Keywords
Chiastocheta
Diptera
identification key
synonymy
Trollius
How to Cite
Abstract
The genus Chiastocheta Pokorny, 1889 (Diptera, Anthomyiidae) comprises flies associated with Trollius L. (Ranunculaceae), whose imagoes live, feed, copulate and lay eggs in Trollius flowers, while larvae develop and feed on seeds inside the fruits. Here, we review available data on the distribution and taxonomy of Chiastocheta in Russia, supplementing it with the new material, collected during field studies in the Republic of Buryatia (Baikal Nature Reserve), Moscow Region, Novosibirsk and Altai Mountains in 2026. The data obtained indicate that Chiastocheta species are not selective and can interact with any locally available Trollius species/interspecific hybrid. Such a lack of selectivity raises questions about the validity of the description of certain species in the genus Chiastocheta, so we propose the following new synonyms: Chiastocheta inermella Zetterstedt, 1837 = Ch. latispinigera Fan, Chen et Jiang, 1982 and Ch. dentifera Hennig, 1953 = Ch. sachalinensis Suwa, 2013. New illustrations of genitalia and the identification key for five Chiastocheta species known from Russia are offered. In Buryatia we found unusual males/females ratio (1:60) and specimens with atypical genitalia. We suggest that these phenomena can be explained by a facultative parthenogenesis and hybridization between Ch. inermella and Ch. dentifera, respectively.
References
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