A review of Afrotropical Porricondylinae (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), with descriptions of five new species of Asynaptini from KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.

Porricondylinae, a subfamily of gall midges (Cecidomyiidae) with mycophagous larvae, are poorly researched outside Europe. Twelve species were previously named from the entire Afrotropical Region, although 500+ species are likely to occur there. Here a fresh start is made to explore the taxonomic diversity of Afrotropical Porricondylinae using a more methodical approach than was done in the past. This first contribution focuses on several representatives of the tribe Asynaptini that occur in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal Province. Asycampta Mamaev & Zaitzev, stat. nov., previously a synonym of Pseudocamptomyia Parnell at the subgeneric level, is instated as a valid genus. The genera Asycampta (Afrotropical), Pseudocamptomyia (Nearctic) and Zadbimyia Jaschhof & Jaschhof (Neotropical) are redefined and hypothesized to form the Pseudocamptomyia group, a monophyletic subset of Asynaptini. Asycampta is shown to contain five species: two from Somalia, the type species A. palpata Mamaev & Zaitzev and A. africana (Mamaev & Zaitzev) comb. nov., and three from South Africa, A. karkloofensis Jaschhof & Jaschhof sp. nov., A. mpofana Jaschhof & Jaschhof sp. nov., and A. umngeni Jaschhof & Jaschhof sp. nov. The genus Camptomyia Kieffer is recorded for the first time from the Afrotropics, with two new species named C. mostovskii Jaschhof & Jaschhof sp. nov. and C. kwazulunatalensis Jaschhof & Jaschhof sp. nov. Our results show that all three large subgroups of Asynaptini, namely Asynapta Loew, Camptomyia, and the Pseudocamptomyia group of genera are Afrotropical. Clinophaena Kieffer, 1913 is recognized as a new junior synonym of Winnertzia Rondani, 1860 (a genus of the subfamily Winnertziinae), and Winnertzia mahensis (Kieffer), originally described in Holoneurus Kieffer and subsequently designated as the type species of Clinophaena, is a new combination.

A new mycophagous gall midge, Miombomyia brevicollis gen. et sp. nov. (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae: Micromyinae), from the Caprivi Strip of northeastern Namibia.

N/A.

Peering into the Darkness: DNA Barcoding Reveals Surprisingly High Diversity of Unknown Species of Diptera (Insecta) in Germany.

Determining the size of the German insect fauna requires better knowledge of several megadiverse families of Diptera and Hymenoptera that are taxonomically challenging. This study takes the first step in assessing these "dark taxa" families and provides species estimates for four challenging groups of Diptera (Cecidomyiidae, Chironomidae, Phoridae, and Sciaridae). These estimates are based on more than 48,000 DNA barcodes (COI) from Diptera collected by Malaise traps that were deployed in southern Germany. We assessed the fraction of German species belonging to 11 fly families with well-studied taxonomy in these samples. The resultant ratios were then used to estimate the species richness of the four "dark taxa" families (DT families hereafter). Our results suggest a surprisingly high proportion of undetected biodiversity in a supposedly well-investigated country: at least 1800-2200 species await discovery in Germany in these four families. As this estimate is based on collections from one region of Germany, the species count will likely increase with expanded geographic sampling.

Reevaluation of species richness in Winnertzia (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae, Winnertziinae), with descriptions of 37 new species from Sweden, Peru and Australia.

