Systematic revision of Neotropical Achalcus and a related new genus (Diptera: Dolichopodidae, Achalcinae) with comments on their phylogeny, ecology and zoogeography

A revision of the species of the subfamily Achalcinae of the Neotropical region is presented. A new genus, Australachalcus gen. nov. , is erected based on the presence of six dorsocentral bristles and synapomorphies in the hypopygium. Eight new Achalcus species ( bilineatus , brevicornis , costaricensis , cyanocephalus , maculipennis , micromorphoides , niger , tibialis ) and eight new Australachalcus species ( acornis , browni , cummingi , incisicornis , pseudorobustus , robustus , setosus , variabilis ) are described, and Achalcus albipalpus Parent, A. brevinervis Van Duzee, A. longicornis Van Duzee and Enlinia edwardsae (Van Duzee) are newly referred to Australachalcus and redescribed. A key to males of all species and females of eight species is provided. One Palaearctic species, Achalcus melanotrichus Mik, and nine New Zealand Achalcus species ( chaetifemoratus , luteipes , medius , minor , minusculus , minutus , nigroscutatus , relictus , separatus ) described by Parent are also transferred to Australachalcus . In Neotropical Achalcinae, three Achalcus and more than four different Australachalcus species groups can be distinguished, whereas all Holarctic Achalcus species belong to the single A. flavicollis species group. In the Neotropics, Australachalcus is nearly entirely confined to Chile, whereas Achalcus is recorded from Costa Rica, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Chile, with no or little overlap in distribution between the separate species groups. Beyond Chile, most achalcine species treated here were collected at higher altitudes. Most Chilean species are only active during the southern summer, whereas in Costa Rica achalcine representatives are encountered throughout the year.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 143 , 27–73.     

A revision of the Nearctic species of Liancalus Loew (Diptera,Dolichopodidae)

The genus Liancalus Loew is revised for the Nearctic Region. Seven species are documented from this region including two new species: Liancalus genualis Loew, Liancalus hydrophilus Aldrich, Liancalus limbatus Van Duzee, Liancalus pterodactyl sp. n., Liancalus querulus Osten Sacken, Liancalus similis Aldrich, and Liancalus sonorus sp. n. Lectotypes are designated for the following species: Liancalus genualis, Liancalus hydrophilus, Liancalus querulus, and Liancalus similis. The species are illustrated, a key to males and females is provided, and their distributions mapped. Adults of Liancalus are some of the largest species of Dolichopodidae and commonly occur on waterfalls and vertical seeps.     

A new species of Hercostomus Loew, 1857 (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) from Turkey

A new species of Hercostomus is described from Turkey: Hercostomus anatoliensis sp. n. The new species is close to Hercostomus parvilamellatus (Macquart, 1827), but is distinguished by its genitalia.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:38B210E3-610D-4BAB-91AC-A212A8054474     

Species of the genus Chrysotimus Loew from China (Diptera, Dolichopodidae)

THE FOLLOWING THREE SPECIES ARE DESCRIBED AS NEW TO SCIENCE: Chrysotimus dalongensissp. n., Chrysotimus huairouensissp. n., and Chrysotimus hubeiensissp. n., Chrysotimus apicicurvatus Yang, is recorded from Palaearctic China for the first time. A key to the Chinese species of the genus is presented.     

Review of the genus Chrysotimus Loew from Tibet (Diptera,Dolichopodidae)

A review of the species of the genus Chrysotimus from Tibet is provided. The following four species are described as new to science: C. motuoensis sp. n., C. tibetensis sp. n., C. xuankuni sp. n., C. zhui sp. n. A key to the eight Tibetan species is presented.     

Two new species of the genus Diostracus Loew from Tibet,with a key to the Himalayan fauna (Diptera,Dolichopodidae)

Previously only one species of the genus Diostracus was known to occur in Tibet. Here the following two new species are added to the fauna of Tibet: Diostracus acutatus sp. n. and Diostracus tibetensis sp. n. Their relationships with similar species are discussed. A key to the species of Diostracus from the Himalayas is presented.     

