Unraveling Ocyptamus and the Baccha legacy (Diptera: Syrphidae): redefinition of groups and new species descriptions.

The systematics of Ocyptamus sensu lato has been reviewed, its species groups redefined, and some taxa resurrected. These and other related taxa are diagnosed to aid in distinguishing between them. The status of the following genera is revised: Calostigma Shannon stat. rev., Hermesomyia Vockeroth stat. rev., Hybobathus Enderlein stat. rev., Mimocalla Hull stat. rev., Orphnabaccha Hull stat. rev., Pipunculosyrphus Hull stat. rev., Pseudoscaeva Vockeroth stat. rev., and Styxia Hull stat. rev. New species of the Neotropical genus Ocyptamus are described from Costa Rica and Venezuela: Ocyptamus maximus Thompson sp. nov., Ocyptamus myiophagus Thompson sp. nov., and Ocyptamus megafemur Thompson sp. nov. In addition, an identification key for the genera and species groups of Ocyptamus sensu lato is provided, as well as a redescription of Syrphus sargoides Macquart.Lectotypes are designated for Doros disjuncta Sack, Baccha placiva Williston, Baccha pulla Sack, Ocyptamus funebris Macquart, Syrphus sargoides, and Syrphus immaculatus Macquart. Moreover, Syrphus immaculatus Macquart is considered to be a species of the genus Toxomerus, and new species synonyms are also given: Baccha atypica Curran is a junior synonym of Syrphus conjunctus Wiedemann; Baccha flata Hull and Doros disjuncta Sack are jun. syn. of Syrphus sargoides Macquart; Baccha bromleyi Curran is a jun. syn. of Ocyptamus funebris Macquart; Baccha sepia Hull, Baccha danaida Hull, Baccha violacea Hull, and Baccha ursula Hull are all synonyms of Ocyptamus pullus (Sack); Baccha nerissa Hull is a jun. syn. of Pelecinobaccha hiantha (Hull); and Baccha panamensis Curran is a jun. syn. of Pelecinobaccha transatlantica (Schiner).

Sherborn's influence on Systema Dipterorum.

Flies make up more than 10% of the planetary biota and our well-being depends on how we manage our coexistence with flies. Storing and accessing relevant knowledge about flies is intimately connected with using correct names, and Systema Dipterorum provides a single authoritative classification for flies developed by consensus among contributors. The 160,000 species of flies currently known are distributed among 160 recent families and some 12,000 genera, which with their synonyms encompass a total of more than a quarter of a million names. These names and their associated classification are shared with relevant global solutions. Sherborn appears to have done remarkably well indexing Diptera names with an overall error rate estimated to be close to 1%.

Australian Allograpta Osten Sacken (Diptera, Syrphidae).

Allograptaterraenovae sp. n. and Allograptanotiale sp. n. are described from Australia. Notes on the Australian species of Allograpta and an identification key to them are also given. The lectotype of Allograptajavana Wiedemann is designated, and the species Syrphuspallidus Bigot is synonymized under Allograptaaustralensis (Schiner).

A new sericomyiine flower fly from China (Diptera: Syrphidae).

A new species of flower flies is described from China (Sichuan & Yunnan: Hengduan Mountains), Sericomyia khamensis Thompson & Xie). A key is provided to the species of the subtribe Sericomyiina found in China along with nomenclatural and taxonomical notes on them. 

Afrotropical flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae). A new genus and species from Kenya, with a review of the melanostomine group of genera.

A new genus and species of flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae: Syrphinae: Syrphini) are described from central Africa (Kenya & Uganda), Afrostoma quadripunctatum. A key to the Afrotropical genera of the subfamily Syrphinae is given. A review of the melanostomine [Bacchini] genera and subgenera is provided along with a key to them. Phylogenetic placement of Afrostoma is included based on mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) data.

Episodic radiations in the fly tree of life.

