Paleoplatyura johnsoni Johannsen, 1910

Mantič, Michal & Ševčík, Jan, 2017, Macrocera rohaceki sp. nov. and other interesting records of Keroplatidae (Diptera) from southern and central Europe, with DNA sequence data, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 57 (2), pp. 751-764 : 761

Paleoplatyura johnsoni Johannsen, 1910

( Figs 27–31 )

Material examined. ITALY: SICILY: N Sicily, Raccuia, 0.9 km W, Fiumara di Sinagra, 450 m, sweeping vegetation along small creek, 19.iv.2016, 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, J. Roháček leg., J. Ševčík det. ( JSL-UOC).

Comments. A rare species, only known from several localities in the eastern part of Nearctic Region ( SHAW 1952). This is the first record of this remarkable species from the Palaearctic Region. DNA sequence of the barcode region of COI is also provided ( Table 3).

This species possibly represents one of the most primitive and ancient forms of Keroplatidae and can be considered (together with its two extant congeners) as a “living fossil”. Three additional species of Palaeoplatyura were described from the Eocene and Oligocene fossils ( EVENHUIS 2006). The exact phylogenetic position of this genus is unknown but preliminary data based on the multigene molecular analysis (Mantič et al., in prep.) suggest that the clade containing Platyura and Paleoplatyura branched rather basally, forming a sister group to all the other taxa of Keroplatidae , except Arachnocampinae .

This finding also represents a very rare occasion, when a species of Keroplatidae is found in both the Nearctic and Palaearctic Regions. The only known example in the extant keroplatid fauna is Orfelia discoloria (Meigen, 1818) , but this may change as soon as a detailed revision of that species group is made. There is also a possibility of a recent introduction by human activities as was demonstrated for some other species of Keroplatidae ( CHANDLER & PIJNAKKER 2009) . Although the type material of P. johnsoni has not been studied, the identity of the species was established according to the detailed redescription given by SHAW (1952).

Figures

Figs 27–31. Palaeoplatyura johnsoni Johannsen, 1910, male: 27 – wing; 28 – terminalia, ventral view; 29 – terminalia, dorsal view, tergite 9 removed; 30 – tergite 9 and cerci, external view; 31 – habitus.