Search

Ninety hybotid species are recognized in the Botanic Garden Jean Massart (Brussels), representing 52 % of the hybotids ever recorded in Belgium. Two species new to science are described:Platypalpus massartisp. nov. andP. pictitarsoidessp. nov. Following species are reported for the first time in Belgium:Drapetis infitialis(Collin, 1961),Platypalpus negroboviGrootaert, Kustov & Shamshev, 2012 andTrichina opacaLoew, 1864. In addition, comments are given on a selected number of species:Bicellaria intermediaLundbeck, 1910,Platypalpus aurantiacus(Collin, 1926),Platypalpus longimanus(Corti, 1907),Platypalpus nanus(Oldenberg, 1924),Platypalpus rapidoidesChvála, 1975,Platypalpus subtilis(Collin, 1926),Stilpon subnubilusChvála, 1988 and on the genusHybosMeigen, 1803. The holotype ofP. cryptospina(Frey, 1909) is revised.Only 30 species or 33% of the species present are in a ‘Safe/Low risk’ Red Data Book category meaning that the other 66% are in a more or less ‘Threatened’ category.

Records of 19 species of the dipteran families Bombyliidae (1 species), Mythicomyiidae (1 species), Therevidae (2 species), Empididae (3 species), Hybotidae (1 species), Dolichopodidae (8 species) and Syrphidae (3 species) from glacial sand deposits in the Czech Silesia (NE Czech Republic) are presented and their association with sandy habitats discussed. All of them are recorded from the Czech Silesia for the first time, 13 are new additions to the fauna of Moravia of which 9 are also new for the whole of the Czech Republic. Dialineura anilis (Linnaeus, 1761) (Therevidae) and Schistostoma truncatum (Loew, 1864) (Dolichopodidae) are classified as psammobiont, 6 species as psammophilous, viz. Exhyalanthrax afer (Fabricius, 1794) (Bombyliidae), Cliorismia rustica (Panzer, 1804) (Therevidae), Cryptophlebs kerteszi Lichtwardt, 1898, Melanostolus melancholicus (Loew, 1869) (both Dolichopodidae) and Paragus constrictus Šimić, 1986 and Pelecocera tricincta Meigen, 1822 (Syrphidae), and 3 species as probably psammophilous, viz. Medetera annulitarsus von Roser, 1840, M. grunini Negrobov, 1966 and Sciapus basilicus Meuffels & Grootaert, 1990 (all Dolichopodidae). Medetera grunini is recorded for the first time from Europe and represents a new westernmost limit of its distribution range in the Palaearctic. New southernmost records of Rhamphomyia murina Collin, 1926 (Empididae) and Drapetis monsmargila Grootaert, Beuk & Shamshev, 2020 (Hybotidae) are also given.

The daggerfly, Tachypeza yinyang Papp & Földváry, 2002, originally described from Hungary is recorded for the first time in Croatia. Additional notes on its description and illustrations of habitus and male terminalia are provided.

A lectotype (male) and paralectotypes (male, female) of Pneumia vittata (Tonnoir, 1919) comb. nov. (= Pericoma crispi Freeman, 1953 syn. nov.) from Belgium are designated. The species is redescribed and illustrated, and a differential diagnosis is given. The former designation of a holotype, paratypes and paratypoids by Jung is invalid because it was not published. In addition, a problem with Tonnoiriella obtusa (Tonnoir, 1919) comb. nov. (= Tonnoiriella anchoriformis Salamanna, 1975 syn. nov.) from Belgium is resolved. A female specimen is designated as a lectotype, but only the dissected wings from this specimen are in condition suitable for redescription. There is additional non-type material collected later by Tonnoir; this material, including 3 females and 1 male, was the basis for redescription, illustrations and differential diagnosis. The unpublished male lectotype designated by Jung is invalid. Two species are added to the last checklist of Psychodidae from Belgium, raising the total number to 94.

Platypalpus pilifer Grootaert et van der Weele, sp. n. is described from the Caucasus region in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Russia. The species belongs to the Platypalpus pallidiventris-cursitans group and is characterised by very long ventral bristles on the spindle-shaped dilated fore tibia in the male. Mid femur in both male and female has a ventral black stripe over the entirely length. An extended diagnosis of the related species Platypalpus infectus (Collin, 1926) is given with new illustrations of the male terminalia. It lacks long bristles on the fore tibia. The left epandrial lamella bears a lobe at the right side facing the left cercus and a long lobe at the left side. These distinct lobes are lacking in the new species. In addition numerous spinules are present on the right surstylus in P. infectus lacking in the new species.

