Search

(1) We document the invertebrate fauna collected from 24 oak canopies in east and west Norway as a contribution to the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre’s ‘The Norwegian Taxonomy Initiative’. (2) A snap-shot inventory of the canopies was recorded by means of emitting a mist of natural pyrethrum into the canopies at night using a petrol-driven fogger and collecting the specimens in butterfly nets spread on the ground under the canopy. (3) Almost the entire catch of more than 6800 specimens was identified to 722 species. Out of 92 species new to the Norwegian fauna, 21 were new to science and, additionally, 15 were new to the Nordic fauna. Diptera alone constituted nearly half of the species represented, with 61 new records (18 new species). Additionally, 24 Hymenoptera (one new species), six oribatid mites (two new species) and one Thysanoptera were new to the Norwegian fauna. (4) Our study emphasizes the importance of the oak tree as a habitat both for a specific fauna and occasional visitors, and it demonstrates that the canopy fogging technique is an efficient way to find the ‘hidden fauna’ of Norwegian forests. The low number of red listed species found reflects how poor the Norwegian insect fauna is still studied. Moreover, the implication of the IUCN red list criteria for newly described or newly observed species is discussed. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses /by/4.0/).

Fourteen species of Tipula (Vestiplex Bezzi, 1924) crane flies (Diptera, Tipulidae) known from Mongolia are taxonomically revised. Identification keys for males and females, redescriptions and illustrations of all species are presented. Most genital structures are illustrated for the first time. Tipula (V.) jakut Alexander, 1934 is designated as junior synonym of T. (V.) sintenisi Lackschewitz, 1933; T. (V.) kamchatkana Alexander, 1934 is designated as junior synonym of T. (V.) mediovittata Mik, 1889. Tipula (V.) balioptera Loew, 1863 and T. (V.) leucoprocta Mik, 1889 are listed as new records for the Mongolian fauna.

Lipsothrix jiri Podenas, sp. nov. from South Korea is described and illustrated. It is the second species of Lipsothrix Loew, 1873 recorded so far from the Korean Peninsula. The new species has dark brown dorsal and yellow ventral surface of the body and abundant macrotrichiae in apical wing cells. Elevation range, period of activity, habitat information and a distribution map are presented.

A new genus and species, Orimarguloides simplex gen. et sp. nov. from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber is described and illustrated. This new genus is distinguished from its related genera by wing venation and the structure of hypopygium.

Two new species of crane flies belonging to the genus Atypophthalmus Brunetti, 1911, A. (Atypophthalmus) kleini Podenas, sp. nov. and A. (Microlimonia) jeju Podenas & Podeniene, sp. nov. collected in South Korea in 2017 and 2019 are described and illustrated. Larvae and female pupa for A. (Microlimonia) jeju sp. nov. are described. The pupa for the subgenus A. (Microlimonia) is described for the first time. An updated list and key for adults of all Korean Atypophthalmus are presented.

Lipsothrix odaesana Podenas & Petersen, sp. nov. from South Korea is described and illustrated. It is the only species of Lipsothrix Loew, 1873 recorded so far from the Korean Peninsula. Elevation range, period of activity, habitat information and a distribution map are presented.

The short-palped crane fly, Antocha (Antocha) bella Markevičiūtė & Podenas sp. nov., is described from specimens collected in Sichuan, China. Redescriptions of Antocha (Antocha) fortidens Alexander, 1933 and Antocha (Antocha) nebulipennis immaculata Alexander, 1938, illustrations of distinguishing morphological features, general distribution, checklist and key to species of Antocha Osten Sacken from Sichuan, China are provided.