Tentative studies of Malaise trap samples from different geographic regions and habitats indicate unanimously that Winnertzia, a genus of mycophagous gall midges (Cecidomyiidae), is exceptionally speciose, but hard data in proof of that were previously unavailable. A taxonomic inventory of mycophagous cecidomyiids in Sweden has now revealed that, of 751 species found in total, 93 are Winnertzia. A preliminary census in 2013 had identified only 26 different Winnertzia in Sweden. Two factors are responsible for this increment: the inclusion of large amounts of fresh material to study and the application of a narrower species concept. The latter results from the reevaluation of male morphological characters in the light of COI sequence (DNA barcoding) data. With the inclusion of 37 new Winnertzia described here, the genus now contains 136 extant species. New Winnertzia discovered in Sweden are described here under the following names: W. acutistylus sp. nov., W. angustistylus sp. nov., W. arctostylus sp. nov., W. bicolor sp. nov., W. brachytarsus sp. nov., W. dentata sp. nov., W. egregia sp. nov., W. ekdalensis sp. nov., W. fraxinophila sp. nov., W. grytsjoenensis sp. nov., W. hamatula sp. nov., W. hemisphaerica sp. nov., W. imbecilla sp. nov., W. incisa sp. nov., W. inornata sp. nov., W. lapponica sp. nov., W. lobata sp. nov., W. longicoxa sp. nov., W. normalis sp. nov., W. oelandica sp. nov., W. ombergensis sp. nov., W. parvidens sp. nov., W. pilosistylus sp. nov., W. pratensis sp. nov., W. pustulatula sp. nov., W. quercinophila sp. nov., W. rickebasta sp. nov., W. ruliki sp. nov., W. serri sp. nov., W. setosa sp. nov., W. silvestris sp. nov., W. smalandensis sp. nov., W. sundini sp. nov., W. tumidoides sp. nov., and W. upplandensis sp. nov. Additionally, W. panguana sp. nov. is the first Winnertzia described from the Neotropical region (Peru), and W. warraensis sp. nov. is the first member of the genus described from the Australasian region (Tasmania). Parwinnertzia Felt, 1920 syn. nov. is revealed to be a junior synonym of Winnertzia Rondani, 1860, implying the recombinations of Winnertzia notmani (Felt) comb. nov. and Winnertzia italiana (Mamaev Zaitzev) comb. nov. The intrageneric classification of Winnertzia is reviewed and developed further, with the W. setosa group introduced for species whose gonostylar claw is conspicuously long and exposed, and whose gonocoxal emargination is bordered by dense, large setae. Winnertzia feralis Mamaev, revived here from synonymy with W. tridens Panelius, and W. fusca Kieffer are new faunistic records in Sweden. Swedish records published in the past of W. brachypalpa Mamaev and W. pravdini Mamaeva Mamaev rest on misidentifications, and both species are deleted from the Swedish checklist.

Wheeleriola perplexa gen. et sp. nov., the first member of Catotrichinae (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) found in New Zealand.

Catotrichinae, a small, relict subfamily of the Cecidomyiidae, are of peculiar interest to the phylogeny of gall midges. Three genera and eight species of extant catotrichines were previously known to science, all found in the Holarctic region and Australia. Here, the first New Zealand member of this group is described and named Wheeleriola perplexa, new genus, new species. The adult morphology of Wheeleriola is characterized by two peculiarities: the vestiture on the male flagellomeres shows beginnings of girdle formation, and the medial veins are largely reduced. Both conditions challenge the hypothesis of Catotrichinae being the earliest branching lineage of the cecidomyiid clade, which is explained and discussed.

Additions to the Estonian fauna of mycophagous Cecidomyiidae (Diptera), with a description of Unicornella estonensis gen. et sp. nov.

Mycophagous gall midges from two Malaise trapping campaigns in Estonia were subjected to a morpho-taxonomic study, with the aim of identifying previously unrecorded species. Fifty-four species are shown for the first time to occur in Estonia, specifically 1 Lestremiinae, 21 Micromyinae, 5 Winnertziinae, and 27 Porricondylinae. This raises the number of mycophagous cecidomyiids known from Estonia to 152, which is about one fourth of the total estimated for the national fauna. One of the Porricondylinae turned out to be new to science and is described as Unicornella estonensis Jaschhof Sikora. Unicornella, a new genus of the tribe Porricondylini, is characterized by that males have a single gonocoxal process, as opposed to two or no processes found in other Porricondylini.

An update of Micromyinae (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) taxonomy, with descriptions of a new genus and 13 new species from Northern Europe.