All known records of aquatic dance flies (Empididae, Clinocerinae: 21 species; Hemerodromiinae: eight species) from the island of Corsica (France) are summarized, including previously unpublished data and data on the newly described species Chelipoda puschae Ivković, Perović & Grootaert, sp. nov. This species was collected during the “La Planète Revisitée Corsica 2019” survey and represents the first description of a new species in the genus Chelipoda from the European–Mediterranean region in more than 180 years. A key to European species of Chelipoda is provided. Including the new species, five species are recorded from Corsica for the first time: Dolichocephala malickyi Wagner, 1995, Dolichocephala oblongoguttata (Dale, 1878), Dolichocephala ocellata (Costa, 1854), Chelifera subangusta Collin, 1961, and Hemerodromia unilineata Zetterstedt, 1842. The new species is described and illustrated, and new records of aquatic dance flies from Corsica are given, with new data on 17 species in eight different genera. At present, 29 species of aquatic dance flies are known from Corsica, with 10 species endemic to the island.

Phylogenetic inference, based on five molecular markers (COI, 28S, AATS, 12S, PGD), corroborates the synonymy of the flightless genera Pieltainia Arias, 1919 and Ariasella Gil, 1923 with Tachydromia Meigen, 1803. The secondary structure of the 28S rRNA gene is used for the first time in this family to align the multiple sequences. Molecular and morphological data are largely congruent for all known species of flightless Tachydromia. This paper treats ten western Mediterranean species (nine Iberian and one Italian) in detail, including the description of four new species: T. ebejeri Gonçalves, Grootaert & Andrade sp. nov., T. stenoptera Gonçalves, Grootaert & Andrade sp. nov., T. cantabrica Gonçalves, Grootaert & Andrade sp. nov. and T. nigrohirta Gonçalves, Grootaert & Andrade sp. nov. The male of Tachydromia pieltaini (Gil Collado, 1936) and the female of Tachydromia apterygon Plant & Deeming, 2006 are described for the first time, while a lectotype is assigned to Tachydromia pandellei (Séguy, 1941). A key to all non-macropterous Tachydromia is supplied. Knowledge on the geographic distribution of most species is considerably enhanced. The mating behaviour of Tachydromia semiaptera (Gil Collado, 1923) and Tachydromia iberica (Arias, 1919) is documented for the first time, and we propose a change in the definition of terms apterous and micropterous to properly accommodate the diversity of wing states in this cluster of species.

Background The world’s fast disappearing mangrove forests have low plant diversity and are often assumed to also have a species-poor insect fauna. We here compare the tropical arthropod fauna across a freshwater swamp and six different forest types (rain-, swamp, dry-coastal, urban, freshwater swamp, mangroves) based on 140,000 barcoded specimens belonging to ca. 8500 species. Results We find that the globally imperiled habitat “mangroves” is an overlooked hotspot for insect diversity. Our study reveals a species-rich mangrove insect fauna (>3000 species in Singapore alone) that is distinct (>50% of species are mangrove-specific) and has high species turnover across Southeast and East Asia. For most habitats, plant diversity is a good predictor of insect diversity, but mangroves are an exception and compensate for a comparatively low number of phytophagous and fungivorous insect species by supporting an unusually rich community of predators whose larvae feed in the productive mudflats. For the remaining tropical habitats, the insect communities have diversity patterns that are largely congruent across guilds. Conclusions The discovery of such a sizeable and distinct insect fauna in a globally threatened habitat underlines how little is known about global insect biodiversity. We here show how such knowledge gaps can be closed quickly with new cost-effective NGS barcoding techniques.

Platypalpus cylleneus sp. n. belonging to the subgroup of Platypalpus candicans and cursitans is described from Mt Killini in the Peloponnesus, Greece. A review and a key to the members of the subgroup, P. candicans (Fallen, 1815), P. cursitans (Fabricius, 1775), P. cylleneus sp. nov. and P. nigrimanus Strobl, 1880, is provided.

The daggerfly, Tachypeza yinyang Papp & Földváry, 2002, originally described from Hungary is recorded for the first time in Croatia. Additional notes on its description and illustrations of habitus and male terminalia are provided., Muha bodežica Tachypeza yinyang Papp & Földváry, 2002 koja je opisana iz Mađarske po prvi put je zabilježena u Hrvatskoj. Dodatni podaci o njenom opisu te crteži habitusa i genitalija mužjaka su također priloženi.

Drapetis is a genus of tiny predaceous hybotid flies found frequently on the bark of trees. From a single locality in province Skåne (S Sweden) we report the co-existence of seven species of Drapetis. One is new and described as D. abrollensis sp. nov., and four species, D. assimilis (Fallén), D. completa Kovalev, D. infitialis Collin and D. stackelbergi Kovalev, are relatively recent additions to the list of Swedish Diptera. A key to males of the 14 species of Drapetis known from NW Europe is given. Special emphasis is given to modifications of the midleg cuticle observed in males of several species that belong to the D. exilis-species group. As shown by SEM images these modifications differ greatly between the species, both at light microscopic and ultrastructural levels. These modifications are introduced as a new set of characters in the identification key. Finally, brochosomes were detected on the midleg of three SEM-examined Drapetis species, documenting indirectly that small leafhoppers are regularly used as prey.

