04820nas a2200241   4500008004100000245006900041210006500110260001600175300001000191490000600201520415400207653001404361653001204375653002404387653002304411653001404434653001404448653001304462653001704475100001804492700001904510856004904529       2000                        eng d00aRevision der paläarktischen Trauermücken (Diptera: Sciaridae).0 aRevision der paläarktischen Trauermücken Diptera Sciaridae  aHalle/Saale  a1-7610 v63 aThe present work contains a revision of the Black Fungus Gnats (Insecta, Diptera, Nematocera: Sciaridae) of the Palaearctic Region. The opening section contains a historical review in which important workers in the field of sciarid research are discussed and their taxonomic oeuvre evaluated. Other sections contain fundamental information on the occurrence, distribution, biology and individual development. Our discussion of this family also devotes much space to describing successful methods of rearing, the role of sciarids in nature, their economic importance as pests of greenhouse plant cultures, and the biological control of the major pest species. A separate section is devoted to the migratory behaviour of sciarid larvae, the "army worm" phenomenon. These introductory sections are completed with a detailed characterisation of the family and a discussion of its systematic position within the Diptera.

The results of our revision of the sciarid fauna of the Palaearctic region have led not only to great changes in taxonomy and nomenclature but also to a considerable increase in the number of species. At the species level, it has been necessary to make 375 lectotype designations, 143 new combinations and 3 changes of status. In addition, 4 preoccupied names were replaced and 199 new synonyms discovered. At the present time the list of described Palaearctic Sciaridae stands at 836 valid species, 412 synonyms, 24 species incertae and 41 nomina dubia. So far as supra-specific taxa are concerned, 91 names have been recorded from the Palaearctic region of which 33 are synonyms according to present knowledge. A hypothetical phylogenetic tree for the Palaearctic sciarid genera could be developed. The weak points in this tree [convergence, non-monophyla] or alternative hypotheses of relationship are discussed
at the relevant points. From this analysis, we recognise in this revision a classification of the Palaearctic Sciaridae composed of 28 genera and 30 subgenera. In order to facilitate identification of the species, 61 species groups have been defined and under each genus a list is given of the included species.

To resolve various taxonomic-nomenclatural, phylogenetic or zoogeographic problems we also partially revised selections of material from the Afrotropical, Australian, Nearctic, Neotropical and Oriental regions. The results from this study were of considerable significance for the present revision because they contributed to almost every one of the topics covered, substantially enhanced the discussion of Palaearctic faunistic elements, and consequently they run through the entire work. Some of the non-Palaearctic types that we revised are of direct relevance to this Palaearctic revision. For this reason, we have 	included an appendix in which redescriptions are given of certain type-species and of relevant species from other faunal regions.

The present work has very much the character of a Handbook, in which everything of value and interest about the Black Fungus Gnats of the Palaearctic Region has been included. The bibliography claims to be complete at least as far as the descriptive literature on the recent Palaearctic fauna is concerned. The results of our revision are illustrated by 612 figures, 4 diagrams and 3 tables. As a work of reference, it contains the most recent research results on the taxonomy and classification, a comprehensive list of sources, and an index of sciarid names. Moreover, the updated check list, which is based on a revised nomenclature and a stabilised classification, subsumes current "state-of-the-art" knowledge of the species of the Palaearctic region into a species inventory. The 18 identification keys provide the user with a much improved tool for identification, which includes for the first time all the revised species of the Palaearctic region. With these keys species can be assigned to genera, subgenera and species groups. In addition, the non-specialist, confronted with the task of identifying sciarids, is provided with the possibility of narrowing down considerably the number of species that he has to take into consideration.10aarmy worm10abiology10aidentification keys10aPalaearctic region10aphylogeny10aSciaridae10aTaxonomy10aZoogeography1 aMenzel, Frank1 aMohrig, Werner  uhttps://sciaroidea.myspecies.info/node/26279