Tropical niche conservatism as a historical narrative hypothesis for the Neotropics: a case study using the fly family Muscidae

Aim We evaluate the extent to which the tropical conservatism hypothesis can explain the evolutionary development of the Muscidae. Furthermore, we compare the geographical patterns of muscid phylogenetic structure with biogeographical regions that have been identified for Neotropical insects. Location Central and South America. Methods We modelled the geographic distributions of 658 species using Maxent and 19 environmental variables. A generic‐level supertree of the Muscidae was assembled using matrix representation with parsimony and used to map the geographic pattern of mean root distance (MRD), a metric of the relative evolutionary development of assemblages. Regression models (ordinary least squares and regression trees) were used to examine temperature and other environmental correlates of MRD to explore potential environmental drivers of muscid diversification. We used the regression tree results to recognize variable intervals that best explained MRD, and these intervals were mapped to recognize and compare with biogeographical regions of Neotropical insects. Results The geographic pattern of MRD was consistent with the tropical conservatism hypothesis: species in genera that diversified relatively early, as measured by their distance from the tree root, dominate lowland tropical South America, whereas species in genera that diversified more recently occupy extra‐tropical areas, sub‐Antarctic areas and the Andean highlands. Temperature was the strongest correlate of MRD. Three biogeographical regions were recognized and they coincided with two regions known for insects. Main conclusions Evolutionary responses of muscid flies to post‐Eocene climate change taking the form of an expansion of a tropical group into regions with colder climates may be fundamental to explaining their distribution in the Neotropics. Our biogeographical regions delimited by temperature and the phylogenetic metric, surrogates of the tropical conservatism hypothesis, were very similar to general insect patterns, supporting the ‘tropical origin and evolutionary response to climate cooling’ as a broadly based historical narrative for the Neotropics.     

Oviposition preferences and antennal size in carrion flies

Carrion-feeding flies use odours emanating from the decomposing corpse as cues for oviposition and are described as generalists because the larvae feed on the corpses of diverse species. Whereas several features of the corpse may influence the oviposition choices of these flies, it is not known whether there is a preference for a particular species of corpse. We provided carrion flies with ovipositional (and feeding) choices in a field experiment, in which various odour sources were presented simultaneously. We found novel evidence of broadly consistent choices of carrion by flies from four families. Traps baited with decaying fish flesh captured the greatest number of individuals, whereas traps baited with decaying pig liver typically attracted the least. We also asked whether individuals captured in the various baits vary in antennal size, perhaps reflecting different capacities for odour detection. There was a trend for individuals of Lucilia sericata Meigen (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and the platystomatid collected from the traps baited with pig liver to have significantly larger antennae, whereas individuals of Muscina stabulans (Fallen) (Diptera: Muscidae) captured in traps baited with marine fish flesh had relatively longer antennae for their body size. Our data reveal a more nuanced pattern of oviposition behaviour in these generalist carrion flies, which may reflect differences in their preference of carrion with different nutrients, and in their capacity to detect particular odours.     

中国毛膝蝇属研究并记四新种(双翅目,蝇科)

记述分布于我国的蝇科Muscidae圆蝇亚科Mydaeinae中的毛膝蝇属Hebemema Sdmabl,1889已知种类,共9种,其中有4新种:毛眼毛膝蝇H.dasyopos.nov.,玛纳斯毛膝蝇H.manasicus sp.nov.,隐颜毛膝蝇 H.invisifacies sp.nov.和西蜀毛膝蝇 H.xishuicum sp.nov.,对其形态特征进行了详细描述,编制了该属中国已知种检索表.前2种模式标本藏于军事医学科学院微生物流行病研究所医学昆虫标本馆;后2种藏于中国科学院上海植物生理生态研究所昆虫博物馆.     