While about 100 new species of Micromyinae have been described from Sweden in the past ten years, ongoing research into the country's fauna continues to unveil previously unknown taxa. This paper provides scientific descriptions of another 13 new species from various parts of Sweden, belonging to six different genera, including a new genus. The new taxa, all to be attributed to both authors, are named as follows: Antennardia suorkensis sp. nov., Aprionus mossbergi sp. nov., Apr. oljonsbynensis sp. nov., Ladopyris baltica gen. et sp. nov. (found also in Estonia), Monardia (M.) lapponica sp. nov., Monardia (Xylopriona) abbreviata sp. nov., Mon. (Xyl.) obscura sp. nov., Neurolyga simillima sp. nov., N. taigensis sp. nov. (found also in the Republic of Karelia, Russian Federation), Peromyia elongatula sp. nov., P. lindstroemi sp. nov. and P. sofielundensis sp. nov. Two new junior synonyms of Aprionus Kieffer, 1894 were identified: Azygotricha Plakidas, 2017 syn. nov. and Ampullomyia Plakidas, 2018 syn. nov., both introduced for Nearctic species. The generic rank of Antennardia Mamaev, previously treated as a subgenus of Monardia Kieffer, is restored. Aprionus internuntius Jaschhof, 2003, previously regarded as synonymous with A. stylifer Mamaev, 1998, is restituted as a valid species. Peromyia assimilis nom. nov. is established as the new substitute name for P. despecta Jaschhof, 2017, found to be a junior homonym of P. despecta Jaschhof, 2010. Micromyinae discovered in Sweden for the first time are Antennardia saxonica Jaschhof, Aprionus heothinos Jaschhof, Apr. internuntius, Monardia (M.) lignivora (Felt), Monardia (Trichopteromyia) relicta Jaschhof, Neurolyga venusta (Mamaev Rozhnova), Peromyia abdita Jaschhof, and P. brandenburgensis Jaschhof.

The Porricondylini (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae: Porricondylinae) of Sweden revisited: descriptions of nineteen new species of ten genera, including a new genus.

The taxonomy of the tribe Porricondylini is revisited using male adult specimens from Sweden, whose morphology was studied by transmitted-light microscope. Results communicated here include both descriptions of new taxa (one genus, 19 species) and considerably expanded species distributions (five new Fennoscandian records). New taxa, all to be attributed to both authors, are Cassidoides cornutus sp. nov., Coccopsilis pectinata sp. nov., Cocc. recondita sp. nov., Cocc. scalpta sp. nov., Dendrepidosis lapponica sp. nov., D. upplandica sp. nov., Monepidosis difficilis sp. nov., M. hybrida sp. nov., Neocolpodia ombergensis sp. nov., Oelandyla rostrata gen. et sp. nov., Parepidosis kaltisbackensis sp. nov., Paurodyla serrata sp. nov., Porricondyla bidentula sp. nov., Porr. diversicornis sp. nov., Porr. gemina sp. nov., Porr. ottenbyensis sp. nov., Porr. pallidigenae sp. nov., Spungisomyia carinaolssonae sp. nov., and S. svemapro sp. nov. Species recorded in Fennoscandia for the first time are Bryocrypta angustata Mamaev (previously known from Latvia and European Russia), B. lobata Mamaev (previously Ukraine), Isocolpodia unidentata (Marikovskij) comb. nov. (previously Kazakhstan), Monepidosis duplicis Mamaev (previously Latvia and Far East Russia), and Zaitzeviola dubitabila (Mamaev Zaitzev) (previously Far East Russia). The morphology of males of the newly recorded species is redescribed. Monepidosis tinnerti Jaschhof Jaschhof, 2015 syn. nov. is revealed to be a junior synonym of M. duplicis Mamaev, 1998.

Completing Linnaeus's inventory of the Swedish insect fauna: Only 5,000 species left?

Despite more than 250 years of taxonomic research, we still have only a vague idea about the true size and composition of the faunas and floras of the planet. Many biodiversity inventories provide limited insight because they focus on a small taxonomic subsample or a tiny geographic area. Here, we report on the size and composition of the Swedish insect fauna, thought to represent roughly half of the diversity of multicellular life in one of the largest European countries. Our results are based on more than a decade of data from the Swedish Taxonomy Initiative and its massive inventory of the country's insect fauna, the Swedish Malaise Trap Project The fauna is considered one of the best known in the world, but the initiative has nevertheless revealed a surprising amount of hidden diversity: more than 3,000 new species (301 new to science) have been documented so far. Here, we use three independent methods to analyze the true size and composition of the fauna at the family or subfamily level: (1) assessments by experts who have been working on the most poorly known groups in the fauna; (2) estimates based on the proportion of new species discovered in the Malaise trap inventory; and (3) extrapolations based on species abundance and incidence data from the inventory. For the last method, we develop a new estimator, the combined non-parametric estimator, which we show is less sensitive to poor coverage of the species pool than other popular estimators. The three methods converge on similar estimates of the size and composition of the fauna, suggesting that it comprises around 33,000 species. Of those, 8,600 (26%) were unknown at the start of the inventory and 5,000 (15%) still await discovery. We analyze the taxonomic and ecological composition of the estimated fauna, and show that most of the new species belong to Hymenoptera and Diptera groups that are decomposers or parasitoids. Thus, current knowledge of the Swedish insect fauna is strongly biased taxonomically and ecologically, and we show that similar but even stronger biases have distorted our understanding of the fauna in the past. We analyze latitudinal gradients in the size and composition of known European insect faunas and show that several of the patterns contradict the Swedish data, presumably due to similar knowledge biases. Addressing these biases is critical in understanding insect biomes and the ecosystem services they provide. Our results emphasize the need to broaden the taxonomic scope of current insect monitoring efforts, a task that is all the more urgent as recent studies indicate a possible worldwide decline in insect faunas.

