A new genus of Chamaemyiidae (Diptera: Lauxanioidea) predaceous on Adelgidae (Hemiptera), with a key to chamaemyiid species associated with Pinaceae-feeding Sternorrhyncha

A new genus of Chamaemyiidae (Diptera: Lauxanioidea) is described, namely Leucotaraxis gen. nov. (type species Leucopis atrifacies Aldrich; other included species Leucotaraxis argenticollis (Zetterstedt), comb. nov., Leucotaraxis piniperda (Malloch), comb. nov., and Leucotaraxis sepiola sp. nov.). These species are predators of Adelgidae (Hemiptera) infesting Pinaceae. Leucotaraxis argenticollis is Holarctic, while the other three species are Nearctic. The phylogeny of Leucotaraxis with other representatives of Chamaemyiidae was elucidated using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences and the genus was found to be monophyletic. Egg and puparial stages are discussed or described and illustrated for all species except Leucotaraxis sepiola. A key is provided to all species of Chamaemyiidae known to attack Pinaceae-infesting Sternorrhyncha, an annotated list of these taxa is provided, and a habitus photograph is provided for each genus with such species. In addition, a lectotype is designated for Leucopis olivacea Meijere, and it is synonymized under Neoleucopis obscura (Haliday), syn. nov.

Revision of the genus Lopesiodinia Prado, 1973 (Diptera: Odiniidae) with description of three new species, and a key to the extant Neotropical genera and species of Traginopinae

The Neotropical genus Lopesiodinia Prado is represented by two species, L. diversa Prado (Brazil: Rio de Janeiro) and L. alvarengai Prado (Brazil: Par). The genus is reviewed here, and three new species are described and illustrated: Lopesiodinia marcusi sp. nov. (Brazil: Amazonas, Maranho), L. argentata sp. nov. (Brazil: Amazonas) and L. pontarolloi sp. nov. (Brazil: Amazonas, Maranho). A key to identify the subfamilies and extant genera and the species of Traginopinae from the Neotropical Region is presented.

Two new species of Neotraginops Prado from Costa Rica and Brazil (Diptera: Odiniidae: Traginopinae)

Two new species of Neotraginops Prado (Neotraginops fachini sp. nov. and Neotraginops arikemi sp. nov.) are added to the known Neotropical diversity of the Traginopinae (Odiniidae), and the range is expanded for Neotraginops mexicanus Herndez-Ortiz Dzul-Cauich. A key to the species of the genus is provided. Along with descriptions, photographs and detailed illustrations of the male terminalia are included for the new species.

A new species of the genus Themarictera Hendel (Diptera: Tephritidae: Phytalmiinae: Acanthonevrini) from Madagascar

Themarictera rinhai sp. n. is described from Madagascar. Previously Themarictera was a monotypic genus with only the species, T. flaveolata (Fabricius, 1805) having several synonyms, from continental Africa. A key for identification of both species is provided.

Twenty years of Dipterology through the pages of Zootaxa

We present a summary and analysis of the Diptera-related information published in Zootaxa from 2001 to 2020, with a focus on taxonomic papers. Altogether, 2,527 papers on Diptera were published, including 2,032 taxonomic papers and 1,931 papers containing new nomenclatural acts, equivalent to 22% of all publications with new nomenclatural acts for Diptera. The new nomenclatural acts include 7,431 new species, 277 new genera, 2,003 new synonymies, and 1,617 new combinations. A breakdown by family of new taxa and new replacement names proposed in the journal during the last two decades is provided, together with a comparison of Zootaxa's output to that of all other taxonomic publications on Diptera. Our results show that the journal has contributed to 20% of all biodiversity discovery in this megadiverse insect order over the last 20 years, and to about 31% in the last decade.

A new genus and species of odiniids (Diptera: Odiniidae) from the canopy of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest

Umbodinia bella gen. nov. et sp. nov. is described and illustrated from specimens collected in the canopy of an ombrophilous Amazonian forest, Manaus, Brazil. The genus is characterized by a unique combination of diagnostic features: body predominantly yellow; frons with two shiny dark brown to black lobules in lower corners, between the lunule and eye margins; lunule high-arched with two subtriangular spots covered with black pubescence; parafacial with tufts of long and strong setae, almost as long and stout as the fronto-orbital setae; and anepisternum with setulae dorsally and posteriorly, in addition to posterior setae.

