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A report from the NADS 2019 Field Meeting at Bull Shoals Field Station, Ozark Plateau, Missouri (June 3–7)
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The genus Stuckenbergomyia Smith is revised with the description of a new species from Namibia (S. namibiensissp. nov.) and an undescribed species based on females from Western Cape Province of South Africa. The genus is fully illustrated and its phylogenetic relationships within the Hybotidae are discussed with the proposal of a new subfamily, Stuckenbergomyiinaesubfam. nov.
A new and a previously known species of the genus Zhenia Q. Zhang, 2016 (Eremochaetidae) are illustrated and described based on two males and a female in amber: Zhenia burmensissp. nov. and Z. xiai Q. Zhang, 2016. The male Z. xiai is the first male of this species recorded. The relationships of Archisargoidea (including Eremochaetidae, Zhenia) are reassessed based on male genitalia. The superfamily is more likely related to the Stratiomyomorpha than to the Muscomorpha (including Nemestrinoidea). The components and structures of the ovipositor are re-illustrated. The results of our comparative study demonstrate that the ovipositor of Zhenia is similar in shape and detail to that of Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh, 1867) (Tephritidae). This study concludes that the ovipositor of Zhenia is most likely formed from abdominal eighth and ninth segments instead of the cerci, as a previous study found.
Pterostylis is a diverse genus of terrestrial orchids with dull-coloured trap flowers, of which pollination has largely remained a mystery. Recently, one species has been confirmed to achieve pollination by the sexual deception of male fungus gnats. Here we assess if this pollination mechanism is used more widely in the genus. We ‘baited’ for pollinators using five representative Pterostylis spp. spanning the three main clades (A–C) of the genus: (A) P. concinna; (B) P. nutans and P. curta and (C) P. basaltica and P. boormanii. For each baiting trial the number of pollinators approaching, landing, attempting copulation and removing or depositing pollen was recorded. To determine experimentally if long-range attraction was via olfactory cues only, the number of pollinator responses were compared between visible (control) and concealed bait flowers (treatment). Four of the five Pterostylis spp., representing clades B and C, each attracted the males of a single species of fungus gnat of one of two families (Diptera: Keroplatidae or Mycetophilidae). At the flower, these males exhibited pre-mating behaviour, attempted copulation and successful pollination following entrapment. Experiments revealed strong attraction to concealed flowers. Although fungus gnats were unevenly distributed in space, when present, species from both families of gnats responded to bait flowers within four minutes. However, pollinator behaviour differed between Pterostylis clades in the part of the floral display they landed on, and type of sexual behaviour, irrespective of the family of pollinator. Our study confirms that sexual deception operates in two of the three major clades of Pterostylis and provides the first known examples of plant pollination involving keroplatid fungus gnats. We also show that pollinator baiting is an effective but under-utilized tool for understanding the pollination mechanisms of plants that use floral odours as a cue.
Improved biomonitoring of mosquitoes requires an in-depth understanding on occurrences of both vector and non-vector species, in larval, and adult stages. Accurate descriptions of the ecological context in which mosquitoes thrive remain limited, particularly for larval stages. The aim of this study was to develop a mixed-amplicon eDNA approach to assess (i) whether mosquito larval communities of stagnant fresh-water bodies can be detected using a Culicidae-specific primer and (ii) how these results compare to traditional trapping of adult mosquitoes. Results from 32 ponds inside and outside Kruger National Park, South Africa show that our primer detected mosquito eDNA. However, it yielded only a subset of the species found using adult trapping methods. Particularly the less frequent and container-breeding species were not found. Our approach provides the first steps toward an eDNA-based method to assess the entire community of larval-stage mosquitoes. It may thereby overcome current taxonomic hurdles presented by morphological identification of larvae. As such, it holds great promise for biomonitoring and ecological studies of mosquitoes.
The male adult, pupal exuviae and last instar larva of Eukiefferiella coconina sp. n., are diagnosed and de- scribed based on material collected during the dry season in some warm-eurythermal lotic habitats delimited by the middle basin of the Coconi and Kwale Rivers (altitude 60-80 m), which are respectively located in north western and eastern parts of Mayotte Island (Overseas Departments and Territories, France). The new species closely resembles E. bedmari Vilchez-Quero & Laville, 1987 and E. hessi Freeman, 1956 based on some common characters found, in particular, in the male adult (for the 3 species) and pupal exuviae (only for E. bedmari). In addition, the larva of E. bedmari is briefly described and compared to that of E. coconina sp. n. The description of E. coconina sp. n. increases the total number of worldwide valid species in the genus to 89, and to 22 reported from France including Overseas Departments. Taxonomic remarks, discussions and comments on the ecology of the new species are given.
Chursina MA. 2019. Convergent evolution of sexual dimorphism in species of the family Dolichopodidae (Diptera). Biodiversitas 20: 2480-2485. In this study, we investigated patterns of sexual dimorphism in four dolichopodid species namely Dolichopus acuticornis Wiedemann, 1817, D. longicornis Stannius, 1831, Rhaphium appendiculatum Zetterstedt, 1849, and R. caliginosum Meigen, 1824 that are exhibiting similar patterns of sexual dimorphism. Although they are distantly related, males of all these species exhibit similar sexual dimorphic characters in term of elongation of postpedicel. A comparison of variation made it possible to assumed that although sexual selection acts differently, all four species exhibited similar patterns of sexual dimorphism in wings and legs; females possessed relatively widened wing and elongated fore and hind femora than males. Cluster analysis for the morphometry data demonstrated that the differences between sexes significantly exceeds the differences between species. These results may reflect the presence of some conservative genetic structure of covariation among characters.
Available information on the poorly documented Afrotropical and Oriental genus Coelopacidia Enderlein, including species identification, host plant association and distribution, is summarized. An identification key to the ten known species is provided.
The robber fly genus Wilcoxia is revised based on external morphological features of adults. For each species the following
is provided: type specimen information, diagnostic features, description, natural history including associated prey data,
and geographical distribution (derived from georeferenced localities for both examined specimens and literature records). A key to adults of Wilcoxia, supplemented with photographs of habitus and selected morphological features, is included. The genus comprises eight species, distributed primarily in the southwestern United States. Three new species are described: W. apache (type locality: New Mexico, Quay County, Apache Canyon), W. flavipennis (type locality: Arizona,
Pima County, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument), and W. forbesi (type locality: New Mexico, Doña Ana County, 1 mi. NW Tortugas Mt.). There appear to be two reasonably well-defined species groups (cinerea and martinorum groups, with four species in each), based on structural features, seasonality and natural history. Identified prey items (for W. apache, W. forbesi and W. martinorum) include representatives from Hemiptera (eight families), Coleoptera (one family), Hymenoptera (five families) and Diptera (10 families). A discussion on the structural heterogeneity of Wilcoxia and a
history of its classification are provided