In the present paper the Oriental species of the genusLichtwardtiaEnderlein, 1912 are revised based on the type material of known species and new material from Singapore and Cambodia. A re-description and illustration of the holotype female ofLichtwardtiaziczac(Wiedemann, 1824) is given but since it has been described on the basis of a female only and its provenance India Orientalis is only a vague indication of its type locality, it is considered as a nomen dubium. All the species put as junior synonyms by Becker (1922) ofL.ziczacare re-established to their original status with diagnosis:Lichtwardtiapolychroma(Loew, 1864) andLichtwardtiaformosanaEnderlein, 1912. However,L.coxalisis now also considered as a nomen dubium since the original description is too short to distinguish it from other species and the holotype female is lost. In addition a re-description and illustrations ofL.hirsutiseta(de Meijere, 1916) are provided. Eight new species for science are described and illustrated:LichtwardtiacambodiensisTang & Grootaert,sp. n.(Cambodia),LichtwardtiaconspicabilisTang & Grootaert,sp. n.(Cambodia),LichtwardtiainfuscataTang & Grootaert,sp. n.(Cambodia),LichtwardtiamonstruosaTang & Grootaert,sp. n.(Cambodia),LichtwardtianodulataGrootaert & Tang,sp. n.(Singapore),LichtwardtiasemakauGrootaert & Tang,sp. n.(Singapore) andLichtwardtiasingaporensisGrootaert & Tang,sp. n.(Singapore).LichtwardtiazhangaeTang & Grootaert,sp. n.(Bali, Indonesia) is a new name for the species described by Zhang, Masunaga & Yang, 2009, asLichtwardtiaziczac(Wiedemann, 1824). There are only a few good diagnostic non-genitalic characters for the species, but the male terminalia are distinctive, from simple to very complicated and armed structures. A key is given to the species of the Oriental region. Barcodes are provided for the Singaporean species.AlthoughLichtwardtiais a common genus in Southeast Asia it is generally not abundant locally. It is often found in anthropogenic disturbed habitats only. Four species are recorded from Singapore while eight species are sympatric and very abundant at the locality of Siem Reap in Cambodia.

Phacaspis (Meuffels and Grootaert 1988) is a true marine dolichopodid fly genus. They are common on the mud flats in the front of mangroves where they deal with extreme conditions. The genus is represented in southern Thailand by Phacaspis mitis (Grootaert and Meuffels 2001) (Diptera: Dolichopodidae). Previous studies have focused on both taxonomy and classification of this genus, but there are a few studies focusing on this species in terms of molecular genetics. The objective of the present study was to investigate genetic variation and phylogenetic relationships of P. mitis using ribosomal DNA subunit 12S, ribosomal DNA subunit 16S, and cytochrome oxidase subunit I of mitochondrial genes. The specimens were collected in six coastal provinces from the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. The phylogenetic relationship of combined mitochondrial genes revealed that P. mitis in peninsular Thailand is a monophyletic group that can be divided into two distinct clades. According to the haplotype network, 16 haplotype patterns were observed in P. mitis, but P. mitis was separated into two major haplotype networks. In addition, a positive correlation between genetic distance (FST) and geographical distance (km) was found among the populations of peninsular Thailand. The level of genetic differentiation between populations is influenced by geographic isolation. Moreover, P. mitis arose in late Eocene (35.5 Mya) and it diversified during the Plio-Pleistocene (3.14 Mya). Although, P. mitis is divided into two populations in this study, it is a well-supported monophyletic group.

A new species of Hercostomus is described from Turkey: Hercostomus anatoliensis sp. n. The new species is close to Hercostomus parvilamellatus (Macquart, 1827), but is distinguished by its genitalia.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:38B210E3-610D-4BAB-91AC-A212A8054474

Protomedeteragen. n.(Diptera: Dolichopodidae), a new genus of the subfamily Medeterinae, is described from the Oriental and Australasian realms based on four new species.ProtomedeterasingaporensisGrootaert & Tang,sp. n.is designated as type of the new genus. The genus is peculiar because of the small body size, the small globular first flagellomere (postpedicel), the simple male genitalia with indistinct or small epandrial lobe and half-hidden cercus. The following four new species are described and illustrated:P.biconvexasp. n.,P.bisetasp. n.,P.glabrasp. n., andP.singaporensissp. n.A key to the species of the new genus is provided.