Leucopis glyphinivora Tanasijtshuk (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae), a new aphidophagous biocontrol agent; development, survival and comparison with Aphidoletes aphidimyza Rondani (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)

The silver fly Leucopis glyphinivora Tanasijtshuk (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae) is an aphidophagous predator during its larval stage. Our study describes the life cycle of L. glyphinivora and evaluates its potential as a biocontrol agent. The development, survival and longevity of L. glyphinivora were observed and compared with those of the aphid gall midge Aphidoletes aphidimyza Rondani (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Tests were conducted under laboratory conditions in Petri dishes with the green peach aphid Myzus persicae Sulzer (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on potato leaves. Leucopis glyphinivora has a 42% longer life cycle than A. aphidimyza. Larval development was 27% longer in L. glyphinivora than in A. aphidimyza. Egg hatch rate and pupal emergence rate were similar in both species, but larval survival was 20% lower for L. glyphinivora than for A. aphidimyza. Sex ratio was approximately 50% in both species. A longer development time for L. glyphinivora in the larval stage could be an advantage for biocontrol by providing more time to exert predation pressure against aphids. However, this may be offset by the lower survival rate found in the silver fly larvae.

First Iranian record of the family Odiniidae (Diptera: Opomyzoidea), including two species new to the Middle East region

The family Odiniidae is newly reported from Iran through the recent discovery of the species Odinia meijerei Collin, 1952 and Turanodinia graciosa Krivosheina Krivosheina, 1996 in Iran and the Middle East region. The species T. graciosa is here elevated from the rank of subspecies (Turanodinia stackelbergi graciosa Krivosheina Krivosheina, 1996) to species level. This taxonomical change was based on the comparison of the male genitalia of T. graciosa with T. stackelbergi Krivosheina Krivosheina. Images of the habitus and male genitalia of O. meijerei and T. graciosa are provided.

Remarkable fly (Diptera) diversity in a patch of Costa Rican cloud forest: Why inventory is a vital science

Study of all flies (Diptera) collected for one year from a four-hectare (150 x 266 meter) patch of cloud forest at 1,600 meters above sea level at Zurquí de Moravia, San José Province, Costa Rica (hereafter referred to as Zurquí), revealed an astounding 4,332 species. This amounts to more than half the number of named species of flies for all of Central America. Specimens were collected with two Malaise traps running continuously and with a wide array of supplementary collecting methods for three days of each month. All morphospecies from all 73 families recorded were fully curated by technicians before submission to an international team of 59 taxonomic experts for identification.        Overall, a Malaise trap on the forest edge captured 1,988 species or 51% of all collected dipteran taxa (other than of Phoridae, subsampled only from this and one other Malaise trap). A Malaise trap in the forest sampled 906 species. Of other sampling methods, the combination of four other Malaise traps and an intercept trap, aerial/hand collecting, 10 emergence traps, and four CDC light traps added the greatest number of species to our inventory. This complement of sampling methods was an effective combination for retrieving substantial numbers of species of Diptera. Comparison of select sampling methods (considering 3,487 species of non-phorid Diptera) provided further details regarding how many species were sampled by various methods.        Comparison of species numbers from each of two permanent Malaise traps from Zurquí with those of single Malaise traps at each of Tapantí and Las Alturas, 40 and 180 km distant from Zurquí respectively, suggested significant species turnover. Comparison of the greater number of species collected in all traps from Zurquí did not markedly change the degree of similarity between the three sites, although the actual number of species shared did increase.        Comparisons of the total number of named and unnamed species of Diptera from four hectares at Zurquí is equivalent to 51% of all flies named from Central America, greater than all the named fly fauna of Colombia, equivalent to 14% of named Neotropical species and equal to about 2.7% of all named Diptera worldwide. Clearly the number of species of Diptera in tropical regions has been severely underestimated and the actual number may surpass the number of species of Coleoptera.        Various published extrapolations from limited data to estimate total numbers of species of larger taxonomic categories (e.g., Hexapoda, Arthropoda, Eukaryota, etc.) are highly questionable, and certainly will remain uncertain until we have more exhaustive surveys of all and diverse taxa (like Diptera) from multiple tropical sites.        Morphological characterization of species in inventories provides identifications placed in the context of taxonomy, phylogeny, form, and ecology. DNA barcoding species is a valuable tool to estimate species numbers but used alone fails to provide a broader context for the species identified.