The Swedish Malaise Trap Project: A 15 Year Retrospective on a Countrywide Insect Inventory.

The Swedish Malaise Trap Project (SMTP) is one of the most ambitious insect inventories ever attempted. The project was designed to target poorly known insect groups across a diverse range of habitats in Sweden. The field campaign involved the deployment of 73 Malaise traps at 55 localities across the country for three years (2003-2006). Over the past 15 years, the collected material has been hand sorted by trained technicians into over 300 taxonomic fractions suitable for expert attention. The resulting collection is a tremendous asset for entomologists around the world, especially as we now face a desperate need for baseline data to evaluate phenomena like insect decline and climate change. Here, we describe the history, organisation, methodology and logistics of the SMTP, focusing on the rationale for the decisions taken and the lessons learned along the way. The SMTP represents one of the early instances of community science applied to large-scale inventory work, with a heavy reliance on volunteers in both the field and the laboratory. We give estimates of both staff effort and volunteer effort involved. The project has been funded by the Swedish Taxonomy Initiative; in total, the inventory has cost less than 30 million SEK (approximately 3.1 million USD). Based on a subset of the samples, we characterise the size and taxonomic composition of the SMTP material. Several different extrapolation methods suggest that the material comprises around 20 million specimens in total. The material is dominated by Diptera (75% of the specimens) and Hymenoptera (15% of specimens). Amongst the Diptera, the dominant groups are Chironomidae (37% of specimens), Sciaridae (15%), Phoridae (13%), Cecidomyiidae (9.5%) and Mycetophilidae (9.4%). Within Hymenoptera, the major groups are Ichneumonidae (44% of specimens), Diaprioidea (19%), Braconidae (9.6%), Platygastroidea (8.5%) and Chalcidoidea (7.9%). The taxonomic composition varies with latitude and season. Several Diptera and Hymenoptera groups are more common in non-summer samples (collected from September to April) and in the North, while others show the opposite pattern. About 1% of the total material has been processed and identified by experts so far. This material represents over 4,000 species. One third of these had not been recorded from Sweden before and almost 700 of them are new to science. These results reveal the large amounts of taxonomic work still needed on Palaearctic insect faunas. Based on the SMTP experiences, we discuss aspects of planning and conducting future large-scale insect inventory projects using mainly traditional approaches in relation to more recent approaches that rely on molecular techniques.

Cabamofa orientalis sp. nov. from Thailand, congeneric with C. mira Jaschhof from Costa Rica (Diptera: Bibionomorpha: Sciaroidea incertae sedis).