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T12:17:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2016-11-23 Villanova Univ, Dept Biol, Villanova, PA 19085 USA Museu Nacl Hist Nat & Ciencia, Lisbon, Portugal Univ Brasilia, Dept Zool, Inst Ciencias Biol, BR-70910900 Brasilia, DF, Brazil Smithsonian Inst, Natl Museum Nat Hist, Washington, DC 20560 USA Sorbonne Univ, Museum Natl Hist Nat, ISYEB, Paris, France Univ Nacl Tucuman, San Miguel De Tucuman, Argentina King Saud Univ, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Cornell Univ, Ithaca, NY USA Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Diadema, Brazil Upper Austrian Museum, Ctr Biol, Linz, Austria Villanova Univ, Villanova, PA 19085 USA Univ Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria Plazi, Bern, Switzerland Univ Brasilia, Brasilia, DF, Brazil Univ Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil Zool Forsch Museum A Koenig, Bonn, Germany Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, Belem, Para, Brazil Russian Acad Sci, St Petersburg, Russia Pontificia Univ Catolica Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Museo Reg Sci Nat, Turin, Italy Univ Fed Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Royal Museum Cent Africa, Tervuren, Belgium Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Mexico City, DF, Mexico Univ Innsbruck, Inst Ecol, Innsbruck, Austria Hasselt Univ, Hasselt, Belgium Univ Fed Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil Univ Fed Espirito Santo, Vitoria, ES, Brazil Univ Nacl Misiones, Felix De Azara, Argentina Albany Museum, Grahamstown, South Africa Natl Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa Senckenberg Nat Hist Sammlungen, Dresden, Germany Univ Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil Stephen F Austin State Univ, Nacogdoches, TX 75962 USA Landesmuseum, Leonding, Austria Univ Camerino, Camerino, Italy Univ Fed ABC, Sao Bernardo, Brazil Univ Estadual Londrina, Museu Zool, Londrina, Parana, Brazil Senckenberg Res Inst, Frankfurt, Germany Museo Civ Storia Nat, Carmagnola, Italy Polskiej Akad Nauk, Muzeum & Inst Zool, Warsaw, Poland Museo Civ Storia Nat, Genoa, Italy Russian Acad Sci, Inst Zool, St Petersburg, Russia Univ Estadual Paulista, Sao Vicente, Brazil Sorbonne Univ, ISYEB, Museum Natl Hist Nat, Paris, France Port Elizabeth Museum, Port Elizabeth, South Africa Sam Noble Museum, Norman, OK USA Harvard Univ, Museum Comparat Zool, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA North West Univ, Potchefstroom, South Africa Museu Nacl, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Nat Hist Museum, Basel, Switzerland Senckenberg Nat Kundemuseum, Gorlitz, Germany North Carolina Museum Nat Sci, Raleigh, NC USA Univ Rennes 1, Rennes, France Univ Sao Paulo, Museu Zool, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil Amer Museum Nat Hist, New York, NY 10024 USA Univ Huddersfield, Huddersfield, W Yorkshire, England North Dakota State Univ, Fargo, ND USA Univ Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil Fac Sci Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia DPTC PC, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil Louisiana State Univ, Museum Nat Sci, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA Zool Survey India, Kolkata, India Univ Tennessee, Chattanooga, TN USA Ohio State Univ, Columbus, OH 43210 USA Univ Luterana Brasil, Museu Ciencias Nat, Canoas, Brazil Univ Firenze, Florence, Italy Univ Ovidius Constanta, Constanta, Romania Univ Mississippi, Oxford, MS USA Royal Belgian Inst Nat Sci, Brussels, Belgium Univ New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA Inst Nacl de Pesquisas da Amazonia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil Univ Stellenbosch, Matieland, South Africa Univ Fed Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil CIBIO Ctr Invest Biodiversidade & Recursos Genet, Vairao, Portugal Museum Hist Nat, Geneva, Switzerland Univ Fed Mato Grosso, Cuiaba, Brazil Univ Austral Chile, Valdivia, Chile Univ Malaysia, Sarawak, Malaysia Indian Inst Sci, Bangalore, Karnataka, India Scottish Assoc Marine Sci, Oban, Argyll, Scotland Sam Houston State Univ, Huntsville, TX 77340 USA Museo Nacl Ciencias Nat, Madrid, Spain Sorbonne Univ, CR2P, Museum Natl Hist Nat, Paris, France Drexel Univ, Acad Nat Sci, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA Univ Richmond, Richmond, VA 23173 USA Ctr Pesquisas Cacau, Itabuna, Brazil Univ Torino, Turin, Italy Soc Hist Nat Alcide dOrbigny, Aubiere, France Wolfden Sci Consulting, Murcia, Spain Univ Fed Rio de Janeiro, Macae, Brazil Univ Tennessee, Knoxville, TN USA Inst Humboldt, Villa De Leyva, Colombia Escuela Politec Nacl, Quito, Ecuador Calif Acad Sci, San Francisco, CA 94118 USA Museum Dept Hist Nat Var, Toulon, France Nat Environm & Wildlife Soc, Angul, India Univ Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045 USA Kyoto Univ, Kyoto, Japan Consejo Nacl Invest Cient & Tecn, Museo Argentino Ciencias Nat Bernardino Rivadavia, Buenos Aires, DF, Argentina Univ Fed Paraiba, Joao Pessoa, Paraiba, Brazil Univ Fed Parana, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil Univ Fed Rio de Janeiro, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Nat Hist Museum Narodini Museum, Prague, Czech Republic Nat Hist Museum Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe Ateneo Manila Univ, Quezon City, Philippines Pontificia Univ Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia RACINE, St Maugan, France Univ Paris 06, Sorbonne Univ Paris, ISYEB, Paris, France Ocean Univ China, Qingdao, Peoples R China Museo Nacl Hist Nat Paraguay, San Lorenzo, Paraguay Univ Carabobo, Valencia, Venezuela Natl Ctr Biol Sci, Bengaluru, India Univ Nebraska, Lincoln, NE USA CENAK Ctr Nat Kunde, Hamburg, Germany Ohio Hist Connect, Columbus, OH USA Univ Fed Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil Univ Malaga, Malaga, Spain Chinese Acad Sci, Qingdao, Shandong, Peoples R China Benemerita Univ Autonoma Puebla, Puebla, Mexico Natl Polytech Inst, Ctr Res & Adv Studies, Irapuato, Mexico Field Museum Nat Hist, Chicago, IL 60605 USA Univ Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968 USA Univ Fed Lavras, Lavras, Brazil Nat Hist Museum, Vienna, Austria La Sierra Univ, Riverside, CA USA Univ San Francisco Quito, Quito, Ecuador Univ Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Peoples R China CUNY, New York, NY 10021 USA CAS, Inst Vertebrate Biol, Brno, Czech Republic