Evolution of endemism on a young tropical mountain.

Tropical mountains are hot spots of biodiversity and endemism, but the evolutionary origins of their unique biotas are poorly understood. In varying degrees, local and regional extinction, long-distance colonization, and local recruitment may all contribute to the exceptional character of these communities. Also, it is debated whether mountain endemics mostly originate from local lowland taxa, or from lineages that reach the mountain by long-range dispersal from cool localities elsewhere. Here we investigate the evolutionary routes to endemism by sampling an entire tropical mountain biota on the 4,095-metre-high Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, East Malaysia. We discover that most of its unique biodiversity is younger than the mountain itself (6 million years), and comprises a mix of immigrant pre-adapted lineages and descendants from local lowland ancestors, although substantial shifts from lower to higher vegetation zones in this latter group were rare. These insights could improve forecasts of the likelihood of extinction and 'evolutionary rescue' in montane biodiversity hot spots under climate change scenarios.

A revision of Centrioncus Speiser (Diptera, Diopsidae, Centrioncinae) with descriptions of new species from Angola, Burundi, and Kenya.

A diagnosis is presented for the Centrioncinae, the Afromontane Forest Flies or stalkless Diopsidae, while its taxonomic position within the Diopsidae is discussed. Arguments are presented for an eventual raising of the Centrioncinae to family level. The differential characters for its two genera, Centrioncus Speiser and Teloglabrus Feijen, are tabulated. The diagnosis for Centrioncus is updated and a key to the ten species now recognised (including three new species) is provided. Centrioncuscrassifemursp. nov. is described from a single female from Angola. This greatly extends the distribution range for the genus. Centrioncusbururiensissp. nov. is described from Burundi, while Centrioncuscopelandisp. nov. originates from the Kasigau Massif of Kenya. Diagnoses, descriptive updates, illustrations and notes are presented for all other Centrioncus. Centrioncusaberrans Feijen, described from Uganda, is now also recorded for western Kenya, Rwanda, and possibly eastern DR Congo. This wide range of C.aberrans is unusual for the Centrioncinae species which have allopatric and usually very restricted distribution ranges. Defining characters of C.aberrans from the various regions were examined in detail, but only minor differences were found. Centrioncusdecoronotus Feijen, described from Kenya, is now recorded for several other places in Kenya. A distribution map is given for the Eastern African Centrioncus species. The eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley appears to form a barrier between C.aberrans and C.decoronotus. The type species of the genus, C.prodiopsis Speiser from the Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, was only known from the 1905-1906 type series. After more than 100 years it has now been found again on the Kenya side of Kilimanjaro. Various differential characters of Centrioncus and Diopsidae are discussed, while brief discussions on sex ratio and fungal parasites are given. Centrioncus are known to occur on low shrubs and herbaceous plants in rain forests. Now, the possibility is indicated that they also might occur higher up in the tree canopies.

A review of Madagopsina Feijen, Feijen & Feijen (Diptera, Diopsidae) with description of a new species, key to the species, and discussion of intrageneric relationships.

For the recently established genus Madagopsina (Diopsidae, stalk-eyed flies), Madagopsinamakayensis Feijen, Feijen & Feijen, sp. nov. is described from Madagascar. A concise catalogue is given for the genus and an identification key is presented for its six species. The differential character states are listed for the two species groups of the genus: the Madagopsinaapollo species group and the Madagopsinaapographica species group. The intrageneric relations are discussed based on morphology, geometric morphometrics analysis of wing shape, and allometric data for eye span against body length. Each of these three procedures places the new species in the M.apollo species group with Madagopsinaparvapollina as its closest relative. New records are presented for M.apographica and M.parvapollina.

A revision of the genus Teleopsis Rondani (Diptera, Diopsidae) in Sri Lanka with descriptions of two new species and a review of the other stalk-eyed flies from the island.

The literature on Sri Lankan Diopsidae is reviewed. Eight Diopsidae are now known to occur in Sri Lanka, five species in the genus Teleopsis and one species each in the genera Sphyracephala, Diopsis, and Cyrtodiopsis. The presence of Cyrtodiopsis requires confirmation to exclude the possibility of mislabelling. All five Teleopsis species are endemic, as are the Diopsis species and probably the Cyrtodiopsis species. Only Sphyracephala bipunctipennis Senior-White has a larger distribution as it also occurs in India. A key is presented for the Diopsidae of Sri Lanka. Three Teleopsis species were already known to occur in Sri Lanka: T. ferruginea Röder, T. krombeini Feijen and T. maculata Feijen. These species form the T. ferruginea species group. Two new species are now described for this group: Teleopsis neglecta sp. nov. and Teleopsis sorora sp. nov. Teleopsis ferruginea is redescribed, as an earlier redescription turned out to be based on a series of specimens of its sister species T. sorora sp. nov. The other three Diopsidae of Sri Lanka are listed and illustrated. Allometric aspects of the five Teleopsis species are discussed. Three Teleopsis species are sexually dimorphic with regard to eye span, while two species are monomorphic. It is assumed that sexual dimorphism developed independently in the T. ferruginea species group. This brings the number of known cases of independent development of sexual dimorphism in the Diopsidae to ten.