The Crane-Fly \u3ci\u3eTipula (Tipula)\u3c/i\u3e Oleracea (Diptera: Tipulidae) Reported From Michigan; A New Pest of Turfgrass in Eastern North America.

(excerpt) The subgenus Tipula (Tipula) is an Old World group with two introduced species in North America, the European Crane Fly, Tipula (T.) paludosa Meigen and T. (T.) oleracea Linnaeus, sometimes called the Common Crane Fly (Oosterbroek, 2005). Tipula paludosa is better known in North America, long established in the Pacific Northwest (Jackson 1975) and Canadian Maritimes provinces (Alexander 1962), more recently in California (Umble and Rao 2004, S. Gaimari, California Dept. Food and Agriculture, pers. comm.). It is a leading insect pest of turf grass and pastures in these areas, including infestin

The Crane-Fly \u3ci\u3eTipula (Tipula)\u3c/i\u3e Oleracea (Diptera: Tipulidae) Reported From Michigan; A New Pest of Turfgrass in Eastern North America.

(excerpt) The subgenus Tipula (Tipula) is an Old World group with two introduced species in North America, the European Crane Fly, Tipula (T.) paludosa Meigen and T. (T.) oleracea Linnaeus, sometimes called the Common Crane Fly (Oosterbroek, 2005). Tipula paludosa is better known in North America, long established in the Pacific Northwest (Jackson 1975) and Canadian Maritimes provinces (Alexander 1962), more recently in California (Umble and Rao 2004, S. Gaimari, California Dept. Food and Agriculture, pers. comm.). It is a leading insect pest of turf grass and pastures in these areas, including infestin

Emergence of a new turfgrass insect pest on golf courses in Quebec, the European crane fly [Diptera: Tipulidae]

A survey of European crane fly occurrence was performed in 2002 on 18 golf courses from different climatic regions of Quebec, Canada. At each golf course, the scouting was done weekly from early May to mid-October on three greens and three fairways using a grid and a golf course hole cutter, respectively. The European crane fly (Tipula paludosa), a major turfgrass insect pest, was identified on two golf courses in the Quebec City area. This is the first record of this species in Quebec. These European crane fly larvae were observed from mid-May to the end of August, and adults were detected from late August to mid-September. The European crane fly was found to be a pest on the two golf courses and insecticide applications were used to control the large populations of this insect.Une étude pour vérifier la présence de la tipule européenne a été réalisée en 2002 sur 18 terrains de golf de différentes régions climatiques du Québec, Canada. Sur chacun des terrains de golf, le dépistage a été fait hebdomadairement du début mai à la mi-octobre sur trois verts et trois allées à l’aide respectivement d’un quadrat et d’un perce-trou de golf. La présence de la tipule européenne (Tipula paludosa), un important insecte ravageur du gazon, a été rapportée sur deux terrains de golf de la région de Québec. Il s’agit d’une première mention de cet insecte au Québec. Des larves de la tipule européenne ont été observées de la mi-mai à la fin d’août et des adultes ont été détectés de la fin août à la mi-septembre. La tipule européenne s’est avérée nuisible sur les deux terrains de golf et des insecticides ont été appliqués afin de lutter contre les populations importantes de cet insecte

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 Zurqui de Moravia, San Jose Province, Costa Rica (hereafter referred to as Zurqui), 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. 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. Comparison of species numbers from each of two permanent Malaise traps from Zurqui with those of single Malaise traps at each of Tapanti and Las Alturas, 40 and 180 km distant from Zurqui respectively, suggested significant species turnover. Comparison of the greater number of species collected in all traps from Zurqui did not markedly change the degree of similarity between the three sites, although the actual number of species shared did increase. Comparisons of the total number of named and unnamed species of Diptera from four hectares at Zurqui 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. 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. 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.Peer reviewe

Comprehensive inventory of true flies (Diptera) at a tropical site

Peer reviewe

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

The Relationship Between Grazing, Er osion and Adult Aquatic Insects in Streams in Mongolia.