Sorbonne Univ, MECADEV, Museum Natl Hist Nat, Paris, France Univ Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, Brazil Zool Staatssammlung Munchen, Munich, Germany Univ Michigan, Dearborn, MI 48128 USA Smithsonian Inst, Natl Museum Nat Hist, Washington, DC USA Helmholtz Ctr Environm Res, Leipzig, Germany Santa Rosa Jr Coll, Santa Rosa, CA USA George Washington Univ, Washington, DC 20037 USA Inst Teknol Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia Earlham Coll, Richmond, IN USA Senckenberg Forschungsinst & Nat Museum, Frankfurt, Germany Univ Estadual Londrina, Londrina, Parana, Brazil Univ Koblenz Landau, Koblenz, Germany Nat Hist Museum, London, England Ditsong Natl Museum Nat Hist, Pretoria, South Africa Bombay Nat Hist Soc, Bombay, Maharashtra, India Philipps Univ Marburg, Marburg, Germany Hess Landesmuseum, Darmstadt, Germany Smithsonian Conservat Biol Inst, Washington, DC USA Univ Pannonia, Keszthely, Hungary Staatliches Museum Nat Kunde, Stuttgart, Germany UFT, Tocantins, Portugal Museum Nat Kunde, Berlin, Germany Nat Hist Riksmuseet, Stockholm, Sweden Hikarigaoka, Munakata, Japan Inst Agr & Environm Sci, Tartu, Estonia Univ Los Andes, Merida, Venezuela Bat Jungle, Monteverde, Costa Rica Texas A&M Univ, College Stn, TX USA Yale Univ, New Haven, CT USA Univ Estadual Paulista, Sao Jose Do Rio Preto, Brazil Museo Nacl Hist Nat, Montevideo, Uruguay Consejo Nacl Invest Cient & Tecn, Fdn Miguel Lillo, San Miguel De Tucuman, Argentina Roger Tory Peterson Inst Nat Hist, Jamestown, VA USA Univ Fed Reconcavo Bahia, Cruz Das Almas, Brazil South China Normal Univ, Guangzhou 510631, Guangdong, Peoples R China Museu Ciencias Tecnol PUCRS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Univ Fed Tocantins, Porto Nacl, Brazil Univ Toronto, Scarborough, ON, Canada Univ Nacl Colombia, Inst Ciencias Nat, Bogota, Colombia Natl Museum Philippines, Manila, Philippines NOVA Univ Lisbon, Caparica, Portugal Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Regina, SK, Canada Deutsch Zentrum Marine Biodiversitatsforsch, Hamburg, Germany Ctr Invest Biol Noroeste, La Paz, Mexico Naturalis Biodivers Ctr, Leiden, Netherlands Univ Douala, Douala, Cameroon Vet & Farmaceut Univ Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Univ Swaziland, Kwaluseni, Eswatini Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Univ Claude Bernard, Lyon, France Museum Vertebrate Zool, Berkeley, CA USA Smithsonian Inst, Washington, DC 20560 USA Nat Hist Museum & Inst, Chiba, Japan Senckenberg Biodiversitat & Klima Forschunsgzentr, Frankfurt, Germany Marquette Univ, Milwaukee, WI 53233 USA Univ Firenze, Museo Storia Nat, Florence, Italy Univ Fed Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil Fed Univ ABC, Sao Bernardo, Brazil Univ Fed Goias, Goiania, Go, Brazil Univ Alaska Museum, Fairbanks, AK USA Egerton Univ, Egerton, Kenya Museo Hist Nat, Lima, Peru IKIAM Univ Reg Amazon, Tena, Ecuador Univ Hyogo, Sanda, Japan Inst Rech Dev, Paris, France Univ Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil Niedersachs Landesbetrieb Wasserwirtschaft Kusten, Hannover, Germany Univ Complutense Madrid, Madrid, Spain Consejo Nacl Invest Cient & Tecn, Ctr Nacl Patagon, Puerto Madryn, Argentina Roosevelt Univ, Coll Profess Studies, Chicago, IL 60605 USA Western Kentucky Univ, Bowling Green, KY 42101 USA Univ Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy Univ Fed Acre, Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil Univ Fed Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, SC, Brazil Inst Bio & Geociencias Noroeste Argentino, Salta, Argentina Inst Venezolano Invest Cient, Caracas, Venezuela Umweltbundesamt, Vienna, Austria Penclen, Plumelec, France CNRS MNHN UPMC, Ctr Rech Paleobiodivers & Paleoenvironm, Paris, France Staatl Museum Nat Kunde, Stuttgart, Germany Consejo Nacl Invest Cient & Tecn, Museo Argentino Ciencias Nat Bernardino Rivada, Buenos Aires, DF, Argentina Ctr Biol Gest Populat INRA, Montferrier Sur Lez, France Loyola Univ Chicago, Chicago, IL USA Pontificia Univ Catolica Rio do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Durban Museum Nat Sci, Durban, South Africa Univ Estado Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil Brigham Young Univ, Provo, UT 84602 USA Museo Hist Nat La Salle, Caracas, Venezuela Univ Vet Med Hannover, Hannover, Germany Australian Museum, Sydney, NSW, Australia Texas Tech Univ, Lubbock, TX 79409 USA Francis Marion Univ, Florence, SC USA Univ Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA Univ Connecticut, Groton, CT USA Fed Univ ABC, Santo Andre, SP, Brazil Univ Fed Uberlandia, Uberlandia, MG, Brazil Fed Univ Para, Belem, Para, Brazil Yale Peabody Museum, New Haven, CT USA Univ Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019 USA Senckenberg Deutsch Entomol Inst, Muncheberg, Germany CSIRO, Natl Res Collect, Canberra, ACT, Australia Univ Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa Univ Ulsan, Ulsan, South Korea Univ Estadual Sao Paulo, Botucatu, SP, Brazil Senckenberg Forsch Inst & Nat Museum, Frankfurt, Germany Ocean Univ China, Inst Marine Biodivers & Evolut, Qingdao, Shandong, Peoples R China Univ Fed Para, Altamira, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Assis, Brazil UPMC, Ctr Rech Paleobiodiversite & Paleoenvironm, CNRS, MNHN, Paris, France Tech Univ Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany Charles Univ Prague, Dept Zool, Prague, Czech Republic Univ Nacl Expt los Llanos Occident Ezequiel Zamor, Guanare, Venezuela Long Isl Univ, Brooklyn, NY USA Univ Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan Pontificia Univ Catolica Ecuador, Museo Zool, Escuela Ciencias Biol, Quito, Ecuador Indiana Univ Penn, Indiana, PA USA IRD, Dakar, Senegal State Museum Nat Hist Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany Univ Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France Univ Ghent, Ghent, Belgium Univ Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium Karlsruhe Inst Technol, Karlsruhe, Germany Ctr Cellular & Mol Biol, Hyderabad, India Univ Fed ABC, Santo Andre, Brazil Yale Peabody Museum Nat Hist, New Haven, CT USA Univ Innsbruck, Mondsee, Austria Bethune Cookman Univ, Daytona Beach, FL USA Natl Museum Nat & Sci, Tokyo, Japan Zool Garten Koln, Cologne, Germany Univ Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Sao Vicente, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Sao Jose Do Rio Preto, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Assis, Brazil

