Olavi Kurina

PlutoF—a Web Based Workbench for Ecological and Taxonomic Research, with an Online Implementation for Fungal ITS Sequences

DNA sequences accumulating in the International Nucleotide Sequence Databases (INSD) form a rich source of information for taxonomic and ecological meta-analyses. However, these databases include many erroneous entries, and the data itself is poorly annotated with metadata, making it difficult to target and extract entries of interest with any degree of precision. Here we describe the web-based workbench PlutoF, which is designed to bridge the gap between the needs of contemporary research in biology and the existing software resources and databases. Built on a relational database, PlutoF allows remote-access rapid submission, retrieval, and analysis of study, specimen, and sequence data in INSD as well as for private datasets though web-based thin clients. In contrast to INSD, PlutoF supports internationally standardized terminology to allow very specific annotation and linking of interacting specimens and species. The sequence analysis module is optimized for identification and analysis of environmental ITS sequences of fungi, but it can be modified to operate on any genetic marker and group of organisms. The workbench is available at http://plutof.ut.ee.

Baeopterogyna mihalyii Matile (Diptera, Mycetophilidae): association of sexes using morphological and molecular approaches with the first description of females.

Abstract Both males and females of Baeopterogyna mihalyiiMatile, 1975 are recorded from northern Greece. Females are described for the first time providing photographs of the general facies and terminalia. In contrast to the single congener with stenopterous females – Baeopterogyna nudipes Vockeroth, 1972 – Baeopterogyna mihalyii is shown to have normally developed wings in both sexes. Association of sexes is based on both morphological characters and sequence data from cytochrome oxidase subunit one (COI). DNA sequences are used for the first time for the association of sexes in Mycetophilidae.

Fungus gnats (Diptera: Sciaroidea) of the Gemer region (Central Slovakia): Part 1 – Bolitophilidae, Diadocidiidae, Ditomyiidae and Keroplatidae

Fungus gnats (Diptera: Sciaroidea) of the Gemer region (Central Slovakia): Part 1 - Bolitophilidae, Diadocidiidae, Ditomyiidae and Keroplatidae A total of 17 species of Bolitophilidae, 4 species of Diadocidiidae, 2 species of Ditomyiidae and 25 species of Keroplatidae are recorded from the Gemer region in central Slovakia. The material was obtained mainly in the years 2008-2010 by means of Malaise traps and by individual collecting by the authors. Five species, Bolitophila spinigera Edwards, 1925, Antlemon servulum (Walker, 1837), Orfelia nigricornis (Fabricius, 1805), Macrocera maculata Meigen, 1818 and Macrocera zetterstedti Lundström, 1914, are recorded from Slovakia for the first time. The occurrence of Asindulum nigrum Latreille, 1805 in Slovakia is confirmed. Dvoukřídlí nadčeledi Sciaroidea (Diptera) regionu Gemer (střední Slovensko): Část 1 - Bolitophilidae, Diadocidiidae, Ditomyiidae a Keroplatidae Celkem 17 druhů čeledi Bolitophilidae, 4 druhy Diadocidiidae, 2 druhy Ditomyiidae a 25 druhů Keroplatidae je zaznamenáno z regionu Gemer na středním Slovensku. Materiál byl získán zejména v letech 2008-2010 pomocí Malaiseho pastí a individuálním sběrem autorů. Pět druhů, a to Bolitophila spinigera Edwards, 1925, Antlemon servulum (Walker, 1837), Orfelia nigricornis (Fabricius, 1805), Macrocera maculata Meigen, 1818 a Macrocera zetterstedti Lundström, 1914, je zaznamenáno ze Slovenska poprvé. Potvrzen je zde výskyt druhu Asindulum nigrum Latreille, 1805.

Timeless standards for species delimitation

Recently a new species of bombyliid fly, Marleyimyia xylocopae, was described by Marshall & Evenhuis (2015) based on two photographs taken during fieldwork in the Republic of South Africa. This species has no preserved holotype. The paper generated some buzz, especially among dipterists, because in most cases photographs taken in the field provide insufficient information for properly diagnosing and documenting species of Diptera.

Two new Neuratelia Rondani (Diptera, Mycetophilidae) species from Western Palaearctic: a case of limited congruence between morphology and DNA sequence data.

Abstract Two new Mycetophilidae species, Neuratelia jabalmoussae sp. n. and Neuratelia salmelai sp. n. are described on the basis of material collected from Lebanon, Estonia and Finland. Detailed figures of male terminalia and photographs of general facies are provided along with discussions of their morphological distinction from sibling species. For the first time molecular characters are used to distinguish new fungus gnat species. Molecular analysis relies on cytochrome oxidase subunit one (COI) but has additionally been corroborated by information from the 28S and ITS2 regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA. Situations where morphological and molecular data provide conflicting evidence for species delimitation are discussed. A new country record from Georgia is provided for Neuratelia caucasica.

