Amerohelea Grogan & Wirth

Amerohelea Grogan & Wirth

(Figs. 22B, 46G)

DIAGNOSIS: known only from one limited description by Lane et al. (1955) and not diagnosable.

DESCRIPTION: Known only from one limited description by Lane et al. (1955), with the following character states discernable: Head: Dorsal apotome (Fig. 22B), uncertain ventral line of weakness, without dorsomedial tubercle, without central dome. Thorax: Respiratory organ (Fig. 46G) length/width = 4.00, elongate, moderately slender, with pores closely abutting at apex of respiratory organ, arranged in single row. Abdomen: tergites or sternites entire, each without membranous disc; segment 9 not strongly modified, terminal processes separated basally, each projecting posterodorsolaterally, tapering to pointed apex.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT: The genus Amerohelea is known from 13 species in the New World (Borkent 2014). The only specimen known was collected from a reservoir with abundant vegetation and open, sunny exposure (Lane et al. 1955).

TAXONOMIC DISCUSSION: No specimens of this genus were examined and the pupa is known only from the brief description of A. sordidipes by Lane et al. (1955). Lane et al. (1955) included drawings of the dorsal apotome, respiratory organ and abdominal tergites 3–9. The dorsal apotome is of a unique outline, no sensilla were illustrated (Fig. 22B) and it is almost certainly poorly drawn. The respiratory organ was drawn in an anterior/ posterior perspective (Fig. 46G) and so the length/width noted here as 4.00 (taken from the drawing) is only approximate. The drawing of the abdomen did not provide enough resolution to determine the identification of most sensilla (only D-2-IV and D-3-IV can be identified with any confidence) and is not replicated here.

The few features of the pupa previously reported means this genus could neither be keyed nor interpreted phylogenetically. The presence of abdominal tergal apodemes of adult females indicates the genus is a member of the Palpomyiini.

The previously described pupa of A. sordidipes was not in the collections of the Faculdade de Saude Publica, Universidade de Sao Paulo (Anice Sallum, pers. comm.) or at the Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo (Carlos José Einicker Lamas, pers. comm.) both of which otherwise house some Lane material.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: None available.