Empidoidea is one of the largest extant lineages of flies, but phylogenetic relationships among species of this group are poorly investigated and global diversity remains scarcely assessed. In this context, one of the most enigmatic empidoid families is Hybotidae. Within the framework of a pilot study, we barcoded 339 specimens of Old World hybotids belonging to 164 species and 22 genera (plus two Empis as outgroups) and attempted to evaluate whether patterns of intra- and interspecific divergences match the current taxonomy. We used a large sampling of diverse Hybotidae. The material came from the Palaearctic (Belgium, France, Portugal and Russian Caucasus), the Afrotropic (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and the Oriental realms (Singapore and Thailand). Thereby, we optimized lab protocols for barcoding hybotids. Although DNA barcodes generally well distinguished recognized taxa, the study also revealed a number of unexpected phenomena: e.g., undescribed taxa found within morphologically very similar or identical specimens, especially when geographic distance was large; some morphologically distinct species showed no genetic divergence; or different pattern of intraspecific divergence between populations or closely related species. Using COI sequences and simple neighbour-joining tree reconstructions, the monophyly of many species- and genus-level taxa was well supported, but more inclusive taxonomical levels did not receive significant bootstrap support. We conclude that in hybotids DNA barcoding might be well used to identify species, when two main constraints are considered. First, incomplete barcoding libraries hinder efficient (correct) identification. Therefore, extra efforts are needed to increase the representation of hybotids in these databases. Second, the spatial scale of sampling has to be taken into account, and especially for widespread species or species complexes with unclear taxonomy, an integrative approach has to be used to clarify species boundaries and identities.

Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) distribution data from a recent inventory of native and invading mosquito species in Belgium were compared with historical data from the period 1900-1960 that were retrieved from a revision of the Belgian Culicidae collection at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. Both data sets were used to investigate trends in mosquito species richness in several regions in Belgium. The relative change in distribution area of mosquito species was particularly important for species that use waste waters and used tires as larval habitats and species that recently shifted their larval habitat to artificial larval habitats. More importantly, several of these species are known as vectors of arboviruses and Plasmodium sp. and the apparent habitat shift of some of them brought these species in proximity to humans. Similar studies comparing current mosquito richness with former distribution data retrieved from voucher specimens from collections is therefore encouraged because they can generate important information concerning health risk assessment at both regional and national scale.

The family Listropsoralgidae Fain, 1965 (Acariformes: Sarcoptoidea) is represented by the permanent skin ectoparasites associated with the South American and Australian marsupials (12 species) and the South American rodents of the family Echimyidae (1 species). The phylogenetic relationships of these mites (12 ingroup and 2 outgroup species) are reconstructed on the basis of the maximum parsimony (MP) and Bayesian analyses (BA) of 76 morphological characters. MP analysis confirmed monophyly of the listropsoralgid genera, the strict consensus of 18 trees generated by MP has the following pattern: Petauralges ( Listropsoralgoides , Didelphialges , Listropsoralges ) with poor resolution among species of the genus Listropsoralges . The same tree was generated by BA. Both successive and implied weighting strategies resulted in 7 MP trees: Petauralges ( Listropsoralgoides ( Didelphialges ( Listropsoralges ))). The relationships between species of the genus Listropsoralges received the poorest resolution: L. caenolestes ( L. monodelphis, L. vossi, L. faini, L. brevisetosa ( L. thylamys ( L. marmosa – L. caluromys ))). The host-parasite relationships of listropsoralgids are briefly discussed. The family Listropsoralgidae is taxonomically revised and to date includes 13 species in 4 genera. Six species and one genus are described as new: Listropsoralges brevisetosus sp. n . from Marmosa murina (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae) from Peru, Listropsoralges similis sp. n . from Caluromys derbianus (Didelphidae) from Panama, Listropsoralges thylamys sp. n . from Thylamys venustus (Didelphidae) from Bolivia, Listropsoralges vossi sp. n . from Monodelphis domestica (Didelphidae) from Brazil, Listropsoralges caenolestes sp. n . from Caenolestes fuliginosus (Paucituberculata: Caenolestidae) from Ecuador, and Didelphialges metachirus gen. n ., sp. n . from Metachirus nudicaudatus (Didelphidae) from Peru. The female of Listropsoralges faini Bochkov and Wauthy, 2009 is described for the first time.

Thirty-two species of Hybotidae (Diptera: Empidoidea) were collected during the Boyekoli Ebale Congo 2010 Expedition that took place in the Democratic Republic of Congo along the Congo River between Kisangani and Bumba. Only four species were known previously. Here we present new records for Syndyas crisis Garrett Jones, 1940 and Crossopalpus aenescens (Wiedemann, 1830). In addition Syneches elevatus Bezzi, 1908 and Crossopalpus quadrispina (Collart, 1934) are re-described based on the type material as well as on new material. Elaphropeza ghesquierei (Collart, 1934) and E. plagiata (Bezzi, 1908) were not found during the expedition, but are also re-described. Twenty-five species are described as new to science: Crossopalpus yaekela sp. nov., Drapetis congoensis sp. nov., D. yaekelaensis sp. nov., D. zamba sp. nov., Elaphropeza angulata sp. nov., E. baeloi sp. nov., E. congoensis sp. nov., E. excavata sp. nov., E. furcata sp. nov., E. incerta sp. nov., E. infuscata sp. nov., E. interrupta sp. nov., E. juakalyi sp. nov., E. kona sp. nov., E. laudisoitae sp. nov., E. mai sp. nov., E. monoseta sp. nov., E. motane sp. nov., E. moyindo sp. nov., E. nuda sp. nov., E. yaekela sp. nov., E. zamba sp. nov., Stilpon congoensis sp. nov., S. variabilis sp. nov. and Syndyas zamba sp. nov. A species of Drapetis and Crossopalpus recorded from females only are diagnosed, but not named.

International audience; The worldwide decline of pollinators is an emerging threat and is a matter both for ecological and economic concerns. Population genetics can be used to correlate bumblebee decline with genetic parameters. In order to do so, historical data are needed. We used eight microsatellite loci to genotype pinned museum specimens of the declining bumblebee Bombus veteranus. Bumblebee samples were collected spanning a period of three decades (1895–1923). We detected low genetic diversity and inbreeding in the samples collected during the respective time periods. Inbreeding was also confirmed by the occurrence of sterile diploid males. Based on the data obtained, we speculate that low genetic diversity and inbreeding did not directly result in the collapse of B. veteranus in Belgium. However, inbreeding might still play an indirect role in the decline of bumblebee populations because of the appearance of diploid males and because a low H E might reduce the capacity to react to the drivers of bumblebee decline.