Comprehensive inventory of true flies (Diptera) at a tropical site

Estimations of tropical insect diversity generally suffer from lack of known groups or faunas against which extrapolations can be made, and have seriously underestimated the diversity of some taxa. Here we report the intensive inventory of a four-hectare tropical cloud forest in Costa Rica for one year, which yielded 4332 species of Diptera, providing the first verifiable basis for diversity of a major group of insects at a single site in the tropics. In total 73 families were present, all of which were studied to the species level, providing potentially complete coverage of all families of the order likely to be present at the site. Even so, extrapolations based on our data indicate that with further sampling, the actual total for the site could be closer to 8000 species. Efforts to completely sample a site, although resource-intensive and time-consuming, are needed to better ground estimations of world biodiversity based on limited sampling.

The dipteran family Celyphidae in the New World, with discussion of and key to world genera (Insecta, Diptera)

The family Celyphidae (Diptera, Lauxanioidea) is verified as part of the New World fauna, with a second specimen discovered of a species described from French Guiana in 1844 by P.J.M. Macquart. As this species possesses characteristics that clearly suggest a separate lineage from the Old World celyphids, a new genus is proposed, Atopocelyphusgen. n., with the type species, Celyphusruficollis Macquart, in the new combination Atopocelyphusruficollis (Macquart), comb. n. A key to world genera of Celyphidae is presented, along with discussion of generic concepts. Chamaecelyphus Frey is synonymized under Spaniocelyphus Hendel, syn. n., resulting in the following 10 new combinations: Spaniocelyphusafricanus (Walker), comb. n.; S.dichrous (Bezzi), comb. n.; S.gutta (Speiser), comb. n.; S.halticinus (Frey), comb. n.; S.kalongensis (Vanschuytbroek), comb. n.; S.ruwenzoriensis (Vanschuytbroek), comb. n.; S.straeleni (Vanschuytbroek), comb. n.; S.upembaensis (Vanschuytbroek), comb. n.; S.violaceus (Vanschuytbroek), comb. n.; S.vrydaghi (Vanschuytbroek), comb. n. The subgenera of Celyphus Dalman are elevated to genus rank, as Paracelyphus Bigot, stat. rev., and Hemiglobus Frey, stat. rev., resulting in the following 17 new and revised combinations: Hemiglobuscheni (Shi), comb. n.; H.eos (Frey), comb. n.; H.lacunosus Frey, comb. rev.; H.pellucidus Frey, comb. rev.; H.planitarsalis (Shi), comb. n.; H.porosus (Tenorio), comb. n.; H.pulchmaculatus (Liu & Yang), comb. n.; H.quadrimaculatus (Tenorio), comb. n.; H.resplendens Frey, comb. rev.; H.rugosus (Tenorio), comb. n.; H.testaceus (Malloch), comb. n.; H.trichoporis (Shi), comb. n.; H.unicolor Frey, comb. rev.; H.violaceus Chen, comb. rev.; Paracelyphushyacinthus Bigot, comb. rev.; P.medogis (Shi), comb. n.; P.vittalis (Shi), comb. n.

Five new species of subgenus Plesiominettia (Diptera, Lauxaniidae, Minettia) in southern China, with a key to known species

Five species of the subgenus Plesiominettia Shatalkin from the southern China are described as new to science: Minettia (Plesiominettia) flavoscutellata sp. n., Minettia (Plesiominettia) longaciculiformis sp. n., Minettia (Plesiominettia) nigrantennata sp. n., Minettia (Plesiominettia) tridentata sp. n. and Minettia (Plesiominettia) zhejiangica sp. n. One species, Minettia longistylis Sasakawa, is transferred to the subgenus Plesiominettia from Minettia s. str. A key to separate the known species of the subgenus is presented, along with a taxonomic list of species. The type materials of the new species are deposited in the China Agricultural University, Beijing, China (CAUC).

