[Entomology • 2025] Phylogeny and Taxonomy of the Australasian Zygaenula Doleschall, 1858 (Diptera: Platystomatidae) with A Description of A New Species

 

(a–c) Zygaenula hilaris comb. reinstat.: (a) habitus dorsal; (b) habitus lateral; (c) head frontal.
(d–f) Zygaenula mcalpinei sp. nov.: (d) habitus dorsal; (e) habitus lateral; (f) head frontal. 
 (a–c) Z. australis comb. nov.: (a) habitus dorsal; (b) habitus lateral; (c) head frontal.
(d–f) Z. celyphoides comb. nov.: (d) habitus dorsal; (3) habitus lateral; (f) Head frontal.
(g–i) Z. coalescens comb. reinstat.: (g) habitus dorsal; (h) habitus lateral; (i) head frontal.

 Rodrigues, Mello & Barros de Carvalho, 2025. 

DOI: doi.org/10.1111/aen.70031 

Abstract

Zygaenula Doleschall, 1858 and Mesoctenia Enderlein, 1924 syn. nov. are small genera restricted to the Australasia region. Here, both genera are considered synonymous, supported by the synapomorphy width of frons, in relation to height, more than two times. A new species, Zygaenula mcalpinei sp. nov. is described from the Manu Island, Admiralty Archipelago, Papua New Guinea. Zygaenula australis (McAlpine, 1973) comb. nov., Z. celyphoides (Walker, 1859) comb. nov., Z. coalescens Hendel, 1914 comb. reinstat., Z. hilaris Hendel, 1914 comb. reinstat., and Z. paradoxa Doleschall, 1858 are redescribed. The lectotype and paralectotype are designated for specimens of Z. celyphoides comb. nov. In addition, an updated identification key and a distribution map are presented. The hypothesised phylogenetic relationship of the Zygaenula species is represented by the following parenthetical notation: (Z. paradoxa (Z. coalescens comb. reinstat.. (Z. hilaris comb. reinstat. (Z. mcalpinei sp. nov. (Z. australis comb. nov. and Z. celyphoides comb. nov.))))).

Keywords: Australasia, morphological phylogeny, Scholastinae, systematics, taxonomic review

 Zygaenula species, external plates.
 (a–c) Z. australis comb. nov.: (a) habitus dorsal; (b) habitus lateral; (c) head frontal.
(d–f) Z. celyphoides comb. nov.: (d) habitus dorsal; (3) habitus lateral; (f) Head frontal.
(g–i) Z. coalescens comb. reinstat.: (g) habitus dorsal; (h) habitus lateral; (i) head frontal.

 Zygaenula species, external plates.
(a–c) Z. hilaris comb. reinstat.: (a) habitus dorsal; (b) habitus lateral; (c) head frontal.
(d–f) Z. mcalpinei sp. nov.: (d) habitus dorsal; (e) habitus lateral; (f) head frontal.
(g–i) Z. paradoxa: (g) habitus dorsal; (h) habitus lateral; (i) head frontal.

João Paulo Vinicios Rodrigues,  Ramon Luciano Mello,  Claudio José Barros de Carvalho. 2025. Phylogeny and Taxonomy of the Australasian Zygaenula Doleschall, 1858 (Diptera: Platystomatidae) with A Description of A New Species. Austral Entomology. 64(4); e70031. DOI: doi.org/10.1111/aen.70031 [11 November 2025]

[Entomology • 2026] Tipula jingkei • A New crane fly Species of Subgenus Pterelachisus (Diptera: Tipulidae) from North China

 

 Tipula (Pterelachisus) jingkei

Gao & Yang, 2026

 

荆轲普大蚊  |  DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.japb.2026.06.006

Highlights: 

• A new crane fly species, Tipula (Pterelachisus) jingkei sp. nov., is described from Beijing, China.

• The species is diagnosed by a distinctive V-shaped white marking in the wing and unique male genitalia.

• Detailed descriptions and illustrations of male and female terminalia are provided.

• This study represents the first record of the subgenus Pterelachisus from Beijing.

ABSTRACT

A new species of crane fly, Tipula (Pterelachisus) jingkei sp. nov., is described from Beijing, China. The new species is distinguished from related species by the characteristic wing pattern and the structure of the male hypopygium, particularly the nearly truncate caudal margin of tergite 9 bearing two spinous median extensions and a small median spur. Illustrations and detailed morphological descriptions of the adult are provided. This species represents the first record of the subgenus Pterelachisus from Beijing and expands the known diversity of the group in northern China.

