Publication details
Extinction of the genus Neurohelea (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) in Europe?
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2008 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | The species Neurohelea luteitarsis (Waltl, 1837) is the only representative of the genus Neurohelea Kieffer in Europe. So far it has been reported from 4 EU countries - Great Britain, Belgium, Ireland and Germany; however in Germany was lately proclaimed extinct. We observed 3 fully developped spermathecae in all female specimens. There is an indication that the number of spermathecae not an abberation and this fact might support the potential phylogenetic relation of Neurohelea to Physohelea. We have also found in females abdominal saccules of unknown function; puffy, pale but clearly visible formations turn to residuals after the slides are mounted. These structures are known only within Palpomyiini+Stenoxenini tribes and their presence in Heteromyiini might show new relations between these tribes. The other unique morphological feature we observed is the interruption of the vein r-m observed in both sexes of all specimens of our collection. Supported by the MSM No. 0021622416. |
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