Scott E. Brooks

CATALOG OF THE DOLICHOPODIDAE (DIPTERA) OF AMERICA NORTH OF MEXICO

Abstract A catalog of the American species of Dolichopodidae north of Mexico is provided. Fifty-five valid genera and 1288 valid species and 3 subspecies in 14 subfamilies are listed. Compared to the North American catalog by Foote et al. (1965), 224 species are added, and there are 15 replacement names, 84 synonyms, 5 species removed from synonymy, and 76 transfers, as well as 10 species included in the previous catalog that are removed from the new list. Furthermore, 13 additional genera and 3 generic synonymies are included. Nomenclatural changes proposed in this catalog consist of 1 new generic synonymy, 4 new synonyms, 2 new names, 40 new combinations, and 1 species newly removed from synonymy. Additional nomenclatural changes and problems are discussed. All validly named taxa described before February 2004 are included. For each genus, the species list is preceded by notes on its distribution, biology, and ecology as well as a list of pertinent keys and revisions, when such information is available. For each valid species name, the list includes the author, year of publication, page number of original description, type depository and locality, and distribution in North America by state or province and occurrence in other realms, as well as taxonomic notes wherever applicable. Additional distribution records from the literature have been added. All known synonyms of genera and species as well as errors, emendations, and misidentifications are included. A bibliography of 492 publications is provided as well as an index to over 1838 included names. Statistics and comments on the history of North American dolichopodid research are presented. The diversity and distribution of Nearctic Dolichopodidae and their relationships with the fauna of other realms is tabulated and discussed.

Male terminalia of Diptera (Insecta): a review of evolutionary trends, homology and phylogenetic implications

The male terminalia character system in Diptera is reviewed. The phylogenetic implications of apomorphic changes are traced on published cladograms. New synapomorphies include: anteroventral parameral apodeme for the Tipulomorpha; parameral sheath encompassing desclerotized aedeagus for Neodiptera (exclusive of Axymyiidae); endoaedeagus for Xylophagomorpha + Tabanomorpha. Apystomyiidae are classified as the sister group to the Eremoneura based on four synapomorphies (lateral ejaculatory processes absent, subepandrial sclerite extending from base of hypoproct to phallus, bacilliform sclerites extending to tips of the epandrium and surstyli functionally developed, but not articulated) and lack of eremoneuran synapomorphies (i.e., loss of gonostyli, presence of postgonites and phallic plate). The Diptera sperm pump with a functional ejaculatory apodeme is a possible autapomorphy of Diptera, exclusive of Nymphomyiidae and Deuterophlebiidae. Internal details of the male terminalia of Sylvicola and Mycetobia (Anisopodidae), Hilarimorpha (Hilarimorphidae) and Apystomyia (Apystomyiidae) are newly illustrated and homologies of the aedeagus, paramere and sperm pump of the Tipuloidea are clarified.

The New World genera of Parathalassiinae (Diptera: Empidoidea: Dolichopodidae s.l.), with new species of Thalassophorus and Eothalassius

Abstract n The parathalassine genera Thalassophorus Saigusa, Eothalassius Shamshev and Grootaert, and Chimerothalassius Shamshev and Grootaert are recorded from the New World for the first time. Thalassophorus arnaudi Brooks and Cumming sp. nov. is described from specimens collected at coastal localities in British Columbia, Oregon, and California, and represents the second known species in the genus, the type species being T. spinipennis Saigusa, known only from Rishiri Island in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. Detailed illustrations of the male genitalia of T. spinipennis are provided. Eothalassius borkenti Cumming and Brooks sp. nov. is described from specimens collected along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, bringing the total number of described species of this former Southeast Asian genus to three, with one probable additional described species in the Mediterranean region. The genus Chimerothalassius, which was previously known from a single New Zealand species, is recorded from the island of Dominica, based on a female specimen plus a slide-mounted wing of an undescribed species. A new undescribed parathalassiine genus is also recorded from Chile, based on limited material of two undescribed species. A key to the six genera of Parathalassiinae in the New World, including Parathalassius Mik and Microphorella Becker, is given, as are some preliminary remarks on the limits and phylogenetic relationships of the parathalassiine genera.