A new Diostracus species from Sichuan,China (Diptera: Dolichopodidae)

A new species of the genus Diostracus from Sichuan is described: Diostracus wolongensis. A known species, Diostracus undulatus Takagi, is redescribed in this paper. The geographic distribution of Diostracus in China is presented.     

Molecular phylogeny of Nearctic species of Rhynchelmis (Annelida)

Zhou, H., Fend, S. V., Gustafson, D. L., De Wit, P. & Erséus, C. (2010). Molecular phylogeny of Nearctic species of Rhynchelmis (Annelida). —Zoologica Scripta, 39, 378–393. The Nearctic species of Rhynchelmis (Clitellata, Lumbriculidae) are known primarily from cool‐water habitats in western North America. Their taxonomy has so far been based on limited collections from isolated localities, using intuitive assessment of morphological characters. This approach has proved unsatisfactory when additional populations of closely related species were sampled and scrutinized for incorporation in the present classification. Therefore, in this study, mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and 16S rDNA) and nuclear internal transcriber spacer (ITS rDNA) genes were analysed as phylogenetic markers of Nearctic Rhynchelmis species. A combined approach with all the three gene regions provided a better resolution than any of the individual genes by itself. The genes demonstrated monophyly of all major groupings proposed on the morphological basis. Within the Rhynchelmis yakimorum complex, however, the genetic data and distribution suggested that two clades initially referred to as a ‘R. yakimorum variant 1’, one from the lower Snake River drainage in Idaho and one from southern coastal Oregon, might represent two separate species. On the other hand, the sympatric distribution and low genetic distance between Rhynchelmis gustafsoni and a form tentatively identified as ‘R. cf. yakimorum’ (both collected in eastern Idaho) indicated conspecific status. This study also showed that the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, which may be informative of recent and on‐going speciation and useful for species discrimination (as a DNA barcode), is less suitable as a single molecular marker for phylogenetic inference. Regardless of whether one deals with very closely related species (such as those of the yakimorum complex), with taxa with a wide and disjunct distribution (such as Rhynchelmis rostrata), or with more distantly related species, COI data should be supplemented by other genetic markers as well as morphological and biogeographical information.     

Sinosciapus from Taiwan with description of a new species (Diptera, Dolichopodidae)

Sinosciapus liuaesp. n. is newly described from Taiwan. The genus Sinosciapus is discussed and a key to the three known Oriental species is provided.     

Two aberrant species of Holorusia Loew (Diptera: Tipulidae)

A number of features of the two aberrant, sexually dimorphic, Asiatic crane-flies Holorusia carmichaeli and H.pluto are described for the first time. The possible adaptive significance of abdominal modifications in H.carmichaeli is discussed.     

Two new species of Paraclius from China (Diptera,Dolichopodidae)

Thirty-one species of Paraclius Loew were known to occur in China. In this paper, two species are described as new to science: Paraclius ventralis sp. nov. and Paraclius wutongshanus sp. nov. A key to the Chinese species of Paraclius is provided.www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3E803E27-5E44-4A55-91D5-DA088F986485.     

中国广东省异长足虻属一新种记述(双翅目:长足虻科)

记述采自深圳仙湖植物园的异长足虻属1新种:米诺斯异长足虻Diaphorus minos Liu & Yang sp.nov.,提供了整体图和解剖生殖器图,编制了广东省该属的分种检索表.     

Chrysotus Meigen (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) from Shanxi,China, with descriptions of two new species

The species of the genus Chrysotus Meigen from Shanxi, China are reviewed. Two species are described as new to science: C. shanxiensis sp. nov. and C. thornpenis sp. nov. C. biprojicienus Wei & Zhang and C. serratus Wang & Yang are recorded from Shanxi for the first time. A key to the species of Chrysotus from Shanxi is presented.     

New species of Nepalomyia henanensis species group from China(Diptera: Dolichopodidae: Peloropeodinae)

Three new species of Nepalomyia henanensis species group are described from China, N. damingshanus sp. nov., N. dongae sp. nov., and N. shennongjiaensis sp. nov. A key to known species of this species group is presented.