 

Keywords: Crane flies, Nematocera, Tipulinae, Taxonomy, Beijing

 Tipula (Pterelachisus) jingkei sp. nov.
 (A) thorax of the male, lateral view; (B) thorax of the male, dorsal view; (C) thorax of the female, dorsal view; (D) wing of the male; (E) habitus of the male adult, lateral view; (F) habitus of the female adult, lateral view; (G) thorax of the female, lateral view.

Order Diptera Linnaeus, 1758

Family Tipulidae Latreille, 1802

Subfamily Tipulinae Latreille, 1802

Genus Tipula Linnaeus, 1758

Subgenus Pterelachisus Rondani, 1842

 Tipula (Pterelachisus) jingkei sp. nov.

荆轲普大蚊

Diagnosis. Generally yellow to reddish brown with white pollen. Nasus distinct and cylindrical. Prescutum and presutural scutum reddish-brown pruinose with four brownish stripes. Wing generally yellowish brown, with a clearly defined white pattern. The main pattern includes V-shaped white markings centered on cell dm, near Rs and CuP. Hypopygium with sternite 8 without a tuft or group of sparse long setae.

Etymology. The species is named after Jing Ke, a famous assassin in Chinese history, whose hometown was located in northern China; the name is treated as a noun in apposition.

  

Yuetian Gao and Ding Yang. 2026. A New crane fly Species of Subgenus Pterelachisus (Diptera: Tipulidae) from North China. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity. In Press. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.japb.2026.06.006 [25 July 2026] 

[Entomology • 2026] Cricotopus motuoensis & C. neomatudigitatus • DNA Barcodes reveal Cryptic Species of Cricotopus (Pseudocricotopus) montanus Species Group (Diptera: Chironomidae) from Oriental China

 

Cricotopus (Pseudocricotopus) motuoensis Chen & Lin, sp. nov.,
C. (P.) neomatudigitatus Chen & Lin, sp. nov. 

in Chen, Z.-C. Zhang, Y. Zhang, Nyima et Lin, 2026. 

DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5828.3.4 

Abstract

Two cryptic species of Cricotopus (Pseudocricotopus) montanus species group (Diptera: Chironomidae) from Oriental China have been discovered by DNA barcodes. Cricotopus (Pseudocricotopus) motuoensis Chen & Lin, sp. nov., and Cricotopus (Pseudocricotopus) neomatudigitatus Chen & Lin, sp. nov. are described and illustrated. The validity of some previously described species is discussed, and the diagnosis of the subgenus is amended. A key to known adult males of Cricotopus (Pseudocricotopus) is presented.

Diptera, Orthocladiinae, taxonomy, pupa, female, key

 

Cricotopus (Pseudocricotopus) motuoensis Chen & Lin, sp. nov., 

Cricotopus (Pseudocricotopus) neomatudigitatus Chen & Lin, sp. nov. 

YI-ZHU CHEN, ZHI-CHAO ZHANG, YAN ZHANG, TENZIN NYIMA and XIAO-LONG LIN. 2026. DNA Barcodes reveal Cryptic Species of Cricotopus (Pseudocricotopus) montanus Species Group (Diptera: Chironomidae) from Oriental China.  Zootaxa. 5828(3); 481-501. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5828.3.4 [2026-06-10]

 

[Entomology • 2026] Vermitigris tsangyanggyatso • After forty-eight years: An enigmatic New wormlion fly (Diptera: Vermileonidae) from Xizang, China

 

 Vermitigris tsangyanggyatso   

Shan & Wang, 2026 

 仓央嘉措印穴虻  ||  DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1276.184675 

 Abstract

The brachyceran family Vermileonidae (wormlion flies) is characterised by larvae that construct pitfall traps for predation. The Oriental genus Vermitigris Wheeler, 1930 previously included four described species distributed in China, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia. In 1978, unidentified larvae of Vermitigris were collected by Fa-Sheng Li from Yadong, Xizang, China, but the adult stage remained unknown. During a 2025 expedition, adult specimens were obtained, enabling their association with the larvae and recognition as a new species. Herein, Vermitigris tsangyanggyatso sp. nov. is described, with accounts of its immature stages and notes on its biology. This discovery increases the number of Vermitigris species recorded from China from one to two, the total number of species in the genus from four to five, and all the extant species in the family from 66 to 67. The biogeographical implications for Vermitigris are also discussed.

