Only the beginning: the high species diversity of soldier flies (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) in a Cerrado protected area of semideciduous seasonal forests in Goiás, Brazil

Abstract

The Stratiomyidae (Diptera) are small to large flies in size, characterized by a small discal cell and radial veins crowded toward the anterior margin of the wing. With over 2,800 described species worldwide, this family has high morphological variation and occurs in various habitats, including the Cerrado, the second-largest biome in Brazil. Despite the potential of Diptera for conservational studies, the lack of species lists and faunistic studies limits our understanding of stratiomyids, especially in the Cerrado and in the state of Goiás, for which only 10 stratiomyid species have been reported. This study presents the Stratiomyidae fauna from the Parque Estadual Altamiro de Moura Pacheco and the Parque Estadual do João Leite, remnant areas of the semideciduous seasonal forest from the Cerrado. Collections were carried out using Malaise traps, between June and December 2022 and January and March 2023. A total of 855 specimens were collected and identified into 63 stratiomyid species/ morphospecies, 35 genera, and eight subfamilies. Of these species, 59 are new records for the state of Goiás and, in addition, two species—Merosargus tangens James, 1971 in James & McFadden, 1971 and Sargus cirrhosus McFadden, 1982 in James & McFadden, 1982—are new records for Brazil. The knowledge of the Stratiomyidae in the state has expanded to nine subfamilies, 36 genera, and 69 species, indicating that insect fauna in the Cerrado is still far beyond our comprehension.