Overgrazing along stream channels in Mongolia may impact streams by increasing stream channel erosion and in-stream sediments, water temperature, pH, and conductivity. Grazing and erosion impacts may impair stream insects. The Mongolian Aquatic Insect Survey sampled 250 streams during summer seasons in 2003-2006 and 2008. On-site identifi cations of aquatic insect families mostly based on collections of adults were recorded for each site, leading us to ask whether the family-level data were useful in biological assessment related to impacts and impairment from grazing and erosion. A double dendrogram based on hierarchical cluster analysis was used to fi nd patterns in sites and aquatic insect communities. Sites did not group by sampling period, but some sites did group by stream size and elevation. However, elevation was not a signifi cant predictor of variation in aquatic insect metrics. Analysis of variance was used to determine whether insect metrics and water quality variables varied signifi cantly between categories of erosion in the stream channel. Plecoptera and Diptera richness decreased with increased erosion and Percent Diptera Richness was the only aquatic insect metric to vary signifi cantly between categories of erosion along the stream channel. Water temperature, conductivity, and pH also signifi cantly increased with increased erosion. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine whether aquatic insect metrics could be predicted by variation in landscape, water quality and stream reach variables. Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera, and Coleoptera richness increased with increased erosion, conductivity, and pH, but not signifi cantly. Percent Diptera Richness formed the only signifi cant model in the multiple regression analysis, with conductivity the only signifi cant predictor of variation in Percent Diptera Richness. Family-level data generated in the fi eld indicated that sampling for Trichoptera and Ephemeroptera diversity would be maximized by sampling streams undergoing intermediate levels of disturbance from grazing and erosion, that sampling for the Diptera and Plecoptera diversity would be maximized by sampling streams with less erosion and grazing, and that Diptera richness was impaired by erosion related to grazing in Mongolian streams

Wing interference patterns are consistent and sexually dimorphic in the four families of crane flies (Diptera, Tipuloidea)

Wing interference patterns (WIP) are stable structural colors in insect wings caused by thin-film interference. This study seeks to establish WIP as a stable, sexually dimorphic, species-level character across the four families of Tipuloidea and investigate generic level WIP. Thirteen species of Tipuloidea were selected from museum specimens in the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University collection. One wing from a male and female of each representative species was excised and mounted to a slide with coverslip, placed against a black background, and imaged using an integrated microscope camera. Images were minimally retouched but otherwise unchanged. Descriptions of the WIP for each sex of each species are provided. Twelve of thirteen species imaged had WIP, which were stable and species specific while eight of those twelve had sexually dimorphic WIP. Comparisons of three species of Nephrotoma were inconclusive regarding a generic level WIP. Gnophomyia tristissima had higher intraspecific variation than other species examined. This study confirms stable, species specific WIP in all four families of crane flies for the first time. More research must be done regarding generic-level stability of WIP in crane flies as well as the role sexual and natural selection play in the evolution of wing interference patterns in insects

