Amber therevid and its relations

Metz, M. (UIUC), M. Irwin (UIUC)

A new genus of Therevidae (Insecta: Diptera), Ambradolon, was diagnosed from Dominican amber. Cladistic analysis of the species possessing putative synapomorphies with the fossil resolved three additional monophyletic therevid genera. Overall, the revision introduced two new genera, eleven new species and a new combination to science.

Butterflies of Illinois

Bouseman, J.

Butterflies are the most charismatic of insects, and they are currently enjoying a resurgence of public interest. I have been collaborating with Dr. James G. Sternburg (UIUC Professor of Entomology, Emeritus) on studies of Illinois butterflies for over 10 years. The goal of this endeavor has been to produce a field guide to the butterflies of Illinois (ca. l00 species). Active work on the physical preparation was initiated in mid-l999, and the work is nearing completion at this writing. The authors hope to follow with a field guide to the skippers of Illinois.

Computerizing the illustration process

Mullett, J. (UIUC) and G. Venable (Smithsonian Institution), M. Irwin (UIUC)

Jill Mullett, illustrator on the therevid systematics project, spent two weeks at the Smithsonian Institution learning computerized illustration with veteran scientific illustrator, George Venable. The advantages: images are easily produced in color, stipple, or grayscale in the time it takes to render a single illustration; mistakes are easily corrected; images may be reproduced in various sizes and output in many formats; original artwork no longer has to be shipped for publication; and after the initial cost of the computer hardware and software, no other art supplies are needed.

Diversity of arthropods in Madagascar

Irwin, M. (UIUC) and E. Schlinger (Schlinger Foundation), C. Griswold (CA Academy of Sciences), S. Goodman (Field Museum)

Sponsored by the Schlinger Foundation, Rasolondalao Harin'Hala Hasinjaka recently completed a 6-month internship at INHS and UIUC to gain skills in arthropod (especially Diptera) classification and curatorial techniques. Now back in Madagascar, he works to inventory the biodiversity of protected areas with the Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments and the World Wildlife Fund. He will coordinate activities with Survey and California Academy of Sciences personnel in this endeavor. Irwin and Schlinger initiated these surveys in April 1998 and continued them in December 1999.

Mandala: a systematics research database

Kampmeier, G. and M. Irwin (UIUC), C. Thompson (USDA-SEL), K. Holston (UIUC)

The name MANDALA emphasizes the interwoven relationships underlying the databases developed in FileMaker™ Pro for systematics research on the fly family, Therevidae. Recorded is information about an individual specimen, its collecting locality, floral and faunal associations, collectors, determinations, illustrations, specimen repository, and taxonomic name. Each taxonomic name has its own history recorded from the literature that includes synonymies, homonymies, name changes, and hierarchical classification. MANDALA is cross platform and may be used with other taxa.

Molecular fingerprinting of microsporidia

Solter, L. and J. Vavra (Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic)

Microsporidia, important unicellular pathogens of arthropods, are extremely difficult to identify to species because the infective spores of different species are morphologically similar. This situation complicates studies of microsporidia in the field, both for studies of natural infections and for biological control programs. A relatively new molecular technique, random amplification of polymorphic DNA by polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR), is being tested for use as a tool to distinguish between closely related microsporidian species.

Revising the higher therevine genera

Metz, M. (UIUC), M. Irwin (UIUC)

Monophyletic units within the fly family, Therevidae, have not been characterized using modern phylogenetic techniques. Putative synapomorphies have been suggested for the two described subfamilies, Phycinae and Therevinae, but the relationships of the genera have not been determined cladistically. The higher Therevinae consist of 55+ described and manuscript genera from every biotic region. An establishment of monophyletic groups using modern cladistic techniques will more easily enable future generic revisions within this poorly known family.

Systematic Database of Thereva Names

Holston, K. (UIUC) and G. Kampmeier, C. Thompson (USDA-SEL), M. Irwin (UIUC)

Systematics research on the genus Thereva (Diptera: Therevidae) has produced a computer-searchable nomenclatural database built with FileMaker™ Pro, which manages all species-group names used in combination with Thereva. Data acquisition constituted the major part of a Masters degree conferred to Kevin Holston in May 1999. Gail Kampmeier organized and managed the data. The database will be published on CD-ROM in The Diptera Data Dissemination Disk, Vol. 2, and includes classification and distribution information relevant to each name as well as an extensive datafile of all literature citations.

Systematics of Microsporidia

Solter, L. and J. Maddox, J. Bouzat (UIUC/Bowling Green University, Ohio)

The Phylum Microsporidia is a group of eukaryotic unicellular pathogens. Different species are found infecting many animal host species but microsporidia are primarily pathogens of arthropods. Many species are important natural control agents of their hosts. Approximately 1,000 species have been described, but the phylogenetic relationships between genera are poorly known and the significance of the relationship between molecular and morphological characters is undetermined. New species are being described, the importance of morphological characters in relation to molecular characters is being studied, and the phylogenetic position of the phylum is being investigated.

Therevid PEET project on WWW

Kampmeier, G. and M. Irwin (UIUC), A. Buck (UIUC)

Activities of the National Science Foundation's Partnerships for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy project on the fly family, Therevidae, are chronicled on the web at http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cee/therevid/. Included is information on the biology and distribution of therevids; the multi-institutional participants in the research; expeditions seeking these elusive flies; searchable databases on over 74,000 specimens, 650 literature citations, 250 museums housing specimens, and the history of hundreds of taxonomic names; and keys to Nearctic genera and selected species of Therevidae.

Traditional media traditional images

Mullett, J. (UIUC) and M. Metz (UIUC), S. Gaimari (Smithsonian Institution), M. Irwin (UIUC)

During much of 1999, the scientific illustrations documenting characteristics of therevid (Diptera: Therevidae) flies have been produced with traditional media. Using carbon dust, airbrush, pen and ink, and mixed media, illustrator Jill Mullett has created high quality images for the National Science Foundation and Schlinger Foundation sponsored therevid systematics project. These images further the understanding and awareness of the little known fly family Therevidae. Many of the rendered illustrations will be published in 2000.