Key words: Dinggyê, new species, taxonomy, western China, Yadong

Morphological characters of Vermitigris tsangyanggyatso sp. nov. (I).
 A. Holotype, male, dorsal view; B. Paratype, male, dorsal view; C. Terminal portion of right hind leg of holotype, male, dorsal view; D. Paratype, female, dorsal view; E. Right halter of paratype, male, dorsal view; F. Paratype, male, left-lateral view. Scale bars: 2.0 mm (A, B, D, F); 0.2 mm (C, E).

Habitats and habitus of  Vermitigris tsangyanggyatso sp. nov. 
A. A pavilion shades a larval colony; B. Larval colony in fine-grained soil under a giant rock; C. Larva inhabiting wood debris produced by wood-boring insects under a pavilion; D. Larva inhabiting fine-grained river sands accumulated under a giant rock next to a river; E, F. Male resting on a plant leaf.

Order Diptera Linnaeus, 1758

Suborder Brachycera Zetterstedt, 1842

Family Vermileonidae Williston, 1886

Genus Vermitigris Wheeler, 1930

Vermitigris tsangyanggyatso Shan & Wang, sp. nov.

Chinese vernacular name. 仓央嘉措印穴虻.

Differential diagnosis.

In the larvae of this species, the marginal spines in the proleg are approximately as long as or only slightly shorter than the middle ones (Fig. 6B–D). However, in V. fairchildi, whose adults are unknown, the marginal spines are approximately half as long as the middle ones (Wheeler 1930: fig. 25j).

....

Etymology. The species is dedicated to Tsangyang Gyatso (1683–1706), the 6th Dalai Lama, a Tibetan poet-monk from Xizang, renowned for his romantic verse and unconventional life. Noun in apposition.

Li-Xia Shan and Ji-Shen Wang. 2026. After forty-eight years: An enigmatic New wormlion fly from Xizang, China (Diptera, Vermileonidae). ZooKeys. 1276: 249-262. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1276.184675 [07 Apr 2026]

[PaleoEntomology • 2026] Hypoponera electrocacica • The Ant Genus Hypoponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Dominican Amber

 

Hypoponera electrocacica 

Fiorentino, Bouju, Sosa, Navarro & Barden, 2026

 

DOI: doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2025.10213

 

Abstract

Hypoponera Santschi, 1938 is a genus of ponerine ants, well known for its simplified morphology, lacking any clear autopomorphy, and its cosmopolitan distribution. Here, we describe the first Hypoponera in Dominican amber. The discovery of Hypoponera electrocacica new species confirms the long-expected presence of the genus in the Caribbean Miocene. The modern diversity of Hypoponera in the Greater Antilles now stands at five species and two putative subspecies.

Systematic paleontology

Order Hymenoptera Linnaeus, Reference Linnaeus1758

Family Formicidae Latreille, Reference Latreille1802

Subfamily Ponerinae Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau, Reference Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau1835

Genus Hypoponera Santschi, Reference Santschi1938

Type species: Ponera abeillei André, 1881, 

now Hypoponera abeillei (André, Reference André1881).

 Photomicrographs and illustration of Hypoponera electrocacica n. sp., holotype specimen, MNHNSD FOS 18.126.
(1) Head in front face view. (2) Illustration of forewing venation. (3) Body in dorsal view. (4) Body in lateral view.

Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Hypoponera electrocacica new species

Etymology: The specific epithet electrocacica (from the Latin electrum, meaning ‘amber,’ and the feminine form of the Taino word cacique, meaning ‘chief’) is a feminine singular adjective in the nominative case. It refers to the alate ant or queen trapped in amber.

Gianpiero Fiorentino, Valentine Bouju, Diyael Sosa, Santo Navarro  and Phillip Barden. 2026. The Ant Genus Hypoponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Dominican Amber. Journal of Paleontology. First View. DOI: doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2025.10213 [05 February 2026]

[Entomology • 2025] Metadon reemeri & M. ghorpadei • Review of the Indian Species of Metadon Reemer, 2013 (Diptera: Syrphidae: Microdontinae), with Description of Two New Species

M. reemeri

Sankararaman & Anooj, 2025

DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5737.4.3 

 

Abstract

The hoverfly genus Metadon Reemer, 2013 is reviewed from India and two new species, M. ghorpadei sp. nov. and M. reemeri sp. nov., are described from New Delhi and Tamil Nadu, respectively; based on morphological and molecular analyses. Six species of Metadon that were previously reported from India are illustrated and briefly diagnosed. A new combination, Metadon unicolor (Brunetti) comb. nov., is proposed for Microdon unicolor Brunetti, 1915. An identification key to the genera of Microdontinae from India, a key to the Indian species of Metadon and a provisional species checklist for this genus are provided. This is the first record of Metadon from southern India. Habitat profile and conservation aspects are discussed for the two new species.