The genus Cabamofa, previously containing only C. mira from Costa Rica (Jaschhof 2005), is shown here to have a second species in Thailand, which is described and named C. orientalis sp. nov. The new species is known from a single male collected by the TIGER Project (Thailand Inventory Group for Entomological Research), a mass-sampling program to inventory insect diversity in Southeast Asia (Plant et al. 2011; http://sharkeylab.org/tiger, accessed 14 December 2018). As the circumstances of finding indicate, C. orientalis is a decidedly rare species, an attribute applying to perhaps one third of all tropical arthropods (Lim et al. 2012) and most Sciaroidea incertae sedis (Jaschhof 2017), including the Costa Rican C. mira. The latter species was originally described from two females, which were Malaise trapped in 2003 in lowland rain forest (Jaschhof 2005), while a conspecific male, a museum specimen collected in 1922 in an unknown habitat, was detected and described subsequently (Amorim Rindal 2007). Cabamofa is one of nearly 20 sciaroid genera whose family affiliation has not yet been resolved (Jaschhof 2017), but there is morphological evidence suggesting its close affinity to other Sciaroidea incertae sedis, such as Rogambara Jaschhof, 2005, Ohakunea Tonnoir Edwards, 1927, and Colonomyia Colless, 1963. These four genera together form the Ohakunea group of Jaschhof (2005), or the Ohakuneinae (as a subfamily of the broadly conceived family Rangomaramidae) of Amorim Rindal (2007). Recent molecular work (Sevcík et al. 2016, Kasprák et al. 2019) suggests a more distant phylogenetic position of Ohakunea to other Sciaroidea incertae sedis. The obvious conflict here between morphological and molecular evidence is stimulating fresh interest in the "incertae sedis issue", as proven by the present contribution. The morphology of C. orientalis provides no new clues as to the systematic position of Cabamofa, or the Ohakunea group, but reveals characters that were previously not known to occur in Cabamofa. The delimitation of this genus is briefly reviewed below. Our finding of C. orientalis extends the geographic distribution of Cabamofa from the New World to the Old World (Oriental) tropics, which consorts with the disjunct (Neotropical-Australasian) areas found in both Colonomyia and Ohakunea. Morphological terminology used here is in accordance with that by Cumming Wood (2017).

New and rarely found species of asynaptine Porricondylinae (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) in northern Europe.

An ongoing taxonomic inventory of mycophagous gall midges (Cecidomyiidae) in Sweden has revealed several previously unnamed species of asynaptine Porricondylinae, which are described here on the basis of male adults mostly from Malaise trap catches. The new species are classified and named as follows: Asynapta inflatoides sp. nov., A. rickebasta sp. nov., A. taigensis sp. nov., Camptomyia capitata sp. nov., C. hedmarki sp. nov., C. oldhammeri sp. nov., C. rhynchostylata sp. nov., and Stackelbergiella sikorai sp. nov. Specimens studied here prove the presence of both Asynapta inflatoides and A. taigensis in Finland, and of Stackelbergiella sikorai in Estonia. Other species new to the Finnish fauna are Asynapta thuraui Rübsaamen and Camptomyia ulmicola Mamaev, whereas Asynapta inflata Spungis has to be deleted from the Finnish checklist. Males of two species recorded in Sweden for the first time, and three species whose Swedish distribution is reconfirmed here, are redescribed: Asynapta baltica Spungis; A. inflata; Camptomyia fulva Mamaev; C. piptopori Panelius; and C. ulmicola. New junior synonyms recognized here are Niladmirara Fedotova syn. nov. (of Camptomyia Kieffer) and Asynapta panzari Jaschhof Jaschhof syn. nov. (of A. breviata Spungis). The genitalic morphology of male Asynaptini is reinterpreted to include two pairs of parameres in the ancestral ground pattern. The extraordinary diversity of male genitalic structures found in asynaptine genera is highlighted, along with considerations of how this source of information can be exploited for the benefit of classification. Small-area remnants of ancient, naturally grown forest are shown to support populations of previously unnamed species of Asynaptini.

New Dicerurini from Europe, mostly Sweden (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae, Porricondylinae).

The taxonomy of several genera of the tribe Dicerurini (subfamily Porricondylinae) is revisited, induced by the discovery of 11 new species in Malaise catches of various provenances. The bulk of the specimens interpreted here is of Swedish origin. Species described as new to science are Desertepidosis grytsjoenensis sp. nov. (from Sweden), D. robusta sp. nov. (Sweden), Linnaeomyia pratensis sp. nov. (Czech Republic), Neurepidosis ekdalensis sp. nov. (Sweden), N. emarginata sp. nov. (Sweden, Czech Republic), N. hybrida sp. nov. (Sweden), Tetraneuromyia brevipalpis sp. nov. (Sweden, Slovak Republic), T. discrepans sp. nov. (Sweden), T. errata sp. nov. (Sweden), and T. lapponica sp. nov. (Sweden). A new genus, Gardenforsia gen. nov., is introduced for G. oelandica sp. nov. (Sweden), a new species with regressive male morphology. The generic definitions of Desertepidosis Mamaev Soyunov, 1989 (including Ubinomyia Mamaev, 1990 syn. nov. as new junior synonym) and Linnaeomyia Jaschhof Jaschhof, 2015 are revised. A key to males of Desertepidosis is presented. New information on the morphology and geographic distribution is provided for Linnaeomyia hortensis Jaschhof Jaschhof, 2015; Tetraneuromyia bulbifera Mamaev, 1964; and T. lamellata Spungis, 1987.

