photos 1–1000
Platypalpus longicornis (Meigen 1822) ♀ (Diptera Empidoidea Hybotidæ Tachydromiinæ Tachydromiini)
[Platypalpus Macquart 1828: 634 (IT: 72) spp]
Platypalpus is a megadiverse cosmopolitan genus, best represented in the northern temperate and montane regions; it has been extensively studied mainly in the palæarctic region, where ∼370 spp are currently known, of which 263 spp have been recorded from Europe including the Mediterranean & some adjacent territories, Caucasus & Turkey. ♂♂ in some common spp are unknown or very rare. Geographically non-uniform parthenogenesis has been found in P. candicans and P. cursitans; the very common P. major is most probably parthenogenetic throughout its entire range. Adults are found running amongst ground vegetation over the surfaces of leaves on bushes and trees but rarely on tree trunks, where they search for small insects, especially Diptera; very predaceous even in captivity — can only be compared with Chersodromia — attacking other insects and also quite frequently each other, they usually carry their prey held in the thickened mid legs. Predaceous larvæ are found in soil & under moss. Such ecologically opportunistic predatory behavior enables many spp to occupy even drastically disturbed habitats, e.g. agricultural fields & home gardens where they often represent the commonest Empidoidea with supposed impact on natural pest control. Considering cosmopolitan distribution, the presence of many diverse forms and the very wide differences between extreme sp groups with no analogy in other rather homogeneous Tachydromiinæ gg, this genus is undoubtedly very ancient phylogenetically; the large number of very similar & closely related spp in the northern temperate regions indicates a recent spp explosion for which the only parallel is Elaphropeza in tropical and subtropical regions.
REFERENCES
E. Wahlberg 2020: Empidoidea molecules and morphology.
E. Wahlberg & K.A. Johanson 2018: Empidoidea phylogeny.
V.E. Gokhman & V.G. Kuznetsova 2017: Holometabola parthenogenesis.
D.K. Yeates & B.M. Wiegmann 2017: Diptera phylogeny.
M. Barták & S. Kubík 2016: European Platypalpus synonims.
J.K. Moulton & B.M. Wiegmann 2007: Empidoidea phylogeny.
Platypalpus longicornis (Meigen 1822) ♀ (Diptera Empidoidea Hybotidæ Tachydromiinæ Tachydromiini)
[Platypalpus Macquart 1828: 634 (IT: 72) spp]
Platypalpus is a megadiverse cosmopolitan genus, best represented in the northern temperate and montane regions; it has been extensively studied mainly in the palæarctic region, where ∼370 spp are currently known, of which 263 spp have been recorded from Europe including the Mediterranean & some adjacent territories, Caucasus & Turkey. ♂♂ in some common spp are unknown or very rare. Geographically non-uniform parthenogenesis has been found in P. candicans and P. cursitans; the very common P. major is most probably parthenogenetic throughout its entire range. Adults are found running amongst ground vegetation over the surfaces of leaves on bushes and trees but rarely on tree trunks, where they search for small insects, especially Diptera; very predaceous even in captivity — can only be compared with Chersodromia — attacking other insects and also quite frequently each other, they usually carry their prey held in the thickened mid legs. Predaceous larvæ are found in soil & under moss. Such ecologically opportunistic predatory behavior enables many spp to occupy even drastically disturbed habitats, e.g. agricultural fields & home gardens where they often represent the commonest Empidoidea with supposed impact on natural pest control. Considering cosmopolitan distribution, the presence of many diverse forms and the very wide differences between extreme sp groups with no analogy in other rather homogeneous Tachydromiinæ gg, this genus is undoubtedly very ancient phylogenetically; the large number of very similar & closely related spp in the northern temperate regions indicates a recent spp explosion for which the only parallel is Elaphropeza in tropical and subtropical regions.
REFERENCES
E. Wahlberg 2020: Empidoidea molecules and morphology.
E. Wahlberg & K.A. Johanson 2018: Empidoidea phylogeny.
V.E. Gokhman & V.G. Kuznetsova 2017: Holometabola parthenogenesis.
D.K. Yeates & B.M. Wiegmann 2017: Diptera phylogeny.
M. Barták & S. Kubík 2016: European Platypalpus synonims.
J.K. Moulton & B.M. Wiegmann 2007: Empidoidea phylogeny.