Diptera of forensic importance in the Iberian Peninsula: larval identification key

A revision of the species and families of sarcosaprophagous flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Muscidae, Fanniidae, Drosophilidae, Phoridae, Piophilidae and Stratiomyidae) suitable for forensic purposes in the Iberian Peninsula is presented. Morphological characteristics that allow the accurate identification of third instars of the species present in the Iberian Peninsula are described and presented in the form of a diagnostic key. For larval Calliphoridae, characteristics such as the spines of the body segments were useful for the genus Calliphora whereas features of the anal segment and the cephalopharyngeal skeleton were useful for larvae of Lucilia. Identification of three Chrysominae species present in the Iberian Peninsula is included. For larval Sarcophagidae, characters such as the arrangement and shape of spiracular openings, structures of the anal segment and the cephalopharyngeal skeleton were used for the first time. A new record of Sarcophaga cultellata Pandellé, from a human corpse, is also included as well as recent incursions into the European cadaveric entomofauna such as Synthesiomyia nudiseta (van der Wulp) and Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus). This work provides useful new information that could be applied to forensic investigations in the Iberian Peninsula and in southern Europe.     

青藏高原蝇科昆虫生物地理初探

对青藏高原蝇科昆虫进行了生物地理学研究.青藏高原已知蝇科9亚科42属574种,以特有类群占优势.其中特有属占11.9%,特有种占66.2%,文中讨论了该地区区系成分的多源性,特有成份的特异性及青藏高原北缘特有属的起源与演化,特有种的狭域分布现象及理论探讨.讨论了该地区与其它地区间隔分布的多样性及高原蝇科昆虫的适应性.分析了青藏高原的隆起与冰期对蝇科昆虫的作用.青藏高原的横空崛起以及第四纪冰期--间冰期的循环往复,导致该地区生境千差万别,使蝇科区系不仅有地域分异,且垂直差异显著.在此期间,北方物种向南入侵,南北成分交互渗透,高山类群适应进化,使许多特有成分在这里被陶冶、孕育,故而造成了该地区蝇科区系的特有性和物种的多样性.     

Microsatellite loci in the stable fly,Stomoxys niger niger (Diptera: Muscidae) on La Réunion Island

Six polymorphic microsatellite markers have been isolated from a microsatellite‐enriched DNA library from the stable fly, Stomoxys niger niger. These loci exhibited five to 10 alleles per locus and an expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.57 to 0.81 in the studied populations from La Réunion Island (Indian Ocean). They should therefore be useful for the study of genetic diversity and population structure of S. niger. In addition, cross‐species amplification of four of these six loci in the closely allied species Stomoxys calcitrans produced interpretable results, two of which would be useful for population biology studies.     

中国四川省有瓣蝇类三新种(双翅目:厕蝇科,蝇科)

报道采自中国四川省西部山区有瓣蝇类Calyptraae3新种：厕蝇科Fanniiade厕蝇属Fannia2新种：五枝厕蝇Fannia quinquiramula sp.nov.,虞氏厕蝇Fannia yui sp.nov.;蝇科Muscidae棘蝇属Phaonia 1新种：太子棘蝇Phaonia taizipingga sp.nov.。新种虞氏侧蝇的命名,系对虞以新教授在中国蠓科Ceratopogoinidae等医学昆虫研究所作杰出贡献的敬意。厕蝇科模式标本存中国沈阳师范学院昆虫研究所;蝇科模式标本存北京军事医学科学院微生物流行病研究所医学昆虫标本馆。     

中国四川圆蝇属三新种（双翅目：蝇科）

本文报道1984－1989年采自四川山区圆蝇属Mydaea R.-D.,1830的3个新种：峨眉山圆蝇Mydaea emeishanna sp.nov.;鬃腹圆蝇Mydaea jubiventera sp.nov.;九寨沟加蝇Mydaea jiuzhaigouensis sp.nov.。模式标本均保存于第二作者实验室。     

新疆阳蝇属Helina R.—D.二新种（双翅目：蝇科）

记述采自新疆蝇属Helina R.-D．2新种,托木尔阳蝇Helina tuomuerra,sp,nov。和新疆阳蝇Helina xinjiangensis,sp.nov.模式标本保存于中国科学院动物研究所。     

FIVE NEW SPECIES OF COENOSIA (DIPTERA: MUSCIDAE) IN XINJIANG CHINA*

Abstract Five new species of the genus Coenosia Meigen, namely C. subflaviseta, C. subgracilis, C. parva C. aurea, and C. zhooi, are described from the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China. The type specimen of C. parva is kept in the Department of Biology, Shenyang Normal University, and the others are kept in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.