Discovery of a Lineage of Soil-Dwelling Medetera Species with Multi-Coloured Eyes in Southern Europe (Diptera: Dolichopodidae)

Marc Pollet, Rui Andrade, Ana Gonçalves, Piluca Álvarez Fidalgo, José Luis Camaño Portela, Frédéric Belin, Jonas Mortelmans, Andreas Stark

Research output: Contribution to journalA1: Web of Science-articlepeer-review

Abstract

Seven species in the genus Medetera (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) are described here: Medetera aglaops sp. nov., Medetera corsicana sp. nov., Medetera gibbosipyga sp. nov., Medetera hispanica sp. nov., Medetera lusitana sp. nov., Medetera parva sp. nov., and Medetera rectipyga sp. nov. They all originate
from the wider Mediterranean region in southwestern Europe (Iberian Peninsula, southern France, Corsica, Sardinia). The most striking feature in most of the species is the bi- or multicolour pattern of the eyes, most conspicuous in Medetera aglaops sp. nov. and Medetera lusitana sp. nov. This character
is shared by the male and female sex and is thus not regarded as Male Secondary Sexual Character. All species belong to the Medetera apicalis species group sensu Bickel and are closely related based on shared characters in the hypandrium and cercus. Interestingly, three species with and four species
without the basal pair of anterodorsal and posterodorsal bristles on the mid tibia are represented. This suggests that this diagnostic character has less phylogenetic relevance than previously anticipated. Unlike most Palaearctic Medetera, at least five of the new species are mostly found on rocky substrates
in dry biotopes with a sclerophyllous vegetation. This further supports their relationship with species of the Medetera muralis subclade sensu Pollet, Germann and Bernasconi.
Original languageEnglish
Volume13
Issue number11
ISSN2075-4450
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2-Nov-2022

Thematic List 2020

  • Protected nature

Thematic list

  • Insects

EWI Biomedical sciences

  • B320-taxonomy
  • B320-systematic-zoology
  • B320-zoogeography
  • B280-animal-ecology

Taxonomic list

  • insects (Insecta)
  • true flies (2-winged flies) (Diptera)
  • long-legged flies (Dolichopodidae)

Policy

  • biodiversity policy

Geographic list

  • Europe
  • Southern Europe

Technological

  • identification

Free keywords

  • La Planète Revisitée Corsica
  • Medetera

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