Revision of the genus Melanagromyza in California, with descriptions of three new species (Diptera: Agromyzidae)

The 27 Californian species of the genus Melanagromyza Hendel (Diptera: Agromyzidae) are reviewed, including descriptions of three new species (Melanagromyza californiana sp. nov., M. chemsaki sp. nov. and M. gonzalesina sp. nov.) and the first record for one species (Melanagromyza martini Spencer) for California and the USA. All species in California are described or redescribed, with illustrations and photographs, and a key to the species is presented. Maps for the species in California, along with host distributions, are provided, with comments on biology and host plants.

Fauna europaea: Diptera - brachycera

Fauna Europaea provides a public web-service with an index of scientific names (including important synonyms) of all extant multicellular European terrestrial and freshwater animals and their geographical distribution at the level of countries and major islands (east of the Urals and excluding the Caucasus region). The Fauna Europaea project comprises about 230,000 taxonomic names, including 130,000 accepted species and 14,000 accepted subspecies, which is much more than the originally projected number of 100,000 species. Fauna Europaea represents a huge effort by more than 400 contributing taxonomic specialists throughout Europe and is a unique (standard) reference suitable for many user communities in science, government, industry, nature conservation and education. The Diptera-Brachycera is one of the 58 Fauna Europaea major taxonomic groups, and data have been compiled by a network of 55 specialists. Within the two-winged insects (Diptera), the Brachycera constitute a monophyletic group, which is generally given rank of suborder. The Brachycera may be classified into the probably paraphyletic 'lower brachyceran grade' and the monophyletic Eremoneura. The latter contains the Empidoidea, the Apystomyioidea with a single Nearctic species, and the Cyclorrhapha, which in turn is divided into the paraphyletic 'aschizan grade' and the monophyletic Schizophora. The latter is traditionally divided into the paraphyletic 'acalyptrate grade' and the monophyletic Calyptratae. Our knowledge of the European fauna of Diptera-Brachycera varies tremendously among families, from the reasonably well known hoverflies (Syrphidae) to the extremely poorly known scuttle flies (Phoridae). There has been a steady growth in our knowledge of European Diptera for the last two centuries, with no apparent slow down, but there is a shift towards a larger fraction of the new species being found among the families of the nematoceran grade (lower Diptera), which due to a larger number of small-sized species may be considered as taxonomically more challenging. Most of Europe is highly industrialised and has a high human population density, and the more fertile habitats are extensively cultivated. This has undoubtedly increased the extinction risk for numerous species of brachyceran flies, yet with the recent re-discovery of Thyreophoracynophila (Panzer), there are no known cases of extinction at a European level. However, few national Red Lists have extensive information on Diptera. For the Diptera-Brachycera, data from 96 families containing 11,751 species are included in this paper.

Molecular Survey for the Invasive Leafminer Pest Liriomyza huidobrensis (Diptera: Agromyzidae) in California Uncovers Only the Native Pest Liriomyza langei

Liriomyza huidobrensis (Blanchard) is a highly destructive invasive leafminer pest currently causing extensive damage to vegetable and horticultural crops around the world. Liriomyza langei Frick is a leafminer pest native to California that cannot currently be morphologically distinguished from L. huidobrensis. We used a DNA-barcoding approach, a published PCR-RFLP method, and a new multiplex PCR method to analyze 664 flies matching the morphological description of huidobrensis-langei. We found no evidence for the presence of L. huidobrensis in our extensive samples from California. In addition to the new molecular method, this work is important because it provides definitive data that the California "pea leafminer" is currently, and has probably always been, L. langei. These data will also be important in the event that the highly invasive L. huidobrensis ever becomes established.

