Patrycja Dominiak

Non-biting midges of the tribe Tanytarsini in Eocene amber from the Rovno region (Ukraine): a pioneer systematic study with notes on the phylogeny (Diptera: Chironomidae)

The first detailed systematic study on the tanytarsine chironomids recorded in the Eocene amber from the Rovno region (Ukraine) revealed seven new taxa. Archistempellina gen. nov., represented by A. bifurca sp. nov. (type for the genus, male) and A. falcifera sp. nov. (male), displays characters similar to those found in Stempellina Thienemann et Bause, and is recognized as one of probable basal lineages in the subtribe Stempellinina Shilova. Corneliola gen. nov., represented by C. avia sp. nov. (male, female), combines features known from several genera of the tribe Tanytarsini, and tentatively is regarded as the closest relative of Constempellina Brundin. Rheotanytarsus alliciens sp. nov. (male), featuring a long hypopygial digitus, is considered to be the oldest species of the genus. Tanytarsus congregabilis sp. nov. (male) is the first known Eocene representative of the lugens systematic species group. A complemented description of the male of Tanytarsus serafini Giłka is provided as well.

Biting midges of the genus Dasyhelea Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Poland

Abstract . This article reviews 30 species of biting midges of the genus Dasyhelea that are known to occur in Poland. Diagnoses and detailed descriptions of adults are provided for all Polish species, as well as keys (based mainly on males) for the identification of subgenera and their included species. Dasyhelea excellentis BORKENT, 1997 is recognized as a new junior synonym of Dasyhelea bifida ZILAHI-SEBESS, 1936 (syn. n.) and Dasyhelea lugensis BRODSKAYA, 1995 as a new junior synonym of Dasyhelea caesia REMM, 1993 (syn. n.). Among the Polish biting midge fauna, most species of the genus Dasyhelea are primarily arboreal, widely distributed Palaearctic species. The most species-rich samples were collected in the following regions: Eastern Baltic Lakelands (19 spp.), Southern Baltic Lakelands (16 spp.), Southern Baltic Coastlands (14 spp.) and Central Western Carpathians (12 spp.). The larvae were found in sap and tree holes, water accumulated in gutters and sinks, moist soil near fresh- and saltwater bodies, and peat bogs. Adults are known to visit flowers for nectar, and 16 Polish species were found on umbelliferous flowers.

Culicoides (Avaritia) gornostaevae Mirzaeva, 1984 (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) - a possible vector species of the Obsoletus group new to the European fauna

BackgroundCulicoides gornostaevae Mirzaeva, 1984, known previously only from Siberia, is a boreal species included into the Obsoletus group of Culicoides sg. Avaritia. Members of the subgenus can act as vectors of various diseases. In Europe they are involved in the transmission of the Schmallenberg virus and bluetongue virus.FindingsCulicoides gornostaevae Mirzaeva, 1984 is reported for the first time in Europe with new country records from Norway, Poland and Sweden.ConclusionsCulicoides gornostaevae Mirzaeva, 1984 has not been previously mentioned from Europe, even though there has been an extensive monitoring of Culicoides species during the last decades. Most probably this species has been notoriously overlooked in the materials, because of the problems with identification of the females of the subgenus Avaritia. Similar to other species of the Obsoletus group, C. gornostaevae should be regarded as a possible vector for Schmallenberg and bluetongue virus.

New records of predaceous midges from the Middle East, with the description of two new species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Two new distinctive species of predaceous biting midges of the tribe Ceratopogonini are described and illustrated from the Middle East. Brachypogon freidbergi sp. nov., with a unique Y-shaped gonostylus, is recorded from Israel. We also provide the first records of Brachypogon vitiosus (Winnertz) and B. aethiopicus (Clastrier, Rioux & Descous) from this country, and a key to the adult males of the genus Brachypogon Kieffer from the Middle East. Ceratopogon azari sp. nov., described from Lebanon, shows a distinctive structure of the male genital apparatus, and is the southernmost species of that genus in the Western Palaearctic.

