Deutsche Version

Research projects at the Diptera Section

(as of October 2011)

M. Kotrba:

MAIN RESEARCH

  • Phylogeny and systematics of Diptera, especially acalyptrate Schizophora.
  • Comparative anatomy, micromorphology and function of the female internal genital organs in Diptera, especially Schizophora(sperm transfer and storage, egg fertilization, sperm competition, cryptic female choice, vivipary).
  • Coevolution of male and female genitalia in Diptera
  • Giant spermatozoa
  • Phylogeny and life history of stalk-eyed flies (Diopsidae).
  • Mass occurrences of the yellow swarming fly Thaumatomyianotata.
  • Problems of scientific wet collections.

ONGOING PROJECTS

  • Coevolution of male and female genitaliain Teleopsis (Diopsidae). Project in cooperation with H.Feijen and J. Huber. - The corresponding organs of 17diopsidspecies are dissected, measured, and analyzed for statistical correlations as well as intraspecific variation.
  • Morphology and ultrastructure of the spermatozoa and eggs of Diasemopsiscomoroensis (Diopsidae). Project in cooperation with M.Heß. - The giant spermatozoa and the eggs of a genus of stalk-eyed flies are studied using light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and confocal laser microscopy.
  • Comparative morphology and phylogenetic analysis of the female reproductive tract Sepsidae. Project in cooperation with R. Meier and N. Punjamoorthy. - The female internal genitalia of about 40 sepsid species are dissected and documented using lightmicroscopy, their character states are coded and phylogenetically analyzed in the light of an existing phylogenetic hypothesis based on molecular data.
  • Comparative morphology of the female reproductive tract in Conopidae.
  • Comparative morphology of the female reproductive tract in Micropezidae.
  • A venereal disease of flies - Richardiidae (Diptera) transmit Laboulbeniales infections during mating. Project in cooperation with W. Rossi. - Light-microscopic study of the form and position of specimens of a polymorphic species of Laboulbeniales (Ascomycetes) occurring on females of Richardiidae (Diptera).
  • Problems of scientific wet collections. Project in cooperation with D. Burckhardt. - Extensive series of repeated measurements in the wet collections of the Natural History Museum Basle, Switzerland, and of the ZSM with regard to alcohol concentrations, pH values, discolorations, etc.
  • pH values in solutions with various alcohol concentrations. - Generation of sets of measurement curves for the empirical evaluation of the systematic error due to ethanol concentration.
  • Chrysomyiaalbiceps - a new finding in Bavaria with forensic relevance. Project in cooperation with F. Reckel and J. Grunwald.

Martin Spies:

  • Continuous physical and electronic inventorying of animal and document holdings at ZSM concerning Chironomidae, as well as their actualisation according to taxonomic or nomenclatural changes in the chironomid system.
  • Continuation of an electronic registry concerning the nomenclature and geographic distribution of the Chironomidae in Europe. Earlier version published as part of the Fauna Europaea database (Sæther & Spies 2004, 2011, Spies & Sæther 2004; see publication list.
  • Continuation of an electronic catalogue and bibliography of Neotropical Chironomidae. First edition published by Spies & Reiss (1996).
  • Successive taxonomic revision of members of the Harnischia complex (Chironomidae), especially of Parachironomus and neighboring genera.