Europe and Russia [Sept.Oct.
1996]. In September and October of 1996, Steve Gaimari visited
several important insect collections in Europe to study type materials
of Therevidae. These collections included the Zoological Institute
of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, the Naturhistorisches
Museum Wien, in Wien, Austria, the Museum National d'Histoire
Naturelle in Paris, France, and the Natural History Museum in
London, England. Vadim Zaitzev was very kind in providing our
project with a synoptic collection (including paratypes) of nearly
all determined Therevidae in the Zoological Institute's collection
(about 75 species), with very important material from Asia, Mongolia,
and the Russian Far East. Also very helpful in locating materials
for study were Ruth Contreras-Lichtenberg in Wien, Loïc Matile
in Paris, and John Chainey in London.
Australia. Coolola National Park,
Queensland, Australia [October 1996]. In early October, Co-PI
Yeates led a one week field expedition to Coolola National Park,
a large sand and heath area near Frazer Island, Queensland. The
area has many undescribed and, undoubtedly, unknown species of
therevids. Accompanying Yeates was Greg Daniels, curator of the
insect collection at the University of Queensland, and graduate
students Shaun Winterton, Chris Lambkin, and others from the University
of Queensland. Asiloidea was the target group of organisms, and
this provided Mr. Winterton with an excellent initial opportunity
to observe and collect therevids in an area where they abound.
During
September 1997, Mr. Winterton, with other postgraduate students
from the University of Queensland Entomology department, traveled
on a one week trip to far western Queensland to collect near the
town of Birdsville. Several new species
of desert Therevidae were collected.
The
following month, Mr. Winterton, with other postgraduate students
from the University of Queensland Entomology department, traveled
for one month through Victoria, South Australia and New South
Wales. Collections were made in Wyperfeld, Flinders Ranges, Dutchmans
Stern, Warrumbungle and Gammon Ranges National Parks. Approximately
40 species from close to 25 genera were collected during the trip,
with greatest diversity in Gammon Ranges and Warrumbungle National
Parks.
Southern Africa [mid Octoberlate
November 1996]. A large-scale, six-week expedition was carried
out in late 1996. The following specific localities were included:
Kalahari Desert, Namib Desert, Namaqualand (western Cape Province
of South Africa), and N'dumu (north eastern Natal Province of
South Africa). This expedition involved rotations of all PIs,
the Schlingers, Webb, and students during its various phases.
The area is extremely rich in endemic taxa.
Texas [March 1997]. Collaborator Webb
led a one week trip during UIUC spring break to southern Texas
with graduate students Holston and Metz. Because the weather remained
cold even in southern Texas, fewer taxa were collected than anticipated.
Guatemala [May 1997].
A two-week expedition was conducted in Guatemala by Irwin, Webb,
the five graduate students, and their guide, Ms Maria Lucia Prinz.
On the first full day in Guatemala City, they went to the insect
collection at the Universidade del Valle de Guatemala, sorted
their unsorted Diptera to family, and curated several families
of flies. At Monterrico, the coastal dunes yielded many therevid
specimens, including several Megalinga bolbocera
(Osten-Sacken), numerous specimens of Brachylinga, and
Penniverpa, and a single female of "Psilocephala"
breviventris Kröber. Megalinga was collected
at the lights at night, and on the walls of the hotel in the morning,
and occasionally in the vegetation. All other genera were collected
perching on coastal vegetation, or were swept from grasses slightly
farther in from the coast. They also put malaise traps at the
very base of the Sierra de las Minas, in the very dry thorn tree
zone at an elevation of about 250-400 meters. These traps proved
to be very productive, collecting numerous specimens of Ataenogera
abdominalis Kröber and Chromolepida pruinosa (Coquillett),
as well as a species of Ozodiceromyia. Nearby they also
visited a local hot springs, Quebrada de Agua Caliente, where
numerous larval therevids were collected from the litter and sand
under large trees. Many of these larvae have pupated and emerged,
and belong in the genera Brachylinga and Penniverpa.
Many malaise traps were also placed in the transition zone below
the cloud forest in the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserva
at sites from 1600 to 2400 meters elevation. Very different insects
were associated with each elevation. Therevids were abundant in
a few of the traps, including many specimens of Ozodiceromyia
schroederi (Kröber) and Ozodiceromyia obliquefasciata
(Kröber). In the cloud forest itself, Irwin collected a singleton
male of a new and very strange species of Phycus from low-lying
vegetation.
Baja California Norte [June
1997]. The primary destination of Mike Irwin and Ev Schlinger
was Parque Nacional de Sierra San Pedro Martir, a massive mountain
range that divides Baja California longitudinally. June 9 was
spent placing malaise traps at strategic waterholes at elevations
above 2300 m. It was a memorable day because they discovered thousands
of therevids at one of the higher waterholes, most belonging to
one species, Ozodiceromyia nanella (Cole). That evening
they met the expedition organizers, Dr. Ernesto Franco, Department
of Crop and Soil Sciences, Michigan State University; Dr. Horacio
de la Cueva, Centro de Investigacion Cientifica y de Educacion
Superior de Ensenada (CICESE); and Dr. James Berry, state ecologist,
Department of Parks and Recreation, Sacramento, CA, who were returning
from a two-day hike. During this nine day trip, seventeen sites
were sampled.