Fungus gnats (Diptera: Sciaroidea) of the Gemer region (Central Slovakia): Part 2 - Mycetophilidae

Fungus gnats (Diptera: Sciaroidea) of the Gemer region (Central Slovakia): Part 2 - Mycetophilidae A total of 317 species of Mycetophilidae are recorded from the Gemer region in central Slovakia. The material was obtained mainly in the years 2008-2011 by means of Malaise traps and by individual collecting by the authors. A new species of Mycetophila Meigen, M. gemerensis sp. n., is described and additional 47 species are recorded as new to Slovakia. A new synonym is proposed: Mycetophila quadra Lundström, 1909 = M. chamberlini (Laffoon, 1957) syn. n. Dvoukřídlí nadčeledi Sciaroidea (Diptera) regionu Gemer (střední Slovensko): Část 2 - Mycetophilidae Celkem 317 druhů čeledi Mycetophilidae je zaznamenáno z regionu Gemer na středním Slovensku. Materiál byl získán zejména v letech 2008-2011 pomocí Malaiseho pastí a individuálním sběrem autorů. Popsán je nový druh rodu Mycetophila Meigen, M. gemerensis sp. n., a dalších 47 druhů je zaznamenáno jako nových pro Slovensko. Navrženo je nové synonymum: Mycetophila quadra Lundström, 1909 = M. chamberlini (Laffoon, 1957) syn. n.

The Mycetophilaruficollis Meigen (Diptera, Mycetophilidae) group in Europe: elucidating species delimitation with COI and ITS2 sequence data.

Abstract European species of the Mycetophila ruficollis group are compared on the basis of morphology and sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit one (COI) and the ITS2 region of nuclear ribosomal DNA. The study represents the first evaluation of morphology-based species delimitation of closely related fungus gnat species by applying molecular information. Detailed descriptions and illustrations of the male terminalia are presented along with a key for the identification of all nine European species of the group. Phylogenetic analyses of molecular data generally supported the morphological species discrimination. The barcoding region of COI superseded ITS2 rDNA in resolving species. In the COI barcoding region interspecific differences ranged from 2.9 to 10.6% and the intraspecific distance from 0.08 to 0.8%. Only COI data distinguished between the similar and closely related Mycetophila ichneumonea and Mycetophila uninotata of which the latter was observed to include cryptic species. The host range of some species is suggested to be narrower than previously considered and to depend on the forest type. Presented evidence indicates the importance of analysing sequence data of morphologically very similar mycetophages reared from identified host fungi for elucidating species delimitation as well as their geographic and host ranges. New country records, viz. Estonia for Mycetophila evanida, Georgia for Mycetophila ichneumonea, Mycetophila idonea and Mycetophila ruficollis, and Norway for Mycetophila strobli, widen the known distribution ranges of these species.

The first Cordyla Meigen species (Diptera, Mycetophilidae) from continental Australia and Tasmania

Abstract A new species of Mycetophilidae, Cordyla australica sp. n., is described from continental Australia and Tasmania, representing the first Cordyla record in the region. A detailed description of its morphology with illustrations of male and female terminalia and a map of the collecting localities are provided. According to the structure of male terminalia, Cordyla australica sp. n. belongs to the Cordyla murina species-group that has 13 species worldwide. Within the group Cordyla australica sp. n. resembles Cordyla murina but has a unique outline of the hypoproct and medial branch of the gonostylus. The observed distributional pattern is restricted to the rainforest of eastern Australia and Tasmania.

Polyphagy on unpredictable resources does not exclude host specialization: insects feeding on mushrooms

The degree of ecological specialization plays a crucial role in shaping the structure and functioning of communities. However, comparing specialization within and among groups of organisms is complicated by both methodological issues and conceptual and terminological inconsistencies. Environmental predictability has been considered a key determinant of specialization though empirical evidence is still limited. Fungi and their insect consumers provide a poorly studied but promising system to measure host specialization and test the predictability hypothesis. In this study, we systematically sampled mushrooms in North European boreal forest, and reared total samples of fungivores colonizing the fruitbodies. Due to the unpredictable nature of mushrooms as a resource, low levels of host specialization can be predicted for these insects, which have indeed widely been considered polyphagous. Contrary to expectations, the majority of the studied fungus gnats were found not to exploit their host taxa indiscriminately. Not only were some mushroom taxa never colonized, the infestation rate of acceptable hosts also differed in most of these fungivores. Gnat species themselves formed continua with respect to the estimates of the degree of specialization, derived from parametric individual-based analyses of presence-absence data. In most cases, host use was best explained by models in which the hosts were classified at genus level, with limited support to specialization to particular host species, families, or orders. Indeed, most of the common fungivores appeared to preferentially use various species from one or a few mushroom genera while occasionally feeding on members of other host taxa. This pattern has likely evolved as a compromise between selective forces stemming from host unpredictability and taxon-specific chemical profiles of the mushrooms. Our study highlights the multidimensional nature of ecological specialization: a high number of acceptable hosts does not preclude considerable discrimination among members of the available resource pool. Such situations can only be revealed by individual-based analyses capable of capturing differences in partner-to-partner interaction intensities.

Scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) reared from fungi in Benin.

ABSTRACT Ten species of Phoridae reared from fungi in Benin are reported, including the descriptions of the following: Megaselia cakpoae Disney, sp. n., Megaselia fuscilobulorum Disney, sp. n., Megaselia kurinai Disney, sp. n. and Megaselia tedersooi Disney, sp. n. Megaselia termitomyca Disney, 1989 is synonymised with Megaselia labiata Borgmeier, 1967.