Hexatoma (Hexatoma) nubeculosa Burmeister 1829

<i>Hexatoma</i> (<i>Hexatoma</i>) <i>nubeculosa</i> (Burmeister, 1829) <p>Figs. (54–62)</p> <p> <b>Diagnosis.</b> Larval and pupal characters as in genus and: larva with maxillary palps nearly 2X as long as mandible; spiracular lobes slender, marginal hair on lateral and ventral spiracular lobes of unequal length, ventral hairs much longer; apex of ventral lobes with a few extended darker setae, length 2X length of lobe. Ventral spiracular lobes with thin dark median line apically, bifurcating into “Y”-shaped pattern proximally, lines not meeting medially. Sclerites on ventral and lateral lobes of similar intensity, widest part of ventral sclerite over twice as wide as sclerite of lateral lobe. Mature larva medium sized, length about 20 mm. Pupa with respiratory horns straight, apex flattened and rounded. Cephalic crest with two horns. Ventral lobes (anal spines) of males enlarged, with rounded tips bent dorsally. Sheaths of cerci and valves of of female short.</p> <p> <b>Description.</b> Length of last instar larvae— 19–23 mm; width— 1.8–2.5 mm. Body covered with short light brown hairs, which give body brownish-golden color. First and anterior part of tenth body segments are covered with longer hairs forming longitudinal rows. Hairs on tergum and sternum are longer than on pleurae. Posterior part of tenth segment is covered with shorter hairs forming short irregular transverse rows. Abdominal segments II–VIII are only slightly longer than wider. First abdominal segment and all thoracical segments are slightly shorter than wider. Last abdominal segment (anal) is constricted. Penultimate segment is distinctly inflated. There are four long stout setae on posterior end of sternite of penultimate segment, 1–2 and 3–4 setae are very close to each other.</p> <p> <b>Head capsule</b> — 1.35–1.65 mm long and 0.85–9 mm wide. Overall structure similar to that of <i>H (E.) californica</i> except: anterior part of labrum with two cushions consisting of one long and one short setae, cushions very close to each other: only apical part of labrum covered with long setae (Fig. 54); basal segment of antennae four time as long as wide at base; three setae on the top of antenna; the longest twice as long as apical papilla, the other two as long as apical papilla; two short sensory pegs at the base of apical papilla (Fig. 55): all basal teeth of mandible differ in size and shape (Fig. 56).</p> <p> <b>Last segment</b>. Spiracular field surrounded by four flattened elongate lobes (Fig. 57). Dorsal lobe vestigial. Ventral lobe is 1.5 times as long as lateral lobe. Lateral lobe almost twice as long as wide at the base. Ventral lobe almost three times as long as wide at the base. Apical part of each lobe fringed with light brown hairs. Length of lateral hairs on apical part of the lobe almost equal to the length of lobe, setae on apex of ventral lobe almost twice as long as ventral lobe. Outer margin of lateral lobe and vestigial dorsal lobe fringed with short hairs. Lateral pair with very narrow, dark, stripe-shaped sclerite on inner margin of lobe, becomes slightly wider at the base, apical part darker than basal part. Ventral pair with pale, narrow sclerite, bifurcates at the base of lobe (“Y” shaped sclerite). Both branches similar in size and shape. Spiracles small, circular, not widely separated, distance between them only more than 1.5X diameters of a spiracle. Inner circle of spiracle dark brown, outer ring light brown.</p> <p>Anus surrounded by four short, white and fleshy anal papillae. Lobes almost oval-shaped and equal in size. Two long setae at the base of each lateral and ventral pair.</p> <p> <b>Pupa</b>. Male pupa is 13.8–15.0 mm long and 2.0– 2.3 mm wide. Female pupa is 14–17 mm long and 2–2.3 mm wide. Pupae are yellowish brown. Head, thorax, wings and tergites of second and third abdominal segments are slightly darker than the rest of the body. Head: cephalic crest prominent, with wrinkled surface, consists of two horn-shaped lobes. Three long setae at base on dorsal side and one seta at the base on ventral side (Fig. 60). Antennal sheaths in both sexes very short, reaching just base of wing (Figs. 58, 59). A large horn-shaped tubercle on the scape of antenna. Basal segments of antenna not enlarged. Two prominent horn-shaped tubercles on labrum (Fig. 60). Labial lobe diamond-shaped. Maxillary palp broad, transversal with small tubercles. Thorax: respiratory horns in both male and female very short, less than one-fourth as long as head’s width; minute annulations along entire length of horn; apex of horn slightly flattened and rounded (Fig. 60). Respiratory horns reach just to base of cephalic crest. Dorsum of thorax smooth. Apex of wing almost reaching the end of second abdominal segment (Figs. 58, 59). A small tubercle with two very short setae at the base of wing. Legs reaching more than half of the length of third abdominal segment; hind pair noticeably longer than others. Hind legs reach transversal row of spines on sternite of third abdominal segment (Figs. 58, 59). <b>Abdomen</b>: segments II–VII bear well defined annuli, each abdominal segment into two parts; anterior part narrower than posterior. Length of both parts similar, except segment VII. Tergites and sternites on posterior part with transverse rows of small tubercles with few setae. Number of tubercles on dorsal and ventral parts varies, usually more than 30 on both sides (except segment VII). Sternites of segments III–VII with two short transverse rows of spines interrupted by broad area. Prominent spiracles almost in the middle of pleurites of abdominal segments II–VII. Slightly near dorsal margin of spiracles situated two setae. A small tubercle with a single seta on the middle of anterior part of pleurite of segments III–VII. Terminal segment of male blunt and narrow (Fig. 61). Ventral lobes (anal spines) enlarged, with rounded tips bent dorsally and noticeably separated from the rest of terminal segment; apical part of ventral lobes almost reaches posterotergal spines (Figs. 58, 61). Posterotergal spines very small, blunt (hardly visible) in some specimens, but very well developed spines with acute tips in other specimens. Anterodorsal and mediodorsal spines small; similar in shape and size with few setae on the tips (Fig. 61), situated almost in the middle of tergum of terminal segment. A small tubercle in between of mediodorsal and posterotergal spines. A small tubercle near the anterodorsal spine. A prominent tubercle with two long setae situated on the pleurite. Sheaths of cerci and valves of terminal segment of female short. Sheath of cerci tapering to the acute tip, directed upward. A short seta on the apex of cerci. Cerci widely separated (from dorsal point of view). Valves close to each other (from ventral point of view). Cerci and valves widely separated (Figs. 59, 61). Posterotergal spine single, more prominent than paired mediodorsal and anterodorsal spines. A small tubercle with few long setae located near the anterodorsal spine (Fig. 62). A large rounded tubercle situated on pleurite.</p> <p> <b>Material examined</b>. This species is reported new for Mongolia. 37 last and younger instar larvae, 10 male and 5 female pupae and 1 reared male. MONGOLIA: 14 larvae from Selenge Aimag, Tushig Soum, Zelter Gol near Zelter, N50.35162°, E105.04436°, elevation 736 m, 26. VII. 2003, SRP 0 4072601, collected by V. Podeniene; 6 larvae and 2 male pupae from Ovorkhangay Aimag, Bat-Olzyi Soum, Orkhon Gol ~ 34 km W of Khujirt, N46.89303°, E102.39457°, elevation 1610 m, 0 6. VII. 2004, SRP 0 4070602, collected by V. Podeniene; 6 larvae from Zavkhan Aimag, Ikh-Uul Soum, Ideriin Gol ~ 28 km E of Tosontsengel, N48.71968°, E98.65184°, elev. 1654 m, 19–20. VII. 2004, SRP 0 4071903, collected by V. Podeniene; 1 larva from Selenge Aimag, Buruunharaa Soum, Haraa Gol 2.3 km S of Bayangol, N48.87738°, E106.12375°, elevation 807 m, 04–05. VII. 2005 SRP, 0 5070402, collected by V. Podeniene; 10 larvae, 8 male and 5 female pupae and 1 reared male from Bayan Olgyi Aimag, Bulgan Soum, Bulgan Gol ~ 20 km S of Bulgan, N46.78006°, E091.30396°, elevation 1801 m, 09.VII.2009, MAIS 2009070901, collected by V. Podeniene.</p> <p> <b>Habitat</b>. Larvae of this species develop only in bottom sand or gravel of large and medium sized rivers. Last instar larvae and pupae can be found in riparian zone usually in gravel or sand.</p>Published as part of <i>Podeniene, Virginija & Gelhaus, Jon K., 2015, Review of the last instar larvae and pupae of Hexatoma (Eriocera) and Hexatoma (Hexatoma) (Diptera, Limoniidae, Limnophilinae), pp. 93-118 in Zootaxa 4021 (1)</i> on pages 112-115, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4021.1.4, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/234783">http://zenodo.org/record/234783</a&gt