Flies are one of four superradiations of insects (along with beetles, wasps, and moths) that account for the majority of animal life on Earth. Diptera includes species known for their ubiquity (Musca domestica house fly), their role as pests (Anopheles gambiae malaria mosquito), and their value as model organisms across the biological sciences (Drosophila melanogaster). A resolved phylogeny for flies provides a framework for genomic, developmental, and evolutionary studies by facilitating comparisons across model organisms, yet recent research has suggested that fly relationships have been obscured by multiple episodes of rapid diversification. We provide a phylogenomic estimate of fly relationships based on molecules and morphology from 149 of 157 families, including 30 kb from 14 nuclear loci and complete mitochondrial genomes combined with 371 morphological characters. Multiple analyses show support for traditional groups (Brachycera, Cyclorrhapha, and Schizophora) and corroborate contentious findings, such as the anomalous Deuterophlebiidae as the sister group to all remaining Diptera. Our findings reveal that the closest relatives of the Drosophilidae are highly modified parasites (including the wingless Braulidae) of bees and other insects. Furthermore, we use micro-RNAs to resolve a node with implications for the evolution of embryonic development in Diptera. We demonstrate that flies experienced three episodes of rapid radiation--lower Diptera (220 Ma), lower Brachycera (180 Ma), and Schizophora (65 Ma)--and a number of life history transitions to hematophagy, phytophagy, and parasitism in the history of fly evolution over 260 million y.

Abundância e riqueza de espécies de Syrphidae (Diptera) em áreas de borda e interior de floresta no Parque Estadual de Vila Velha, Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brasil / Abundance and species richness of Syrphidae (Diptera) in the interior and edges of forest in the State Park of Vila Velha, Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil

Com o objetivo de caracterizar a fauna local de insetos foram obtidas amostras semanais, de setembro/1999 a agosto/2000, utilizando-se armadilhas Malaise instaladas na borda da floresta e no seu interior. Uma análise temporal foi realizada com as espécies de Syrphidae coletadas há, aproximadamente, dezessete anos no mesmo local, dentro da floresta. A abundância e a riqueza de espécies também foram avaliadas. Tanto a riqueza quanto a abundância foram maiores na borda da floresta. Comparando-se os dados atuais com aqueles obtidos em 1986/1987, observa-se um decréscimo na abundância e também na riqueza de espécies de Syrphidae. A espécie mais abundante na borda foi Allograpta neotropica Curran, 1936 e no interior (1999/2000), Ocyptamus sativus (Curran, 1941). Os espécimens de Toxomerus Macquart, 1855 foram os mais abundantes na armadilha localizada na borda da floresta e os de Ocyptamus Macquart, 1834 no interior. Noventa e cinco espécies foram identificadas em 22 gêneros. Ocyptamus foi o gênero com maior riqueza de espécies (23). Na seqüência estão Copestylum Macquart, 1846 (15), Toxomerus (15) e Microdon Meigen, 1803 (10). Sete espécies foram comuns aos três levantamentos: Allograpta neotropica; Copestylum selectum (Curran, 1939); Leucopodella gracilis (Williston, 1891); Mixogaster polistes Hull, 1954; Ocyptamus funebris Macquart, 1834; Toxomerus procrastinatus Metz, 2001 e Toxomerus tibicen (Wiedemann, 1830). Três novas espécies de Microdon, uma de Toxomerus, uma de Aristosyrphus Curran, 1941 e uma de Myolepta Newman, 1838 foram identificadas.

EVOLUTIONARY ORIGIN OF THE CYCLORRHAPHA (DIPTERA): TEST OF ALTERNATIVE MORPHOLOGICAL HYPOTHESES.

Abstract- The higher flies, infraorder Cyclorrhapha [=Muscomorpha (McAlpine, 1989)], have undergone enormous radiation since the Cretaceous (∼100 Myr). Rapid morphological evolution in cyclorrhaphans has made their phylogenetic placement with respect to more primitive clades a long-standing problem in dipteran systematics. Of the two most plausible hypotheses, one treats the Cyclorrhapha as sister group to the orthorrhaphous superfamily Empidoidea [=Empidiformia (Hennig, 1948), Orthogenya (Brauer, 1883)], while the other places them within the empidoids. The debate over cyclorrhaphan origin has heretofore focused on homology interpretations for a few character systems, particularly the male genitalia. We provide the first attempt to assemble and quantify all of the available morphological evidence. By cladistic analysis of these data under alternative codings of genitalic features reflecting opposing homology theories, and then excluding these features altogether, we sought to judge which genitalic theory is better supported by the evidence as a whole, and how much the debate matters to resolving cyclorrhaphan origins. Using the analog of a factorial design, we also measured the effect of alternative transformation series in several other controversial characters, of outgroup choice and of successive weighting. Under all manipulations, including both genitalic codings, the Cyclorrhapha originate within the Empidoidea, near the family Atelestidae. However, trees in which the Empidoidea are constrained to be monophyletic are only 1-6 steps longer (out of ∼150), a fit not significantly worse under a permutation test for monophyly. Adult morphological data may not suffice to settle either the placement of Cyclorrhapha or the debate over genitalic homology. Moreover, the issue of genitalic homology does not appear critical to that of cyclorrhaphan origin.