Diptera, Myrmecophiles, biodiversity, taxonomy, Delhi Ridge, Western Ghats, ant flies

Metadon reemeri

Metadon ghorpadei 

Hariharakrishnan SANKARARAMAN and Sainulabdeen Sulaikha ANOOJ. 2025. Review of the Indian Species of Metadon Reemer, 2013 (Diptera: Syrphidae: Microdontinae), with Description of Two New Species.  Zootaxa. 5737(4); 509-532. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5737.4.3  [2025-12-29]

[PaleoEntomology • 2026] Cretosabethes primaevus • First fossil Mosquito larva in 99-million-year-old Amber with a modern type of morphology sheds light on the evolutionary history of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)

Cretosabethes primaevus Amaral & Borkent, 

in Amaral, Borkent, Baranov, Haug & Haug, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2025.09.011

Highlights: 

• Earliest mosquito larva ever discovered, from Cretaceous amber.

• Only Mesozoic mosquito linked to a lineage with modern representatives.

• Supports Jurassic origin and Early Cretaceous diversification of mosquitoes.

Abstract

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) have been hypothesized to have originated during the Jurassic Period, about 201–145 million years ago, primarily based on fossil evidence from their sister group, Chaoboridae (phantom midges). However, direct evidence for such an early origin of Culicidae is currently absent. The oldest known mosquito fossils, all adults and recovered from Cretaceous amber deposits about 99 million years ago, display morphologies that differ substantially from modern forms and are regarded as representatives of an extinct lineage, Burmaculicinae. Here we report the discovery of a fossil that represents both the first mosquito larva preserved in amber and the first immature mosquito from the Mesozoic Era, named as a new genus and species Cretosabethes primaevus Amaral & Borkent gen. et sp. n. The specimen exhibits typical mosquito larval morphology and can be confidently identified as an ingroup of Sabethini, a lineage with numerous extant representatives. This finding provides strong support for the Jurassic origin of Culicidae and suggests that the larval morphology of mosquitoes has remained relatively conserved for at least the past 99 million years.

 

Keywords: Myanmar, Kachin, Cretaceous, Jurassic, Amber, Aquatic

Cretosabethes primaevus Amaral & Borkent gen. et sp. n.

 

André P. Amaral, Art Borkent, Viktor A. Baranov, Carolin Haug and Joachim T. Haug. 2026. First fossil Mosquito larva in 99-million-year-old Amber with a modern type of morphology sheds light on the evolutionary history of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). Gondwana Research. 150, 154-162. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2025.09.011  

 

 

[Entomology • 2024] Kalimyia, A New Genus of tachinid flies (Diptera: Tachinidae) from the Oriental Region, with Description of A New Species

Kalimyia estherae sp. n.; holotype ♂ 

Zeegers, 2024

DOI: doi.org/10.18476/2024.395167 

Scale bars: 1 mm.

 Abstract  

The tachinid fly known as Parapales sturmioides (Mesnil, 1950), from Taiwan, does not fit the concept of the genus Parapales Mesnil, 1950. A new genus, Kalimyia gen. n., is proposed to accommodate this species, as Kalimyia sturmioides (Mesnil, 1950), comb. n. Kalimyia seems more related to the genus Blepharipa Rondani, 1856 than to Parapales, and is tentatively placed in the tribe Goniini. A second species in this genus, Kalimyia estherae sp. n., is described from Nepal. As a consequence, the genus Parapales is now endemic to Madagascar.

KEYWORDS: Goniini, Madagascar, Nepal, new taxa, Parapales, taxonomy, Taiwan

Kalimyia sturmioides (Mesnil, 1950), comb. n.; holotype ♂ (SDEI).
1. Habitus, dorsal view. 2. Habitus, lateral view. 3. Head, dorsal view. 4. Head, lateral view.

Scale bars: 1 mm.