An annotated catalogue of the New World Therevidae (Insecta: Diptera: Asiloidea)

The genera and species of New World stiletto flies (Diptera: Therevidae) are listed, with annotated references to nomenclature, synonymies and generic combinations, type localities, the primary type depositories, distribution, and citations for the most recent revisions. The genus Cyclotelus Walker, 1850 (along with its synonyms Furcifera Kröber, 1911, and Epomyia Cole, 1923a) is synonymized under Cerocatus Rondani, 1848. Ectinorhynchus fascipennis Kröber, 1911 is given the new name Cerocatus rondanii Gaimari, and Phycus rufiventris Kröber, 1911 is given the new name Cerocatus raspii Hauser. Phycus analis Kröber, 1911 and Phycus bicolor Kröber, 1911, are placed as new combinations in Cerocatus Rondani, as are the following species that were previously in combination with Cyclotelus: Furcifera achaeta Malloch, 1932, Cyclotelus badicrusus Irwin and Webb, 1992, Phycus beckeri Kröber, 1911, Epomyia bella Cole, 1923a, Furcifera braziliana Cole, 1960a, Cyclotelus colei Irwin and Lyneborg, 1981a, Thereva diversipes Kröber, 1911, Thereva fascipennis Macquart, 1846a, Psilocephala femorata Kröber, 1911, Furcifera flavipes Kröber, 1928b, Furcifera hardyi Cole, 1960a, Furcifera kroeberi Cole, 1960a, Cyclotelus laetus Walker, 1850, Furcifera longicornis Kröber, 1911, Cyclotelus nigroflammus Walker, 1850, Psilocephala nigrifrons Kröber, 1914a, Thereva pictipennis Wiedemann, 1821, Furcifera polita Kröber, 1911, Cyclotelus pruinosus Walker, 1850, Thereva ruficornis Macquart, 1841a, Psilocephala rufiventris Loew, 1869, Thereva scutellaris Walker, 1857, Cyclotelus silacrusus Irwin and Webb, 1992, Cyclotelus socius Walker, 1850 and Psilocephala sumichrasti Bellardi, 1861. Dialineura pallidiventris Malloch, 1932, Melanothereva blackmani Oldroyd, 1968, Thereva maculicornis Jaennicke, 1867 and Thereva notabilis Macquart, 1841a are placed as new combinations in Entesia Oldroyd. Henicomyia amazonica Irwin and Webb, 1992 is a new synonym of Henicomyia flava Lyneborg, 1972. Henicomyia varipes Kröber, 1912a is given revised species status from former synonymy with<br />Henicomyia hubbardii Coquillett, 1898.

Revision of the South American window fly genus Heteromphrale Kröber, 1937 (Diptera, Scenopinidae)

The Neotropical window fly genus Heteromphrale Kröber, 1937 is revised. Two previously described species (Heteromphrale chilensis (Kröber, 1937) and Heteromphrale cyanops (Edwards, 1932)) are redescribed while a new species (Heteromphrale blancasp. n.) is described from Argentina. The male of Heteromphrale chilensis and female of Heteromphrale cyanops are described and figured for the first time, and a key to species is presented.

Raman-atomic force microscopy of the ommatidial surfaces of Dipteran compound eyes

The ommatidial lens surfaces of the compound eyes in several species of files (Insecta: Diptera) and a related order (Mecoptera) were analyzed using a recently developed Raman-atomic force microscope. We demonstrate in this work that the atomic force microscope (AFM) is a potentially useful instrument for gathering phylogenetic data and that the newly developed Raman-AFM may extend this application by revealing nanometer-scale surface chemistry. This is the first demonstration of apertureless near-field Raman spectroscopy on an intact biological surface. For Chrysopilus testaceipes Bigot (Rhagionidae), this reveals unique cerebral cortex-like surface ridges with periodic variation in height and surface chemistry. Most other Brachyceran flies, and the "Nematoceran" Sylvicola fenestralis (Scopoli) (Anisopodidae), displayed the same morphology, while other taxa displayed various other characteristics, such as a nodule-like (Tipula (Triplicitipula) sp. (Tipulidae)) or coalescing nodule-like (Tabanus punctifer Osten Sacken (Tabanidae)) morphology, a smooth morphology with distinct pits and grooves (Dilophus orbatus (Say) (Bibionidae)), or an entirely smooth surface (Bittacus chlorostigma MacLachlan (Mecoptera: Bittacidae)). The variation in submicrometer structure and surface chemistry provides a new information source of potential phylogenetic importance, suggesting the Raman-atomic force microscope could provide a new tool useful to systematic and evolutionary inquiry.