@article {57383, title = {Diptera of the middle Eocene Kishenehn Formation. I. Documentation of diversity at the family level}, journal = {Palaeontologia Electronica}, volume = {22.2.50A}, year = {2019}, pages = {1-56}, abstract = {

The Coal Creek Member of the Kishenehn Formation in northwestern Montana, USA, is an emerging middle Eocene Lagerstätte. While fish, plant, mammal and molluscan fossils are present, the most numerous and well-preserved fossils are those of insects. In this study, we initiate an effort to enumerate, at the family level, the diversity of flies (Insecta: Diptera) at this locality. Seventeen specimens from 17 different families (15 families with Limoniinae and Cylindrotominae within Tipulidae s.l.), 15 new species and three new genera are described. These include Tipula fji sp. nov. (Tipulidae), Ellipteroides kishenehn sp. nov. (Limoniidae), Cyttaromyia lynnae sp. nov. (Cylindrotomidae), Sylvicola silibrarius sp. nov. (Anisopodidae), Efcookella nigra sp. nov. (first fossil known in the genus) (Scatopsidae), Bibiodes kishenehnensis sp. nov. (Bibionidae), Eosciarites hermes gen. et sp. nov. (Sciaridae), Rymosia hypnolithica sp. nov. (Mycetophilidae), Litoleptis araeostylus sp. nov. (Rhagionidae), Kishenehnoasilus bhl gen. et sp. nov. (Asilidae), Drapetis adelomedos sp. nov. (Hybotidae), Salishomyia eocenica gen. et sp. nov. (Dolichopodidae), Agathomyia eocenica sp. nov. (first known fossil in genus) (Platypezidae), Lonchoptera eocenica sp. nov. (Lonchopteridae) and Aenigmatias kishenehnensis sp. nov. (Phoridae). Two specimens in the families Psychodidae and Pipunculidae are described but not assigned to a genus. In addition, we revise several related fossil species housed at the NMNH. Asilopsis fusculus Cockerell, 1921, formerly described in Asilidae, is transferred to Cyttaromyia (Cylindrotomidae) as C. fuscula, Sciara florissantensis Cockerell, 1917 is assigned to Sciaroidea incertae sedis, and Sciara gurnetensis Cockerell, 1916, Sciara lacoei Cockerell, 1915 and Sciara protoberidis Cockerell, 1915, are assigned to Sciaridae incertae sedis. Given their diversity and high degree of preservation, continued characterization of the Coal Creek Member fossils may help elucidate the Eocene radiation of Diptera in North America.

}, doi = {10.26879/891}, url = {https://palaeo-electronica.org/content/2019/2622-kishenehn-formation-diptera}, author = {Greenwalt, Dale and Bickel, Daniel and Kerr, Peter and Curler, Gregory and Brown, Brian and de Jong, Herman and Fitzgerald, Scott and Dikow, Torsten and Tko{\v c}, Michal and Kehlmaier, Christian and Amorim, Dalton De Souza} } @article {51756, title = {The sequoia-loving sprite, a new genus and species of fungus gnat (Diptera, Mycetophilidae) from California}, journal = {ZooKeys}, volume = {437}, year = {2014}, month = {27-08-2014}, pages = {109 - 126}, abstract = {

California is one of the most biologically diverse regions of the world, yet the diversity of fungus gnats (Mycetophilidae) remains largely undocumented within the state. A modest survey of these flies has led to the discovery of a new genus and species of gnat that lives alongside one of the most iconic trees in the world, the giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum). Spritella sequoiaphila gen. et sp. n.is described and illustrated and its status among other mycetophilid genera is analyzed and discussed.

}, issn = {1313-2989}, doi = {10.3897/zookeys.437.793210.3897/zookeys.437.7932.app}, url = {http://www.pensoft.net/journals/zookeys/article/7932/abstract/the-sequoia-loving-sprite-a-new-genus-and-species-of-fungus-gnat-diptera-mycetophilidae-from-californiahttp://www.pensoft.net/journals/zookeys/article/7932/supp/25179}, author = {Kerr, Peter} } @article {51746, title = {Revision of Nearctic Phthinia Winnertz (Diptera: Mycetophilidae)}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {3856}, year = {2014}, month = {Jan-08-2016}, pages = {301-325}, abstract = {

The Nearctic species of Phthinia Winnertz are revised. Eight species are recognized, of which four are newly described; P. tanypus Loew (=P. carolina Fisher n. syn., and P. catawbiensis Shaw n. syn.), P. lobata Zaitzev, P. miranda Zaitzev, P. ramificans Zaitzev, P. nepunei n. sp., P. cascadica n. sp., P. meicigama n. sp. and P. mikmaqi n. sp. A key to these species is also provided.