Kalimyia estherae sp. n.; holotype ♂ (Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands).
5. Habitus, dorsal view. 6. Habitus, lateral view. 7. Head, dorsal view. 8. Head, lateral view. 9. Abdomen, lateral view, showing patches of specialized hairs on ventral sides of tergites 3 and 4. 10. Thorax, dorsal view. 11. Hind tibia, anterior view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Kalimyia estherae sp. n.

 

Theo Zeegers. 2024. Kalimyia, A New Genus of tachinid flies from the Oriental Region, with description of A New Species (Diptera: Tachinidae). Integrative Systematics: Stuttgart Contributions to Natural History. 7(2); 155-163. DOI: doi.org/10.18476/2024.395167  (31 December 2024)  

Die Tachinide Parapales sturmioides (Mesnil, 1950) aus Taiwan weist nicht die Kriterien zur Einordnung in die Gattung Parapales Mesnil, 1950 auf. Eine neue Gattung, Kalimyia gen. n., wird vorgeschlagen, um diese Art unter dem Namen Kalimyia sturmioides (Mesnil, 1950), comb. n. im System einzuordnen. Kalimyia erscheint mehr mit der Gattung Blepharipa Rondani, 1856 verwandt als mit Parapales und wird vorläufig in den Tribus Goniini gestellt. Eine zweite Art dieser Gattung, Kalimyia estherae sp. n. wird aus Nepal beschrieben. Demzufolge ist jetzt die Gattung Parapales endemisch für Madagaskar.

[Entomology • 2025] Grypoctonus aureus, G. sagittatus, ... • Integrated Taxonomy discovers Four New Species of Grypoctonus Speiser, 1928 (Diptera: Asilidae) from China

 Grypoctonus aureus, G. sagittatus, G. solarius & G. yongshani 

Zhou & Li,  

in Zhou, Yang et Li. 2025. 

DOI: doi.org/10.3390/insects16070722

Abstract

The genus Grypoctonus Speiser, 1928 (Diptera: Asilidae) is a fuzzy-looking assassin fly, and adults have only been observed in autumn and winter. Currently containing four described species, this genus is readily distinguished from other Chinese asilids by the presence of two r-m crossveins. Through integrative taxonomic analysis of over 200 specimens from multiple Chinese provinces, we combined morphological assessment with DNA barcoding and four species delimitation methods (ABGD, ASAP, mPTP, and GMYC). Four species are newly described: G. aureus sp. nov., G. sagittatus sp. nov., G. solarius sp. nov., and G. yongshani sp. nov. (the latter described solely from morphological examination of historical specimens). Genetic analyses revealed distinct barcoding gaps, with an interspecific distance of 1.38–7.07% versus an intraspecific distance of no more than 0.92%. We revised the generic diagnosis, provided a distribution map, and a revised key to all known species of Grypoctonus.

Keywords: DNA barcoding; integrated taxonomy; new species; assassin fly

Integrative species delimitation of Grypoctonus combining molecular and morphological evidence. ...

Grypoctonus aureus Zhou & Li sp. nov.

 Grypoctonus sagittatus Zhou & Li sp. nov.

Grypoctonus solarius Zhou & Li sp. nov.

 Grypoctonus yongshani Zhou & Li sp. nov.

 Haoyue Zhou, Ding Yang and Xuankun Li. 2025. Integrated Taxonomy Discovers Four New Species of Grypoctonus Speiser, 1928 (Diptera: Asilidae) from China. Insects. 16(7); 722. DOI: doi.org/10.3390/insects16070722 [15 July 2025]

 

Simple Summary: Grypoctonus is a fuzzy-looking asilid genus currently containing four valid species distributed across the Palaearctic and high-elevation Oriental–Palaearctic transition zones. We freshly collected over 200 Grypoctonus specimens from nine sites across China between September 2023 and November 2024 and generated 164 COI barcodes using a MinION sequencing pipeline. We applied four species delimitation methods (ABGD, ASAP, mPTP, GMYC) alongside morphological evidence. Our results corroborated four species, which we describe here as new to science. Pairwise genetic distances of DNA barcode analyses revealed clear barcoding gaps. We revise the generic diagnosis, provide a global distribution map, include all known species, and offer an updated key.