Hexatoma

Key to the known pupae of <i>Hexatoma</i> of Mongolia <p> 1. Cephalic crest consists of one pair of horns (Fig. 59). Sheaths of legs reach posterior margin of third abdominal segment (Fig. 58, 59).................................................... <i>Hexatoma</i> (<i>Hexatoma</i>) <i>nubeculosa</i> (Burmeister, 1829)</p> <p>- Cephalic crest consists of two pairs of horns (Fig. 34). Sheaths of legs shorter, ending before posterior margin of third abdominal segment (Fig. 36, 46)................................................................................ 2</p> <p> 2. Sheaths of legs reach two thirds of third abdominal segment (Fig. 46). Antennal sheath of male very long, almost reaching to tips of the legs. Antennal sheath of female shorter, reaching tips of wings.. <i>Hexatoma</i> (<i>Eriocera</i>) <i>ussuriensis</i> Alexander, 1934</p> <p> - Sheaths of legs shorter, reaching to the middle of third abdominal segment (Fig. 36). Antennal sheaths of male shorter, reaching to tips of wings. Female pupa unknown.......................... <i>Hexatoma</i> (<i>Eriocera</i>) <i>stackelbergi</i> Alexander, 1933</p>Published as part of <i>Podeniene, Virginija & Gelhaus, Jon K., 2015, Review of the last instar larvae and pupae of Hexatoma (Eriocera) and Hexatoma (Hexatoma) (Diptera, Limoniidae, Limnophilinae), pp. 93-118 in Zootaxa 4021 (1)</i> on page 95, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4021.1.4, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/234783">http://zenodo.org/record/234783</a&gt