Miroslav Barták

Global diversity of dipteran families (Insecta Diptera) in freshwater (excluding Simulidae, Culicidae, Chironomidae, Tipulidae and Tabanidae)

Today’s knowledge of worldwide species diversity of 19 families of aquatic Diptera in Continental Waters is presented. Nevertheless, we have to face for certain in most groups a restricted knowledge about distribution, ecology and systematic, particularly in the tropical environments. At the same time we realize a dramatically decline or even lack of specialists being able, having the time or the opportunity to extend or even secure the present information. The respective families with approximate numbers of aquatic species are: Blephariceridae (308), Deuterophlebiidae (14), Nyphomyiidae (7), Psychodidae (∼2.000), Scatopsidae (∼5), Tanyderidae (41), Ptychopteridae (69), Dixidae (173), Corethrellidae (97), Chaoboridae (∼50), Thaumaleidae (∼170), Ceratopogonidae (∼6.000), Stratiomyidae (∼43), Empididae (∼660), Lonchopteridae (2), Syrphidae (∼1.080), Sciomyzidae (∼190), Ephydridae (∼1.500), Muscidae (∼870). Numbers of aquatic species will surely increase with increased ecological and taxonomical efforts.

Establishing a community‐wide DNA barcode library as a new tool for arctic research

DNA sequences offer powerful tools for describing the members and interactions of natural communities. In this study, we establish the to‐date most comprehensive library of DNA barcodes for a terrestrial site, including all known macroscopic animals and vascular plants of an intensively studied area of the High Arctic, the Zackenberg Valley in Northeast Greenland. To demonstrate its utility, we apply the library to identify nearly 20 000 arthropod individuals from two Malaise traps, each operated for two summers. Drawing on this material, we estimate the coverage of previous morphology‐based species inventories, derive a snapshot of faunal turnover in space and time and describe the abundance and phenology of species in the rapidly changing arctic environment. Overall, 403 terrestrial animal and 160 vascular plant species were recorded by morphology‐based techniques. DNA barcodes (CO1) offered high resolution in discriminating among the local animal taxa, with 92% of morphologically distinguishable taxa assigned to unique Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) and 93% to monophyletic clusters. For vascular plants, resolution was lower, with 54% of species forming monophyletic clusters based on barcode regions rbcLa and ITS2. Malaise catches revealed 122 BINs not detected by previous sampling and DNA barcoding. The insect community was dominated by a few highly abundant taxa. Even closely related taxa differed in phenology, emphasizing the need for species‐level resolution when describing ongoing shifts in arctic communities and ecosystems. The DNA barcode library now established for Zackenberg offers new scope for such explorations, and for the detailed dissection of interspecific interactions throughout the community.

A plea for digital reference collections and other science-based digitization initiatives in taxonomy: Sepsidnet as exemplar

1Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 2Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Oxford, England, 3Natural History Museum, London, England, 4Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic, 5Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland, 6Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, Ciudad Universitaria, San Pedro, Costa Rica, 7Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama, 8Departamento de Morfologia e Fisiologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil, 9Natural History Museum, Entomology Section, Venice, Italy and 10University Scholars Programme, National University of Singapore, Singapore

A NEW SPECIES OF RHAMPHOMYIA (SENSU STRICTO) MEIGEN (DIPTERA, EMPIDIDAE) FROM SOUTHERN ANATOLIA, TURKEY

ABSTRACT A new species of Rhamphomyia (s. str.) from southern Anatolia (Karaman province) is described and illustrated and compared with related species.

New records of Sarcophagidae from Turkey (Diptera)

Abstract Faunistic records of 68 flesh fly species are presented, and altogether, 22 species are recorded from Turkey for the first time. A further 46 species were recorded for the first time in at least one Turkish province. This paper presents the first locality data for four additional species, which were previously mentioned only generically in catalogues. One new synonym has been established, Servaisia (s. str.) rybaltschenkoi (Verves, 1977) = Blaesoxipha ataturkia Lehrer, 2008, syn. n. Two new combinations are proposed: Helicophagella (Parabellieria) dreyfusi (Lehrer, 1994), comb. n. and Helicophagella (s. str.) bellae (Lehrer, 2000), comb. n.

Three new West Palaearctic species of Rhamphomyia subgenus Lundstroemiella (Diptera, Empididae)

Rhamphomyia (Lundstroemiella) cervi sp. n. (France), R. (L.) cimrmani sp. n. (Turkey) and R. (L.) speighti sp. n. (France) are described and illustrated. A key to the Palaearctic species of the subgenus Lundstroemiella Frey is given.

New species of Rhamphomyia (Diptera: Empididae) from Turkey with a key to species of the Middle East and adjacent territories

Rhamphomyia (s. str.) academica sp. nov. (Turkey) and R. (s. str.) soukupi sp. nov. (Turkey) are described and illustrated. Rhamphomyia (Lundstroemiella) cimrmani Barták, 2006, is re-described and the female is newly described. The first records of Rhamphomyia (s. str.) argentata von Röder, 1887 and R. (Pararhamphomyia) intersita Collin, 1960 are reported from Turkey. A key to species of Rhamphomyia from the Middle East is presented.

New Peculiar Eastern Palaearctic Rhamphomyia (Diptera: Empididae)

ABSTRACT Rhamphomyia (Pararhamphomyia) minutiforceps sp. n. (Russia, Primorskiy Territory) and R. (P.) minutiforcipella sp. n. (Russia, Amur Province) are described and illustrated.

Platycephala isinensis sp. n. (Diptera: Chloropidae) from Iran

A new species, Platycephala isinensis sp. n. (Diptera: Chloropidae) is described from Iran and main differential characters are illustrated.

Checklist of flesh flies of Turkey (Diptera, Sarcophagidae)

Abstract A checklist of 153 flesh fly species (Diptera, Sarcophagidae) recorded to date from Turkey is presented. Updating the list was necessary due to the numerous recent records. Records are listed according to provinces.