[PaleoEntomology • 2025] Aulacigaster alabaster, A. breviradia, ... • Aulacigaster Macquart (Diptera: Schizophora: Aulacigastridae) in Amber

 

Aulacigaster alabaster 

Grimaldi, 2025 

DOI: doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.127.3.458

Abstract

Four new species of the nearly worldwide genus Aulacigaster are described based on specimens preserved in Late Miocene amber (15–17 million years old) from the Dominican Republic: Aulacigaster alabaster n. sp., A. breviradia n. sp., A. mathisi n. sp., and A. rungae n. sp. Details of the male terminalia of A. neoleucopeza are provided as a comparison to three of the fossil species. Commentary is provided on morphological characters pertaining to aulacigastrid relationships. All the fossil Aulacigaster belong to the A. leucopeza group, which today predominates in the Holarctic Region, Africa and Asia, with only a few of the 42 Neotropical species in the genus belonging to the group. No leucopeza-group species are known from the Caribbean, so the fossils probably represent significant extinction in the region.

KEYWORDS: acalyptrates, biogeography, fossil resin, Hispaniola, Neogene

David A. Grimaldi. 2025. Aulacigaster Macquart in Amber (Diptera: Schizophora: Aulacigastridae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 127(3):458-473. DOI: doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.127.3.458 [28 November 2025]

[PaleoEntomology • 2025] Electrocera gen. nov., E. prima, Macrocera pawli, ... • Long Story of Long Antennae: Mesozoic Origins of the Subfamily Macrocerinae (Diptera: Keroplatidae)

 

Electrocera Pełczyńska & Soszyńska,

in Pełczyńska, Blagoderov,  Krzemiński et Soszyńska, 2025. 

 DOI: doi.org/10.1111/1755-6724.15345

Abstract

The early evolutionary history of the Macrocerinae subfamily (Diptera: Keroplatidae) is poorly understood. However, new material from the Cretaceous, particularly in amber, provides a better understanding of this subject. We reassign the oldest known species of Macrocerinae, Hegalari minor Blagoderov & Arillo, 2002, from the amber of Álava (~105 Mya), to the genus Macrocera (M. minor comb. nov.). Furthermore, we reassess the systematic position of the problematic genus Burmacrocera Cockerell, 1917 from Cenomanian Burmese amber (~99 Mya), providing evidence that it should be classified within this subfamily. Most significantly, we describe five new species from Burmese amber, including a new genus, Electrocera Pełczyńska & Soszyńska, gen. nov., with two new species (E. prima Pełczyńska & Soszyńska, gen. et sp. nov. and E. payini Pełczyńska & Soszyńska, gen. et. sp. nov.) and three new Macrocera species (M. vonneguti Pełczyńska & Blagoderov, sp. nov., M. sevciki Pełczyńska & Krzemiński, sp. nov. and M. pawli Pełczyńska, sp. nov.).

Keywords: new species, palaeoentomology, Álava amber, Burmese amber, Cretaceous, Sciaroidea

 Electrocera Pełczyńska & Soszyńska, gen. nov.

E. prima Pełczyńska & Soszyńska, gen. et sp. nov. 

E. payini Pełczyńska & Soszyńska, gen. et. sp. nov.

 Macrocera 

M. vonneguti Pełczyńska & Blagoderov, sp. nov.,

 M. sevciki Pełczyńska & Krzemiński, sp. nov. 

M. pawli Pełczyńska, sp. nov. 

 

Alicja PEŁCZYŃSKA, Vladimir BLAGODEROV, Wiesław KRZEMIŃSKI and Agnieszka SOSZYŃSKA. 2025. Long Story of Long Antennae: Mesozoic Origins of the Subfamily Macrocerinae (Diptera: Keroplatidae). Acta Geologica Sinica - English Edition. DOI: doi.org/10.1111/1755-6724.15345 [08 November 2025]

[PaleoEntomology • 2025] Telmatomyia talbragarica • The Oldest Gondwanan non-biting Midge (Diptera: Chironomidae: Podonominae) sheds light on the Historical Biogeography of the Clade

 

Telmatomyia talbragarica

Baranov, McCurry, Amaral, Beattie & Trewick, 2025

DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2025.09.001

Artwork by Valentyna Inshyna

 

Highlights: 

• This discovery is the oldest Southern Hemisphere record of Chironomidae.

• Podonominae rapidly dispersed from Siberia in Jurassic, or of Gondwana origin.

• Fossil has a unique suction disc—for survival in turbulent environments’.

Abstract

Podonominae, a group of non-biting midges within the Chironomidae family, serves as an important biogeographical model. For a long time, it was believed that Podonominae originated in Northern Gondwana and later spread to Laurasia. However, because the oldest known fossils of this group come from the Jurassic period in Eurasia more recent interpretations have suggested a Laurasian origin.

