LACM Proposal
Title: Collaborative -- Diptera Diversity in Central American Lowland
Forests
PI: Brian Brown
Results from Prior NSF Support
DEB 9407190. Systematics of ant-decapitating flies, genus Apocephalus
(Diptera: Phoridae). 1995-1999. $269,168.
Currently I am in the third year of this grant period. Several papers are
finished, published and in press from this support. Specifically, I have
completed a revision of the Neotropical species of subgenus Mesophora,
including description of twelve new species. A revision of the
Apocephalus attophilus- subgroup is also completed, including description
of forty-three species new to science. Some smaller papers about life
histories and isolated records and species have also been produced.
Publications:
- Brown, B.V. and D.H. Feener, Jr. 1995. Efficiency of two mass sampling
methods for sampling phorid flies (Diptera: Phoridae) in a tropical
biodiversity survey. Contributions in Science 459: 1-10.
- Brown, B.V. 1996. Preliminary analysis of a host shift: revision of
the
Neotropical species of Apocephalus, subgenus Mesophora (Diptera:
Phoridae). Contributions in Science 462: 1-36.
- Brown, B.V. 1996. First record of the genus Plectanocnema Schmitz in
North America (Diptera: Phoridae). Proceedings of the Entomological
Society of Washington. 98: 608-609.
- Brown, B.V. in press. Parasitic phorid flies: a previously
unrecognized cost
to aggregation behavior of male stingless bees. Biotropica.
- Brown, B.V. in press. A further species of Apocephalus,
subgenus
Mesophora (Diptera: Phoridae) parasitic on stingless bees (Hymenoptera:
Apidae: Meliponinae). Studia dipterologica.
- Brown, B.V. in press. Systematics and fossil evidence of
host-parasitoid
relationships of Calamiscus Borgmeier (Diptera: Phoridae. Journal of
Natural History.
- Feener, D.H., Jr. & B.V. Brown. in press. Diptera as parasitoids.
Annual
Review of Entomology.
- Brown, B.V. submitted. Phoridae. in Nadkarni, N.M. & Wheelwright, N.T.
(editors). The Natural History and Ecology of Monteverde, Costa Rica:
Background to Conservation. Oxford University Press.
Diptera
With little exaggeration, it can be said that Malaise traps capture mostly
flies. Examination of representative trap samples, like one from a lowland
forest at Rio Palenque, Ecuador, shows that flies are numerically the
dominant insects in Malaise trap catches, approximately 3/4 of specimens
being flies. Because of this, and because they are among the least studied
of the major groups of insects (Diptera is the 4th largest order of
Insecta), flies deserve special attention in any biodiversity survey that
uses Malaise traps. They certainly require the most labor to sort, process
and prepare for study.
Sample will arrive at LACM as residues with Coleoptera and Hymenoptera
removed. A full-time technician trained in the recognition of fly families
will sort specimens to focal groups, and material will be sent to
collaborating specialists. Some will be mounted at LACM prior to their
being sent out, specifically Stratiomyidae, Tabanidae, Sacrophagidae and
Asilidae.
Many of the flies encountered in the subsample from Rio Palenque were of
two groups: the primitive, nematocerous families and the Phoridae. We
made a special effort to enlist the aid of workers in these groups, and
have coverage of the large nematocerous families Tipulidae, Psychodidae
and Ceratopogonidae. For Phoridae we will work on the second most
species-rich genus in the family, the ant-decapitating flies of the genus
Apocephalus, as well as three smaller parasitic genera, Melaloncha,
Neodohrniphora and Phalacrotophora. Previous work (Brown &;Feener,
1995) has estimated that there might be as many as 150 or more species
of Apocephalus at La Selva. We expect that work in these groups, and
others, will uncover large numbers of previously unknown species, as has
work on phorids so far (Brown, 1993, 1994, 1996, submitted).
Diptera Collaborators and Taxa
Art Borkent, Royal British Columbia Museum Ceratopogonidae
Brian Brown, LACM Phoridae
John Burger, University of New Hampshire Tabanidae
David Caloran, University of Guelph Clusiidae
Eric Fisher, California Department of Food and Agriculture Asilidae
Jon Gelhaus, Philadelphia Academy of Sciences Tipulidae
Steve Marshall, University of Guelph Sphaeroceridae
Riley Nelson, University of Texas, Austin Asilidae
Al Norrbom, SEL /USDA, Washington, D.C. Tephritidae
Thomas Pape, Swedish Museum of Natural History Sarcophagidae
Larry Quate, retired, research associate of LACM Psychodidae
Terry Wheeler, McGill University, Quebec Chloropidae
Norm Woodley, SEL /USDA, Washington, D.C. Stratiomyidae
Facilities -- LACM
LACM has adequate bench space for sorting and preparing specimens. Two
486 computers are available, one equipped with a barcode scanner. A large
(25,000 record) specimen level database of phorid flies is already in
place. Major equipment includes dissecting microscopes, fume hood (for
critical-point-drying) and freezers for storing samples. The LACM has a
large reference collection of insects, consisting of about 5.5 million
specimens. We additionally have the MCZ and USNM collections of Phoridae
on indefinite loan.
Budget Justification -- LACM
G1. Materials and Supplies
Vials: Specimens will be sorted into vials for 6 of the collaborators. 6
vials x 760 samples= 4,560 vials. 2 dram vials cost $13.25/144 vials x
4,560 = $424
Barcode labels: I estimate that 50 specimens/sample over all groups is a
reasonable number. 50 x 760 samples x 10 collaborators = 380,000
barcode labels @ $19.16/1000 = $7,280.80
Pins: Macrodiptera (Stratiomyidae, Tabanidae, Sarcophagidae and Asilidae)
require direct pinning and soaking in ethyl acetate to prepare them from
alcohol. Because the macrodiptera are fewer in number in each sample, I
estimate 25/sample x 4 groups x 760 samples = 76,000 pins. Pins cost
approximately $50.00/1000 x 76,000 = $3,800
Misc. supplies: Miscellaneous supplies include ethyl acetate, slides,
coverslips, mounting medium. Estimated costs are $500/year x 3 years =
$1,500
Total supplies = $13,004.80
G3. Consultant Services: A technician who prefers to be hired as a
consultant will be paid $20,000/year. His task will be to sort samples and
mount specific Diptera that can be processed immediately. His work is
vital to the project. Diptera constitute a huge portion of a Malaise trap
catch, and much of this person's time will be spent sorting samples
(depending on sample size, approximately 3-5 samples/day is a reasonable
rate). Also, this person will critical-point-dry, mount and label all
Apocephalus, pin, dry and mount all Stratiomyidae, Tabanidae, Asilidae and
Sarcophagidae. As part of the institutional commitment, if this proposal
is funded, this position could be made permanent at the end of the grant
period. Please see supporting letter from James Powell on see following
page.
M. Institutional cost-sharing: The LACM agrees to supply material
necessary to prepare and house the Phoridae collected by this inventory.
This amounts to 20% institutional cost sharing on supplies. Included costs
are:
- 12 insect drawers @ $34.64/drawer = $415.68
- pins for 38,000 phorids @ $53.58/1000 = $2,036.04
- HMDS for chemical drying of specimens, 4 bottles @ 23.82/bottle =
$95.26
Total cost sharing on supplies = $2,546.98