Towards reliable identification of male Dicerura: descriptions of three new and seven poorly known species in the Palearctic region (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae, Porricondylinae).

The taxonomy of Dicerura Kieffer, 1898, a genus of Porricondylinae now comprising 32 species in the Holarctic region, is revised. Three new species are described based on morphological characters of male adults: D. jakovlevi Jaschhof Spungis sp. nov. (from Finland), D. penttineni Jaschhof Spungis sp. nov. (Finland), and D. yezoensis Jaschhof Spungis sp. nov. (Japan). Dicerura padi Mamaev, 1975 syn. nov. is revealed to be a junior synonym of D. furculata Mamaev, 1968. Seven species, whose original descriptions are from a present-day perspective inadequate for the purpose of identification, are redescribed: D. barbata Mamaev, 1966; D. formosa Mamaev, 1998; D. foliicola Mamaev, 1968; D. furculata; D. iridis (Kaltenbach, 1873); D. stipator Mamaev, 1972; and D. unidentata Spungis, 1987. A key to males of Palearctic Dicerura is provided. New faunistic records are presented for D. barbata; D. complicata Spungis, 1987; D. dentata Spungis, 1979; D. formosa; D. fungicola (Mamaev, 1964); D. mixta Spungis, 1987; and D. unidentata. Male genitalic characters are shown to be useful to a certain extent for structuring the species diversity found within the genus Dicerura. The following groups of species are defined: iridis group (with nine species), dentata group (six species), fungicola group (four species), and formosa group (four species). Six of the species whose morphology is adequately known cannot be grouped within the proposed scheme, indicating the need for further character analysis and continuing search for yet undiscovered species that are assumed to exist in large numbers.

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.

A needle in a haystack: the new genus Bernadottea (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae, Winnertziinae) with four new species in the Old World.

A new genus of Winnertziini (Cecidomyiidae: Winnertziinae) named Bernadottea gen. nov. is introduced to absorb four new species from various different parts of the Old World: B. natalensis sp. nov. from South Africa, B. honshuensis sp. nov. from Japan, and B. pahangensis sp. nov. and B. selangorensis sp. nov. from Malaysia. Bernadottea are distinguished from previously known Winnertziini by the unusually complex genitalia of males, and from most members of this tribe by the absence of the fourth medial vein (M4). Another feature of Bernadottea is their rare occurrence in samples of Winnertziini taken by hand or by traps, a circumstance presumably expressing their scarcity in nature, at least at ground level. The new taxa are described based on the morphology of males, while females and larvae remain unknown.

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 Zurquí de Moravia, San José Province, Costa Rica (hereafter referred to as Zurquí), 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 Zurquí with those of single Malaise traps at each of Tapantí and Las Alturas, 40 and 180 km distant from Zurquí respectively, suggested significant species turnover. Comparison of the greater number of species collected in all traps from Zurquí 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 Zurquí 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.

Loboplusia coreana sp. nov. from South Korea, only the second species of a genus originally described from Costa Rica (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae, Winnertziinae).

The genus Loboplusia was recently introduced for a remarkable species of Diallactiini from the cloud forest of Costa Rica (Jaschhof 2016). Males of that species, Loboplusia zurqui Jaschhof, 2016, were found to differ fundamentally from other Diallactiini, with the following traits defining the genus. The scutum is provided with a bright membranous patch called the prescutellar window; setae on the legs, especially the tarsi, are fringed; the gonostylus consists of two lobes (not a single lobe as is the basic pattern in Diallactiini); and the bridge connecting the gonocoxites ventrobasally is markedly shortened (Jaschhof 2016: fig. 15). A diallactiine collected recently by one of us (YJB) in South Korea shows exactly the same characters and is no doubt congeneric with L. zurqui. At the same time there are clear distinctions in the genitalia indicating that the South Korean species is discrete, so it is described and named here L. coreana Jaschhof Ham sp. nov. With a single species each in Central America and Eastern Asia, the genus Loboplusia has a distinctly odd distribution, a circumstance that is briefly discussed.