Report for 2001
Last updated: 24 April 2001
Study of the biodiversity of Sweden and World fauna
of Dolichopodidae (Insecta: Diptera) based on the collections of Lund University
(Report)
IGOR GRICHANOV
Supported by Swedish Institute (1 February – 30 April
2001).
INSTITUTION/ARBETSPLATS I HEMLANDET ange fullständig adress, tel,
fax och e-post samt namn på kontaktperson
All-Russian Institute of Plant Protection RAAS,
Shosse Podbelskogo 3, St.Petersburg-Pushkin 196606 Russia
Phone/fax: (812)4704384, e-mail: [email protected], Igor Grichanov
VÄRDINSTITUTION UTOMLANDS fullständig adress, tel, fax och
e-post samt namn på kontaktperson
Museum of Zoology, Lund University,
Helgonav. 3, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
Phone 46-46-222 84 56, fax, 46-46-222 45 41, e-mail: [email protected]
Curator of the insect collection Roy Danielsson
The main aim of the Project was to study fauna of rare dolichopodid
species from Sweden and other parts of the world, to make a forecast of
changes that can occur in biodiversity of natural forest ecosystems in
the nearest future as a result of technological development and overpopulation,
depletion, and pollution.
During the time of research the work has been concentrated on studying
the rich collection of identified material and undetermined species from
the Lund University Zoological Museum. Most of the specimens, provided
with geographical and ecological labels, have been collected from Sweden.
Species have been defined primarily on the basis of male genitalia and
male secondary sexual characters; females have been assigned to species
groups.
The author of the project has treated general collections of dolichopodid
flies of Zoological Museum of Lund University. Type material of Dolichopodidae
described by Fallén, Zetterstedt, Ringdahl and other scientists
has been studied. Unsorted material has been identified. Several papers
written by the author on the biodiversity of Dolichopodidae (Diptera) will
appear.
The last Swedish check list of 265 species was published by Ringdahl
(1928), who later added many new species to the Swedish fauna and compiled
an unpublished list of species for the country in 1954 (Ringdahl’s manuscript
deposited in Lund Zoological Museum). The systematics of the family has
changed considerably since the works of Ringdahl, and several more species
have been found in Sweden (Hedström, 1966a,b; Weslien, 1992; Andersson,
1999). Many species have been renamed or their names placed in synonymy.
During the last 3 months (approximately) 7000 specimens of Swedish
Dolichopodidae from Lund Museum collected mainly for the last 40 years
by R. Danielsson and H. Andersson in various provinces of the country,
has been identified to species. All previous identifications have been
checked. About 6000 specimens collected by Swedish travellers from all
over the world have been sorted to genus. Due to the courtesy of Dr. Thomas
Pape the author was also involved in research devoted to biodiversity of
Tyresta National Park together with the Swedish Museum of Natural History,
Stockholm.
As a result, a check list with expanded synonymy has been compiled
(Grichanov, in litt.), including about 320 species of Dolichopodidae known
in the Swedish fauna. Lectotypes and paralectotypes are designated for
10 species, and 11 new synonyms are proposed. Some species have been recorded
for Sweden for the first time. A separate paper gives detailed distribution
data for those species (Grichanov & Danielsson, in litt.). Those species
are Chrysotus blepharosceles, C. palustris, C. suavis, Cryptophleps kerteszi,
Dolichopus subpennatus, Hercostomus argentifrons, H. blankaartensis, Medetera
senicula, Rhaphium gravipes, Syntormon monilis, Thrypticus intercedens
and T. tarsalis. The material is deposited in Lund Zoological Museum. Several
old species are known by females only and there are some doubtful records
of Dolichopodidae from the country, which means that adjustments to the
list should be anticipated; so there are species to be excluded from the
Swedish fauna in future. At the same time a few species described from
neighbouring Nordic countries may be found in Sweden as well.
A short-term visit to Copenhagen Zoological Museum has been also perfomed
to study type species described by Fabricius, Zetterstedt and other scientists.
Several more Palearctic and Afrotropical new species have been found in
the collections and prepared by the author for publication. At present
a total of more than 700 Afrotropical species are known to occur, of which
about 250 have been described by the author of this project.
The Dolichopodidae fauna of the world is very large, with approximately
6500 described species and 200 genera. These mostly predatory flies are
distributed throughout the world including the tropics and high-latitude
islands and territories. In Sweden adults and larvae of almost all species
of long-legged flies are predators inhabiting moist substrata. Small-sized
species may be saprophages in the larval stage. Species of only one genus
(Thrypticus) are known to be phytophages living inside stems of cereal
grasses. Most of the numerous species of the cosmopolitan genus Medetera
are associated with tree trunks, especially in boreal forests, where their
larvae are predacious mainly on bark-beetles (Coleoptera). Dolichopus and
Hercostomus species are common on grass at small puddles and along rivulets
in deciduous forests and meadows. Small clay- and sandbanks are favorite
visiting plots for Argyra. Neurigona species are associated with old trees
having large holes where their larvae are developing.
A lecture concerning the results of the project has been read by the
author for the staff of the Zoological Museum of Lund University.
Conclusion
Many of rare species are known only from their type localities. When
such species which are only known from small blocks of remnant or disturbed
vegetation, their long-term survival is more problematical, especially
in highly altered agricultural districts. They may be threatened, if their
remnant habitats are degraded by burning, grazing, clearing or invasion
by exotic weeds. Active application of chemical plant protection means,
land reclamation, changes in land use technologies towards more rationalized
approaches can have adverse effects on the biodiversity of natural ecosystems.
I suspect that some changes in species diversity in Sweden have happened
also because of climate warming in Europe. That is why a revision of Swedish
hydrophilous fauna (including Dolichopodidae) is urgently necessary.
The next stage of the research will be a review of some groups of dolichopodid
flies on continental scale; zoogeographic implications; refinement of family
classification. Keys and data base of species for the whole Swedish fauna
of the family may be prepared by I. Grichanov during the next fellowship
supported by Swedish Institute.
Descriptions of several more new species will be published in the nearest
future. Several more publications will be prepared. This report will be
prepared as a Web-page for publication in the Internet.
The author will use the results of his research for treating collections
of the Zoological Institute, St. Petersburg, Zoological Museums in Moscow
and Voronezh State Universities. Obtained knowledge will be also valuable
for comparative study of relations between Palearctic and Afrotropical
zoogeographical Regions, refinement of the family classification.
References
1. Grichanov, I.Ya. (in litt.). A check list of Swedish Dolichopodidae
(Diptera). – Ent. Tidskr.
2. Grichanov, I.Ya. & Roy Danielsson (in litt.). Dolichopodidae
(Diptera) new to the fauna of Sweden. – Ent. Tidskr.
3. Grichanov, I.Ya. (in litt.). A new species of Systenus Loew (Diptera:
Dolichopodidae) from Israel. – Studia Dipterologica.
4. Grichanov, I.Ya. (in preparation). A brief review of the Afrotropical
fauna of the subfamily Dolichopodinae (Diptera: Dolichopodidae).