Research

Description of a new species, Pintomyia dissimilis nov. sp., a phlebotomine fossil from Dominican Republic amber (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae)

José Dilermando Andrade Filho¹ , Paula Cavalcante Lamy Serra e Meira¹ , Cristiani de Castilho Sanguinette¹ and Reginaldo Peçanha Brazil²

¹  Instituto René Rachou-Fiocruz, Av. Augusto de Lima 1715, CEP 30190-002 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

²  Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

author email corresponding author email

Parasites & Vectors 2009, 2:25doi:10.1186/1756-3305-2-25

Published:	14 May 2009

Abstract

Background

Phlebotomine sandflies are the vectors of etiological agents of leishmaniases in several areas of the world. In the Neotropical Region, the biodiversity of these insects is more than other regions, probably due the long evolutionary period of this group. Miocene amber from Dominican Republic, currently, has a record of 14 extinct species of Phlebotomine sandflies.

Results

This paper describes a new fossil species of phlebotomine sandfly from amber found in Dominican Republic. This new species is based on morphological characters of a male such as 5° palpomere longer than 3° + 4°, three well-developed spines in the gonostyle, lateral lobe longer than gonocoxite and permit inclusion of the new species in the genus Pintomyia, series serrana. The paramere, with a curvature in the ventral margin, of the middle of the structure, separates the new species from the others fossils or extant species.

Conclusion

The new species described in the present study named Pintomyia dissimilis nov. sp. is well differenciated from all known species in this genus.