A total of 38 Korean species of crane flies belonging to the genus Dicranomyia Stephens, 1829 (Diptera: Limoniidae: Limoniinae) are taxonomically revised. No species of Dicranomyia were previously reported from South Korea, and only twelve species were reported from North Korea. New records of Dicranomyia from the Korean Peninsula include: D. (Dicranomyia) depauperata Alexander, 1918, D. (D.) distendens pallida Savchenko, 1983, D. (D.) handlirschi handlirschi Lackschewitz, 1928, D. (D.) hyalinata (Zetterstedt, 1851), D. (D.) kandybinae Savchenko, 1987, D. (D.) longipennis (Schummel, 1829), D. (D.) mesosternatoides Alexander, 1924, D. (D.) modesta (Meigen, 1818), D. (D.) pammelas Alexander, 1925, D. (D.) poli (Alexander, 1941), D. (D.) sera (Walker, 1848), D. (D.) shinanoensis (Alexander, 1933), D. (D.) takeuchii Alexander, 1922, D. (D.) unispinosa Alexander, 1921, D. (Erostrata) globithorax Osten Sacken, 1869, D. (E.) globulithorax Alexander, 1924, D. (E.) yazuensis Kato et al., 2018, D. (Glochina) basifusca Alexander, 1919, D. (Melanolimonia) paramorio platysoma (Alexander, 1933), D. (Numantia) fusca (Meigen, 1804), D. (Sivalimnobia) euphileta (Alexander, 1924). Species D. (D.) byuni Podenas, sp. nov., D. (D.) cornuta Podenas, sp. nov., D. (D.) jirisana Podenas, sp. nov., D. (D.) petrasiuni Podenas, sp. nov., and D. (D.) yankovskyi Podenas, sp. nov. are described. An additional ten new records are reported from North Korea, bringing the total number of Dicranomyia species known from North Korea to 22 species. South Korea has a greater diversity of Dicranomyia with total number of 30 species. D. (D.) amurensis Alexander, 1925 is synonymised with D. (D.) hyalinata (Zetterstedt, 1851). An illustrated key with redescriptions and photographs of all species and both sexes of adults collected in Korea are presented. Most females are illustrated or described for the first time. Elevation range, period of activity, habitat information, general distribution and a distribution map in Korean Peninsula is given for each species.

The egg-larvae of 890 individuals in 8 species belonging to long palped crane flies of the genus Tipula (Diptera: Tipulidae) were obtained from 17 gravid females captured in Lithuania in 2011–2012. Depending on the species, it took from four days to more than eleven weeks for the eggs to hatch. Of the four instars of larvae for crane flies, the second, third and the last instar larvae are very similar in morphology, while the first instar or egg-larva differs radically. Descriptions and illustrations of the external morphology, chaetotaxy of abdominal segments, characters of head capsules and last abdominal segments are given for the previously unknown first instar larvae of T. (Lunatipula) fascipennis, T. (Pterelachisus) irrorata, T. (P.) pabulina, T. (P.) pseudovariipennis, T. (Yamatotipula) pruinosa and poorly known T. (Beringotipula) unca, T. (L.) vernalis T. (Tipula) paludosa. The differences of the head capsule and last abdominal segment among the first instar larvae of these species are more obvious than in the last instar. Characters of the head capsule such as the shape of the teeth of the mandible, shape of the basal segment of the antenna and number of sensillae on it, shape of hypostomium, arrangement of sensory structures on the labrum and frons, all differ among egg-larvae of Tipula. Sclerotisation and the arrangement of setae on the spiracular field are unique for each studied Tipula species. This is the first study to use head capsule characters to distinguish the larvae of Tipula.

Five species of Limoniinae (Diptera, Limoniidae) crane flies from the Korean Peninsula are reviewed. A new species Antocha (Antocha) yeongwola is described. Achyrolimonia monacantha (Alexander, 1924) and Antocha (Antocha) satsuma Alexander, 1919 are new records for the Korean Peninsula; Antocha (Antocha) dilatata Alexander, 1924 and Dicranoptycha diacantha Alexander, 1938 are new records for South Korea; females of Achyrolimonia monacantha and Antocha dilatata are described and illustrated for the first time. The check lists, identification keys for all species of Achyrolimonia Alexander, 1965 and Antocha Osten Sacken, 1860 from the Korean Peninsula are given. Redescriptions and illustrations of both sexes of these species are presented.