California. Following
the expedition to Guatemala, Mr. Holston spent a week observing
the coastal dune therevids of Oso Flaco Lake, Guadalupe-Nipomo
Dunes Preserve, California. Mr. Holston was accompanied and otherwise
supported by PI Irwin, Dr. Evert Schlinger, and Dr. Ebbe Nielson
during the first three days of the trip, after which he spent
the rest of the time on his own at the dunes. He recorded behavioral
observations of adult therevids and collected therevid larvae,
pupae, and adults. Over 40 specimens determined as species of
Acrosathe, Tabudamima, and Thereva were reared
later in the Irwin lab. Detailed notes of the habitat in which
these specimens were found suggest differences in therevid habitat
utilization across areas of the dunes. Morphological study of
the larvae and pupae has provided more data for upcoming taxonomic
reviews and keys.
Southwestern U.S. In June/July 1997,
Mr. Metz, returned to the southwest U.S. to collect data for a
second year of morphometric analysis of the genitalia of Ozodiceromyia
nanella (Cole). In connection with this trip, he also collected
in the extreme southern borders of Arizona and New Mexico. Mr.
Metz returned with over 1500 specimens in 10 genera of Therevidae.
Some specimens from this trip may become holotypes of new Ozodiceromyia
species in Mr. Gaimari's upcoming monographic treatment of the
genus. Mr. Metz' trip was supported in part from a $1000 (Canadian)
from the North American Dipterists Society.
Utah [21-25 July 1997]. Irwin and
Webb traveled to Logan County, UT, joining Dr. Frank Parker and
Dr. Wilbur Hansen in a short collecting trip. The primary objective
of this trip was to find larval Apsilocephala, adults of
which had been found in earlier collections from the area. Unfortunately,
they were unable to find any larvae of Apsilocephala, but
did return with many adult therevids and a Thereva larva,
which Mr. Holston successfully reared to adulthood.
Chile [27 Sept.-Oct. 9; 25 Oct.-21
Nov. 1997] A two-month expedition was carried out as planned for
areas in this taxa-rich country of southern South America. All
PIs, Thompson, Webb, and the Schlingers rotated in and out on
two-week cycles during this expedition. The timing was very good
for the northern portion of the trip, especially around La Serena
and Santiago, but was too early to gather many specimens in the
southern part of the country. There are many undescribed genera
and species in Chile and this expedition was focused on obtaining
specimens in 95% ethanol of many of these groups for molecular
and morphological study. Our expectations were achieved, and we
returned with a wealth of specimens preserved in several ways
for future study. In addition, funds were found to provide support
for Chileans to maintain several of the malaise traps during the
rest of the summer. These were finally taken down in late April.
Gerardo Barria, who was in charge of these traps, recently reported
that he has over 5 kilograms of preserved specimens to send us
from the samples. He plans to continue the trapping effort next
summer (September 1998 to April 1999).
Argentina [9-25 Oct. 1997].
This expedition was sandwiched between two-week cycles during
the Chile expedition. Dr. Frank Parker joined PI-Irwin, who were
escorted and guided to several areas to the north of Mendoza by
Dr. Sergio Roig of the Unidad de Zoología y Ecología
Animal, Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Aridas
(IADIZA), Centro Regional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnologicas
(CRICYT). The two-week expedition proved very successful. Numerous
species representing several species in a wide aray of genera
were collected and many of the taxa were preserved in 95% ethanol.
Many rare and previously unknown groups of taxa were taken. For
instance, a species of Phycus was collected that had previously
only been known from Mexico to Costa Rica in the New World. Its
African roots are now much better explained by the population
collected in northwestern Argentina.
Madagascar [8-25 April
1998]. PI Irwin and Dr. Schlinger accompanied members of
the Entomology Department of the California Academy of Sciences
on a three-week expedition to several areas in Madagascar. This
is a difficult place for an expedition and required an initial
trip to develop the appropriate links before a full-blown expedition
can occur. We focused on Ranomafana National Park in the rainforest
near the eastern coast of the country, but had time to sample
in the coastal beach vegetation to the east of the park and westward
to Tulear and the dry spiny forest area of Madagascar. Collecting
was relatively poor because we were not there during the peak
of the season. We hope to return to Madagascar in November of
1999 during the peak season. However, we did manage to gather
about 16 species of therevids representing three or four genera
and at least four species during this past trip. Three of these
taxa are preserved in 95% ethanol for molecular and internal morphological
studies.