We present the oldest record of Podonominae from Gondwana, specifically from the Tithonian age (Jurassic) in Australia. This discovery is also the oldest Chironomidae fossil found in the Southern Hemisphere and suggests that Podonominae likely originated in Gondwana. The new fossil represents a highly specialized form of Podonominae, adapted to living in the littoral zones of large lakes. It has adaptations to this environment that are unique amongst Podonominae, and similar to those found in some modern marine Chironomidae species such as Telmatogetoninae.

 

Keywords: Biogeography, Diptera, Podonominae, Jurassic, Gondwana

Systematic palaeontology

Chironomidae (Newman, 1834).

Podonominae Thienemann and Edwards in Thienemann, 1937.

Telmatomyia talbragarica (AM F141771), female pupa.
A) Habitus B) Terminal disk; C) Terminal disk, with enhanced contrast.

Telmatomyia gen. nov.  

Differential diagnosis.

Diagnosis. Pupa: can be distinguished from any other representative of Chironomidae by its very large size (> 9 mm), almost round thoracic horns with plastron occupying about 70 %–80 % of it, and uniquely modified abdominal segments 8 and 9, which form an oval terminal disc with a suture like articulation between the segments, wider than long, apparently without fringe of terminal setae (although there are setae looking marks around the terminal disk.

Etymology: Telmatomyia, is from the Greek “Telmato-” adjective, “of stagnant water” reflecting the lacustrine nature of the habitat at Talbragar, and “myia” – Greek for “fly”.

Telmatomyia talbragarica sp.nov.

Etymology: from Talbragar formation.

 Reconstruction of the lake shore of Talbragar Fossil Fish Bed, depicting several Telmatomyia talbragarica pupae attached to a rock underwater. Pair of Orthogonikleithridae fishes are patrolling the waters of the lake, while Rhoetosaurus brownei is approaching the lakeshore, by the grove of “Agathis” jurassica.

Artwork by Valentyna Inshyna, used with permission.

 

      

Viktor Baranov, Matthew R. McCurry, André P. Amaral, Robert Beattie and Steven A. Trewick. 2025. The Oldest Gondwanan non-biting midge (Diptera, Chironomidae, Podonominae) sheds light on the Historical Biogeography of the Clade. Gondwana Research. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2025.09.001 [8 October 2025]

[Entomology • 2025] Nudopeza cura, N. glypha, N. rutilans, N. sirena, N. zostera, ... • Nudopeza, a New Genus of Neotropical Micropezidae (Diptera)

 

  Nudopeza cura 
Nudopeza glypha

Marshall. 2025

 

DOI: doi.org/10.3390/taxonomy5020019

 

Abstract

The Neotropical genus Nudopeza (Micropezidae, Taeniapterinae) is described for a group of 41 species, including Nudopeza tapanti sp. nov. (type species) and Nudopeza pronigra (Hennig) n. comb. for Grallipeza pronigra Hennig 1934, Nudopeza arcuata (Hennig) n. comb. for Grallipeza arcuata Hennig 1934, and the following 38 additional new species: N. cegex sp. nov, N. cura sp. nov, N. duplitheca sp. nov, N. gilli sp. nov., N. glypha sp. nov., N. gracei sp. nov., N. hansoni sp. nov., N. horologia sp. nov., N. laselva sp. nov., N. mephitis sp. nov., N. mexicana sp. nov., N. micromephitis sp. nov., N. nigrivertex sp. nov., N. nigriscutellum sp. nov., N. nudarcuata sp. nov., N. penai sp. nov., N. palenque sp. nov., N. paramephitis sp. nov., N. peruviensis sp. nov., N. quadrivitta sp. nov., N. ruficincta sp. nov., N. rutilans sp. nov, N. sirena sp. nov., N. sumaco sp. nov., N. trinidadensis sp. nov., N. uniseta sp. nov., N. variterga sp. nov., N. venezuelensis sp. nov., N. verpa sp. nov., N. versivitta sp. nov., N. viriola sp. nov., N. viva sp. nov., N. yungasensis sp. nov., N. zarza sp. nov., N. zostera sp. nov., N. zumera sp. nov., N. zygoma sp. nov., and N. zytha sp. nov.

Keywords: new species; new combinations; Grallipeza

Nudopeza New Genus

Type species: Nudopeza tapanti sp. nov., current designation.