The Korean species of Libnotes (Laosa) Edwards, 1926 and L. (Libnotes) Westwood, 1876 from Jeju Island are taxonomically revised. L. (Laosa) charmosyne (Alexander, 1958) and L. (Libnotes) divaricata (Alexander, 1924) are new records for South Korea and L. (Libnotes) byersiana n. sp. is described. An identification key for all Korean Libnotes, redescriptions and illustrations of the three currently known Jeju species are presented.

A new species of short-palped crane fly, Antocha (Antocha) chonsaniana, is described from specimens collected in 1940 at Chonsani, North Korea and preserved in the Smithsonian Institution, U.S.A. Descriptions and illustrations of the distinguishing morphological features, particularly wing and male genitalic characters, are provided.

Tipula (Vestiplex) scripta immunda Alexander, 1934 is synonymized with Tipula (V.) scripta scripta Meigen, 1830. T. (V.) scripta hartigi Mannheims, 1950 is restored to species level. T. (V.) scripta intermixta Riedel, 1913 is restored to species level. T. (V.) hartigi is synonymized with T. (V.) intermixta.

Threats to biodiversity are not studied equally amongst taxa leaving some groups like insects typically understudied in conservation and management research. Crane flies (Diptera: Tipuloidea) are diverse and important members of the aquatic and terrestrial biotic communities. These semi-terrestrial larval habitat preferences place crane flies at risk of habitat degradation and loss particularly from grazing by livestock. Increased grazing by livestock in the Hovsgol region of Mongolia has impacted both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The purpose of this study is to document biodiversity of crane flies along the east shore of Lake Hovsgol, Mongolia, and to test whether crane fly diversity differs between valleys with different grazing intensity. Ninety-six species of Tipuloidea were found in this study, nine of these new to Mongolia, with 21 new to the Hovsgol region. Rarefaction curves indicate that predicted diversity is less for moderately and highly grazed valleys than for the lightly grazed valleys and an analysis of variance indicates that Shannon’s diversity index was significantly higher in the lightly grazed valleys. Finally, a parsimonious model based on multiple regression analysis indicates that plant biomass and relative humidity are the strongest significant predicators of variation in crane fly diversity across the grazing gradient. Since crane fly larvae are an important part of the soil and leaf litter community, impaired diversity may affect ecosystem services such as decomposition of leaf litter and bioturbation, potentially exacerbating the impact of grazing.

The Korean species of Limonia Meigen, 1803 crane flies (Diptera: Limoniidae) are taxonomically revised. Species L. annulata Lackschewitz, 1940 (Lackschewitz, Pagast, 1940), L. bidens Savchenko, 1979, L. episema Alexander, 1924, L. fusciceps fusciceps Alexander, 1924, L. juvenca Alexander, 1935, L. messaurea messaurea Mendl, 1971, L. nemoralis Savchenko, 1983 are new records for the Korean peninsula and L. pia n. sp. is described. Synonymy of L. venerabilis Alexander, 1938 with L. macrostigma (Schummel, 1829) is confirmed. L. tanakai (Alexander, 1921) is not confirmed for the Korean Peninsula. An identification key, redescriptions and illustrations of all species and both sexes of adults, if they were found in Korea, are presented. Descriptions, illustrations and habitat characteristics are given for the previously unknown larva and pupa of L. parvipennis Alexander, 1940. Distinguishing morphological characters of the last instar larvae of Korean Limonia are discussed. Keys to the known Korean Limonia larvae and pupae are compiled.

Species of Trichoceridae Rondani known to occur on the Korean Peninsula are reviewed; eight of these are recorded for Korea for the first time. Trichocera ( Saltrichocera ) sapporensis Alexander, 1935 and T . ( S .) maculipennis pictipennis Alexander, 1930 are proposed as synonyms of T . ( S ). maculipennis punctipennis Brunetti, 1912 which is transferred to a subspecific rank. A new species— Trichocera ( Saltrichocera ) latipons sp. nov. is described.