Diagnosis of Forcipomyia sahariensis Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) with the first description of immature stages.

Forcipomyia sahariensis Kieffer, 1923 is diagnosed in all stages. Larvae and pupae reared from rotting roots are described for the first time. Forcipomyia tuzeti Huttel et Huttel, 1952 from France and F. acanthophora Renim in Havelka, 1976 from Germany are recognized as new junior synonyms of F. sahariensis. A supplemented key for identification of known larvae and pupae of Polish species of the subgenus Forcipomyia s. str. is also provided.

A redescription of Culicoides griseidorsum Kieffer, 1918, with comments on subgeneric position of some European taxa (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Culicoides griseidorsum Kieffer, 1918 is formally redescribed, and the male described and illustrated for the first time. The species is placed within Sensiculicoides Shevchenko, 1977 the subgenus restored from the synonymy with Oecacta Poey, 1853. A checklist of European species placed in subgenera Sensiculicoides and Oecacta is provided.

Serromyia diabolica , a new biting midge species from Lebanon (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

A new darkly-pigmented species of Serromyia, closely related to S. subinermis Kieffer, is described from both sexes based on morphological characters and COI gene sequence analyses.

Afrostilobezzia, a new genus of predatory biting midges from the Afrotropical Region (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae).

A new genus Afrostilobezzia gen. nov. including A. clastrieri sp. nov. and A. ornatithorax (Clastrier, 1988) comb. nov. is described from West Africa (Nigeria and Guinea).

Harmful touch: tarsal palisades as unique tools of predation in biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Tarsal palisade setae present on the hind and mid legs of 26 genera of biting midges were studied using light and scanning electron microscopy. They are arranged in single, double or triple rows on the hind and sometimes mid tarsomeres 1 and 2 in both sexes. The grooved palisade setae of most genera except Alluadomyia, Brachypogon, Ceratopogon and Ceratoculicoides are inserted in sockets which elongate into a tongue-like extension basally fused with two enlarged microtrichia. Morphologically similar tarsal setae occur in the Forcipomyiinae and Dasyheleinae, but they are distributed irregularly. This study shows that reinforced tarsal setae probably evolved independently on the tarsi of biting midges, in the lineage of originally parasitic Forcipomyiinae and Dasyheleinae and within the lineage of predatory Ceratopogoninae. The setae arranged in a palisade evolved once, most probably within the primitive tribe Ceratopogonini as an evident adaptation to the hunting of other insects.

Vertebrate Blood-Feeding Biting Midges of the Subgenus Lasiohelea Kieffer of Forcipomyia Meigen in Europe (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) with New Synonyms

Abstract. The two European species of vertebrate blood-feeding biting midges of the subgenus Lasiohelea Kieffer, 1921 of the genus Forcipomyia Meigen, 1918 are taxonomically reviewed. They are Forcipomyia (Lasiohelea) velox (Winnertz, 1852), whose adult females feed on amphibians, and F. (L.) sibirica (Buyanova, 1962), which obtain blood from humans. Adults of both species are diagnosed, redescribed and illustrated. Forcipomyia sibirica is a boreo-montane Palearctic species which, in Europe, mostly occurs in mountain areas, and is very similar to the eastern Palearctic F. (L.) nipponica (Tokunaga, 1940). Forcipomyia velox is common in western Palearctic lowlands. Forcipomyia (L.) cultella (Yu et Xiang, in Yu 1988) from China is recognized as a junior synonym of F. velox (Winnertz, 1852), and F. (L.) ussurica Remm, 1971 from the Russian Far East is recognized as a junior synonym of F. (L.) longicornis (Tokunaga, 1940) from Japan. New synonymies. Forcipomyia sibirica from Romania and F. longicornis from North Korea are reported for the first time.