}, issn = {1175-5326}, doi = {10.11646/zootaxa.3856.310.11646/zootaxa.3856.3.1}, url = {http://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/issue/view/zootaxa.3856.3http://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.3856.3.1}, author = {Fitzgerald, Scott J. and Kerr, Peter} } @article {10.3897/zookeys.137.1764, title = {Six new species of Acomoptera from North America (Diptera, Mycetophilidae)}, journal = {ZooKeys}, volume = {137}, year = {2011}, month = {10/2011}, pages = {41{\textendash}76}, publisher = {Pensoft Publishers}, abstract = {

Six new species are described, raising the number of North American Acomoptera species to seven and the genus total to ten, and nearly doubling the number of species within the putative clade containing Acomoptera, Drepanocercus, and Paratinia. These novel species forms have implications for the concept of Acomoptera that in turn, may impact our understanding of its generic relationships and the evolution and composition of Gnoristinae and Sciophilinae. The new species, A. crispa, A. digitata, A. echinosa, A. forculata, A. nelsoni, and A. vockerothi, are compared with the type species of the genus, A. plexipus (Garrett), whose diagnostic features are imaged and illustrated for the first time. The European species, A. difficilis (Dziedzicki) is also illustrated and compared. Acomoptera spinistyla (S\øli) comb. nov is transferred from Drepanocercus. A key to species is provided. Future work will seek to incorporate this knowledge into a systematic phylogenetic study of relationships between these species and their sister taxa.

}, doi = {10.3897/zookeys.137.1764}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.137.1764}, author = {Kerr, Peter} } @article {44237, title = {New Azana species from Western North America (Diptera: Mycetophilidae)}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {2397}, year = {2010}, pages = {1-14}, abstract = {Two new species of fungus gnats (Diptera: Mycetophilidae), Azana malinamoena and Azana frizzelli, spp. nov., are described and figured from California. These species represent the first records of Azana for western North America. A diagnosis of the genus Azana Walker is presented and a provisional key for the New World species of the genus is given. The discovery of A. malinamoena and A. frizzelli in California and their apparently close relationship to A. nigricoxa Strobl from south-western Europe (rather than to the only other Azana species known from North America, A. sinusa Coher) implies a more complicated biogeographic history of this genus in North America, one that probably includes multiple, independent dispersal events.}, keywords = {California, fungus gnats, new species, Systematics}, url = {http://www.online-keys.net/sciaroidea/2000_/Kerr_2010_Azana_zt02397p014.pdf}, author = {Kerr, Peter} } @article {43890, title = {Simultaneous freeze tolerance and avoidance in individual fungus gnats, Exechia nugatoria}, journal = {Journal of Comparative Physiology B}, volume = {179}, year = {2009}, pages = {897-902}, abstract = {Freeze tolerance and freeze avoidance are typically described as mutually exclusive strategies for overwintering in animals. Here we show an insect species that combines both strategies. Individual fungus gnats, collected in Fairbanks, Alaska, display two freezing events when experimentally cooled and different rates of survival after each event (mean {\textpm} SEM: -31.5 {\textpm} 0.2{\textdegree}C, 70\% survival and -50.7 {\textpm} 0.4{\textdegree}C, 0\% survival). To determine which body compartments froze at each event, we dissected the abdomen from the head/thorax and cooled each part separately. There was a significant difference between temperature levels of abdominal freezing (-30.1 {\textpm} 1.1{\textdegree}C) and head/thorax freezing (-48.7 {\textpm} 1.3{\textdegree}C). We suggest that freezing is initially restricted to one body compartment by regional dehydration in the head/thorax that prevents inoculative freezing between the freeze-tolerant abdomen (71.0 {\textpm} 0.8\% water) and the supercooled, freeze-sensitive head/thorax (46.6 {\textpm} 0.8\% water).}, keywords = {Mycetophilidae {\textperiodcentered} Exechia nugatoria {\textperiodcentered} Supercooling {\textperiodcentered} Exotherm}, author = {Sformo, Todd and Kohl, F. and McIntyre, J. and Kerr, Peter and Duman, J. G. and Barnes, B. M.} } @article {23924, title = {Revision of the Holarctic genus Novakia Strobl (Diptera: Mycetophilidae)}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {1554}, year = {2007}, pages = {27-40}, abstract = {Two new species of fungus gnats (Diptera: Mycetophilidae), Novakia miloi and Novakia lisae spp. nov., are described and figured from California. Novakia distincta Fisher is transferred to Tetragoneura Winnertz and a replacement name, Tetragoneura fisherae Kerr, nom. nov., is given for this species. A diagnosis and description of the genus Novakia Strobl is presented and includes a key to species of the genus. The relationship of species within the genus Novakia is briefly discussed.}, url = {http://www.online-keys.net/sciaroidea/2000_/Kerr2007_Novakia.pdf}, author = {Kerr, Peter} }