Five species of Griphophanes Grootaert & Meuffels are reported from Malaysia. The type species, Griphophanes grav- icaudatus (Grootaert & Meuffels) originally described from South Thailand is recorded from North Malaysia (Langkawi)as well as from South Malaysia. Three species are described from Endau Rompin National Park: G. furcatulus sp. nov., G. furcatus sp. nov. and G. obscurus sp. nov. Griphophanes tiomanensis sp. nov. is described from the island of Pulau Tioman. A key to the species of Southeast Asia is given.

First data on the genus Tachydromia Meigen from Australia are provided including descriptions of five new species: T. australiensis n.sp. (New South Wales), T. bickeli n.sp. (New South Wales), T. carnarvonensis n.sp. (Queensland), T. corticola n.sp. (New South Wales, Queensland), T. nowendociensis n.sp. (New South Wales). Hypothesized phylogenetic relationships of the new species (also T. papuana Grootaert known from Papua New Guinea) are briefly discussed. A key to Australasian Tachydromia is provided.

Two new species of the genus Tachydromia Meigen are described: T. freidbergi sp. n. (Ethiopia) and T. stuckenbergi sp. n. (Uganda). Re-descriptions of T. lilaniensis Smith, 1969 and T. petrabilis Smith, 1969, known from South Africa and Lesotho, are given. A key to Afrotropical Tachydromia is provided. Hypothesized phylogenetic relationships and the biogeography of Afrotropical species of Tachydromia are briefly discussed.

The number of colonies of red wood ants (Formica rufa group) in the north western part of Belgium has declined by more than half over the past 20 years. In the study area of 20 × 50 km there are currently only 36 colonies of two species of red wood ants (Formica rufa and F. polyctena). Both species form both monodomous and polydomous colonies. Monodomous F. rufa colonies occur in large areas of open woodland dominated by Pinus sylvestris. The other three types of red wood ant (F. rufa polydomous, F. polyctena mono- and polydomous) occur in clearings or along the margins of small areas of deciduous or mixed woodland. The extinction of red wood ants cannot be attributed to a loss of their main habitat. Their decline in abundance, however, appears to be due to the deterioration in their habitat caused by several factors. Shading by overgrowing shrubs and the closure of the tree canopy, nearby intensive agriculture, urbanisation and use of the forest for recreation are the more important factors threatening and ulti- mately leading to the extinction of colonies. At poor quality sites there are no or very few nests of Serviformica ants, which initially serve as host ants and are necessary for recolonization by red wood ants. Thus, it is unlikely that these sites will be recolonized. To conserve red wood ants and maintain populations there is an urgent need to undertake certain measures, especially in areas outside nature reserves. For this there is a need to create clearings in the woodland, reduce shading due to overgrowing shrubs and closure of the tree canopy, and mitigate the effects of intensive agriculture, urbanisation and recreation. It is important that the effects of these measures should be monitored.

The Dolichopodidae is a species-rich dipteran group with almost 7000 described species. The monophyly of the subfamilies and their relationships remain largely unknown because the polarities of key morphological characters are unclear and molecular data are available only for 9 of the 19 proposed subfamilies. Here we test whether molecular data from two nuclear (18S, 28S) and four mitochondrial (12S, 16S, Cytb, COI) genes can resolve the higher-level relationships within the family. Our study is based on 76 Oriental species from 12 dolichopodid subfamilies and uses eight species of Empididae and Hybotidae as outgroups. Parsimony and likelihood analyses confirm the monophyly of the Dolichopodidae, as well as the monophyly of five of the ten subfamilies represented by more than two species [Sympycninae, Sciapodinae, Dolichopodinae, Hydrophorinae (excluding tribe Aphrosylini), Neurigoninae]. There is strong support for restoring the tribe Aphrosylini as a separate subfamily Aphrosylinae. The monophyly of Medeterinae, Peloropeodinae and Diaphorinae is dependent on which tree reconstruction technique is used, how indels are coded, and whether the fast-evolving sites are excluded. Overall, we find that our sample of Oriental species is largely compatible with the subfamily concepts that were developed for the northern temperate fauna. However, our data provide little support for relationships between the subfamilies. Branch lengths, saturation, and distance plots suggest that this is probably the result of the rapid origin of dolichopodid subfamilies over a relatively short time. We find that genera that are difficult to place into subfamilies based on morphological characters are generally also difficult to place using molecular data. We predict that a dense, balanced taxon sample and protein-encoding nuclear genes will be needed to resolve the higher-level relationships in the Dolichopodidae.

The following six new species of the genus Nepalomyia are described and illustrated: Nepalomyia fogangensis sp. nov., N. guangdongensis sp. nov., N. hastata sp. nov., N. jinshanensis sp. nov., N. xui sp. nov., and N. zhangae sp. nov. N. xui sp. nov. belongs to the trifurcata group, N. guangdongensis sp. nov., N. hastata sp. nov. N. jinshanensis sp. nov., and N. zhangae sp. nov. belong to the henanensis group; but the remaining species cannot be placed into any known species group. Keys for Chinese species of trifurcata group and henanensis group are presented.