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.xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0 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.xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0 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.xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0 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.xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0 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.xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0 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.

Revision of the Empis subgenus Enoplempis Bigot, east of the Rocky Mountains (Diptera: Empididae).

The Empis subgenus Enoplempis Bigot, east of the Rocky Mountains of North America is revised. A total of 19 species are recorded from this region including seven new species: E. (En.) amytis Walker, E. (En.) appalachicola Sinclair sp. nov., E. (En.) arthritica Melander, E. (En.) ctenonema Melander, E. (En.) enodis Melander, E. (En.) gladiator Melander, E. (En.) gulosa Coquillett, E. (En.) loripedis Coquillett, E. (En.) montywoodi Brooks sp. nov., E. (En.) nodipoplitea Steyskal, E. (En.) nuda Loew, E. (En.) pectinata Sinclair sp. nov., E. (En.) penicillata Brooks sp. nov., E. (En.) prodigiosa Cumming sp. nov., E. (En.) snoddyi Steyskal, E. (En.) stenoptera Loew, E. (En.) tridentata Coquillett, E. (En.) vockerothi Cumming sp. nov., E. (En.) volsella Sinclair sp. nov. The following new synonymies are designated: E. (En.) longipes Loew, E. (En.) longeoblita Steyskal, E. (En.) deterra Walley = E. (En.) amytis; E. (En.) cacuminifer Melander = E. (En.) gulosa. Lectotypes are designated for the following species: E. (En.) arthritica, E. (En.) cacuminifer, E. (En.) ctenonema, E. (En.) enodis, E. (En.) gladiator, E. (En.) loripedis, E. (En.) stenoptera and E. (En.) tridentata. A key to eastern species is presented and distributions illustrated. The form of nuptial gift presentation displayed within this group, including the use of balloons (with or without prey) and unwrapped prey are indicated for species when known.

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.Brian Brown et al. report the results of the Zurquí All Diptera Biodiversity Inventory project, one of the largest efforts to date to directly assess species richness of a megadiverse order of insects. The authors identified 41,001 flies to 4332 species, including 73 of the worlds 160 Diptera families.

Neothalassius , a new genus of Parathalassiinae (Diptera: Dolichopodidae s.lat.) from the Pacific coast of South America

A new genus, Neothalassius gen. nov., and two new species, Neothalassius triton sp. nov. and Neothalassius villosus sp. nov., are described from rocky shorelines along the Pacific seacoast of South America. The phylogenetic placement of Neothalassius within the subfamily Parathalassiinae is discussed.

New species of Chimerothalassius Shamshev & Grootaert (Diptera: Dolichopodidae: Parathalassiinae) from the West Indies and Costa Rica

Chimerothalassius runyoni sp. nov. is described from rocky coastlines of Montserrat and Dominica, and the genus is newly recorded from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, based on female specimens of an undescribed species.

New species and records of Cheiromyia Dyte from Brazil and French Guiana (Diptera: Dolichopodidae)

Cheiromyia carolina Limeira-de-Oliveira Brooks sp. nov. and C. nordestina Limeira-de-Oliveira Cumming sp. nov. are described from Brazil, and C. fuscipennis Pollet Brooks sp. nov. is described from the Mitaraka Mountains in southwestern French Guiana. New distribution records are reported for C. brevitarsis Brooks, C. palmaticornis (Parent) and C. pennaticornis (Parent), and a revised key to males of the eight known species of Cheiromyia Dyte, 1980 is provided. The female of C. pennaticornis is also described for the first time.

Review of the little-known western Nearctic fly genus Philetus Melander (Diptera: Empididae), with a discussion of its phylogenetic assignment

The western North American empidid genus Philetus Melander is reviewed, including redescription of the two included species, P. memorandus Melander and P. schizophorus Melander. A lectotype is designated for P. schizophorus. Thexa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0 distributions of both species are mapped and the male terminalia are illustrated. The female of P. schizophorus is discovered for the first time through comparison of COI mitochondrial DNA barcode sequences. The phylogenetic assignment ofxa0 Philetus within the Empididae is discussed based on a reinterpretation of male terminalia homologies.