Two new species of crane flies, Libnotes ( Libnotes ) charlesyoungi n. sp. and L. ( L. ) jirisana n. sp. are described. Libnotes ( Afrolimonia ) plutonis (Alexander, 1924) is described for the first time on the Korean Peninsula. A key for all Korean Libnotes spp. is presented.

Korean species of the crane fly genus Rhipidia Meigen, 1818 (Diptera: Limoniidae), are taxonomically revised. Rhipidia (Rhipidia) serena, new species, is described and figured. Rhipidia (R.) longa Zhang, Li, Yang, 2014, R. (R.) maculata Meigen, 1818 and R. (R.) sejuga Zhang, Li, Yang, 2014 are recorded for the first time in Korea. Previously known species, Rhipidia (R.) septentrionis Alexander, 1913 is redescribed and illustrated. Identification key for all Korean Rhipidia species is given. Most antennae, wings, male and female terminalia of all species are illustrated for the first time.

Korean species of the crane fly genus Metalimnobia Matsumura, 1911 (Diptera: Limoniidae), are taxonomically revised. Metalimnobia (Metalimnobia) channpayna new species, is described and figured, M. (M.) bifasciata (Schrank, 1781), M. (M.) quadrinotata (Meigen, 1818) and M. (M.) zetterstedti (Tjeder, 1968) are listed for the first time in Korea, new information for previously known species, M. (M.) quadrimaculata (Linnaeus, 1760) is added. Identification key for all Korean Metalimnobia species is given. Wings, male and female terminalia are illustrated for all species.

Geranomyia kunashir n. sp. from Kunashir Island (Far East of Russia), Geranomyia piagola n. sp. and Geranomyia semjina n. sp. from South Korea are described. Keys for all species of Korean Geranomyia are presented.

Taiwanese species of the crane fly subgenus Antocha (Antocha) Osten Sacken, 1860, are reviewed. Antocha (Antocha) taiwanensis, new species, is described and figured. Previously known species, Antocha (A.) bifida Alexander, 1924a and Antocha (A.) styx Alexander, 1930 are redescribed and illustrated. Antocha (A.) javanensis Alexander, 1915 is removed from the list of Taiwanese crane flies. Antocha (A.) gracillima Alexander, 1924b and species close to Antocha (A.) streptocera Alexander, 1949 are listed for the first time in Taiwan. Identification key for all Taiwanese Antocha species is given.

The Korean crane fly species of the genus Heterangaeus Alexander, 1925 (Diptera: Pediciidae) is taxonomically revised. H. gloriosus gloriosus (Alexander, 1924) is redescribed. A new species Heterangaeus koreanus n. sp., which is the first species of Pediciidae from South Korea, is described and illustrated.

Two new species of Dicranoptycha Osten Sacken, 1859, crane flies (Diptera, Limoniidae) from the Korean peninsula are described, illustrated and compared with already known and related species. An identification key and check-list of all Korean Dicranoptycha is presented.

Korean species of the crane fly genus Rhipidia Meigen, 1818 (Diptera: Limoniidae), are taxonomically revised. Rhipidia (Rhipidia) serena, new species, is described and figured. Rhipidia (R.) longa Zhang, Li, Yang, 2014, R. (R.) maculata Meigen, 1818 and R. (R.) sejuga Zhang, Li, Yang, 2014 are recorded for the first time in Korea. Previously known species, Rhipidia (R.) septentrionis Alexander, 1913 is redescribed and illustrated. Identification key for all Korean Rhipidia species is given. Most antennae, wings, male and female terminalia of all species are illustrated for the first time.

Korean species of the crane fly genus Metalimnobia Matsumura, 1911 (Diptera: Limoniidae), are taxonomically revised. Metalimnobia ( Metalimnobia ) channpayna new species, is described and figured, M. ( M. ) bifasciata (Schrank, 1781), M . ( M .) quadrinotata (Meigen, 1818) and M . ( M. ) zetterstedti (Tjeder, 1968) are listed for the first time in Korea, new information for previously known species, M. ( M. ) quadrimaculata (Linnaeus, 1760) is added. Identification key for all Korean Metalimnobia species is given. Wings, male and female terminalia are illustrated for all species.