 'Psocoptera': Prionoglarididae)

Abstract

A new genus of Sensitibillini from Brazilian caves (Psocodea: 'Psocoptera': Prionoglarididae). - The genus Neotrogla Lienhard gen. n. is described for three new cave-dwelling species from Brazil: Neotrogla brasiliensis Lienhard sp. n. (from Minas Gerais State), N. aurora Lienhard sp. n. (from Tocantins State) and N. truncata Lienhard sp. n. (from Bahia State). These species are the first Neotropical representatives of the sub family Speleketorinae and the first New World representatives of the tribe Sensitibillini, previously known only from southern Africa. This distributional pattern of Sensitibillini is tentatively interpreted as due to Western Gondwanan vicariance. In the females of Neotrogla a complex of accessory structures to the spermathecal duct is described and denoted by the new term "gynosome". A hypothesis of functional complementarity, during copulation, between the "penis-like" gynosome and the strongly reduced male phallosome of Neotrogla is presented.