  Etymology: The generic name Nudopeza was used informally for many years to refer to species with a bare arista but otherwise superficially similar to Grallipeza. Because the name has been widely used as a manuscript name it is retained and formalized here even though the generic concept is now expanded to include species with a plumose or pubescent arista.

  Diagnosis: Most species of Nudopeza, including the type species, have a conspicuous white or centrally white scutellum, a white postpronotum flanked mesally by a characteristic black spot, an all or mostly black frontal vitta, and an angled black line dividing the fronto-orbital plate into a pale lower (frontal) plate and a variously pigmented upper (orbital) plate (the net effect is usually a black “V” running eye to eye across the black or mostly black frontal vitta). Male terminalia of most species are simple, with the basal distiphallus ending in a broad phallic bulb as in Grallipeza, although a few males have a short (N. verpa group) to moderately long (N. zostera) distal distiphallus beyond the phallic bulb and two species (N. mexicana sp. nov., N. glypha sp. nov.) have an extraordinarily long distal distiphallus extending far anteriorly into the abdomen along with a correspondingly elongate hypandrium. Female N. glypha and N. mexicana have extremely long spermathecal ducts that seem to correspond with the elongate male phallus. The spermathecal complex of most Nudopeza species includes a simple primary spermathecal duct running to a pair of long, characteristically twisted and often ornamented spermathecal stems; the secondary spermathecal duct is usually very small with a single small or entirely atrophied spermatheca, but some species have both the primary and secondary spermathecae and associated ducts strongly developed. A few species, including the type, have two pairs of spermathecae. One unusual species (N. penai sp. nov) is the only known micropezid with five spermathecae.

 Nudopeza cura sp. nov. Costa Rica (MNCR).
(A). Topotypic ♀, habitus. (B). Head and notum. (C). Spermathecae and associated structures. (D). ♂ Terminalia, left ventrolateral. (E). Phallus.

Nudopeza glypha sp. nov. Costa Rica, living flies (DEBU). (A,B). ♂♂. (C). ♀.

 Nudopeza rutilans sp. nov., ♀♀ Peru.
(A). holotype, living (MUSM). (B). Spermathecae and associated structures (DEBU). (C). paratype, living (DEBU).

 Nudopeza venezuelensis sp. nov. holotype ♀, Venezuela (DEBU).
(A). Head and thorax. (B,D). Habitus, lateral and dorsolateral. (C). Spermathecae and associated structures.

 Stephen A. Marshall. 2025. Nudopeza, a New Genus of Neotropical Micropezidae (Diptera, Micropezidae, Taeniapterinae). Taxonomy. 5(2), 19; DOI: doi.org/10.3390/taxonomy5020019 [12 April 2025]

[Entomology • 2025] Chillcottomyia ovaticornis • Chillcottomyia Saigusa (Diptera: Empidoidea: Hybotidae) new to Europe

 

Chillcottomyia ovaticornis

 Sinclair, Andrade & Gonçalves, 2025

DOI: doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.9.165936

Abstract

A new species of Chillcottomyia Saigusa, 1986 is described from Portugal, C. ovaticornis sp. nov. This species represents the first record of Chillcottomyia from Europe.

Key Words: Dance flies, Hybotinae, new genus record, new species

Chillcottomyia ovaticornis sp. nov.
3. Male holotype, lateral habitus (prior to genitalia dissection); 4. Female paratype, lateral habitus; 5. Female paratype, head and thorax, oblique lateral view; 6. Female paratype, head and thorax, dorsal view; 7. Male holotype (prior to genitalia dissection), abdomen and terminalia, lateral view. Scale bars: 0.75 mm (3, 4); 0.5 mm (5, 6); 0.25 mm (7).

Chillcottomyia ovaticornis sp. nov.

 

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin ovatus (egg-shaped) and cornu (horn), in reference to the ovate-shaped postpedicel.

Diagnosis. This small species is distinguished from all other species of the genus, except an un-named species from Morocco by the ovate-shaped postpedicel. The male terminalia is similar to the type species, characterized by left epandrial lamella with subapical dorsal row of stout, stiff setae; right epandrial lamella with outer row of long, stiff setae and inner row of shorter, stout, stiff setae. Male with single, very long anterodorsal seta on mid tibia, female with pair of anterodorsal setae.

Bradley J. Sinclair, Rui Andrade, Ana Rita Gonçalves. 2025. Chillcottomyia Saigusa new to Europe (Diptera, Empidoidea, Hybotidae). Evolutionary Systematics 9(2): 167-172. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.9.165936