Description and molecular characterization of recently discovered species in the Blepharicera Macquart (Diptera: Blephariceridae) tenuipes group

The Blepharicera tenuipes group currently consists of 17 species of net-winged midges that occur in eastern North America. The most recent revision of the tenuipes group mentions additional unidentified species from locations in GA and AL, which represent some of the southernmost records for Blepharicera. Additional specimens from TN, AL, GA, and NC have been collected and deemed new species based upon morphological features and results of a DNA fingerprinting study using the nuclear coding gene BZF. A phylogeny of the group will also be presented.