Abstract
Many in the worldwide Diptera taxonomic community were surprised to see the recent publication of the “World Catalog of Dolichopodidae (Insecta: Diptera)” by Yang, Zhu, Wang & Zhang (2006) and the “World Catalog of Empididae (Insecta: Diptera)” by Yang, Zhang, Yao & Zhang (2007). The rapid completion of both catalogs that together report to cover all of the world’s empidoid diversity, the apparent lack of peer review, and the higher classification schemes adopted in these works, appear to have created considerable scepticism and discussion on the extent of their usefulness by empidoid workers. As O’Hara (2008) recently stated “modern technological advances make it possible for just about anyone to compile names from the Zoological Record, to scan catalogues, and to gather information from secondary sources to produce an unimpressive world catalogue in record time”. In order to accurately assess the value of these two catalogs, especially for current and future users, we provide a critical review that touches on all aspects of these contributions. It is not our intention to give a page by page critique, but instead to provide a summary of the types of errors and omissions (illustrated with examples) we have encountered and to point out the limitations of these catalogs while also indicating which parts are useful in a general sense.
References
Barták, M. (1985) A revision of the Rhamphomyia subgenus Lundstroemiella (Diptera: Empididae), with descriptions of a new species. Acta Universitatis Carolinae, Biologica, 1982–1984, 9–46.
Bezzi, M. (1892) I ditteri del Trentino saggio di un elenco delle specie di ditteri finora osservate nel Trentino. Padova [= Padua], 145 pp.
Bickel, D.J. (1987) Kowmungia (Diptera: Dolichopodidae), a new genus from Australia. Invertebrate Taxonomy, 1, 147–154.
Bickel, D.J. (1994) The Australian Sciapodinae (Diptera: Dolichopodidae), with a review of the Oriental and Australasian faunas, and a World conspectus of the subfamily. Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement 21, 1–394.
Bickel, D.J. (1999) Australian Antyx Meuffels and Grootaert and the New Caledonian connection (Diptera: Dolichopodidae). Australian Journal of Entomology, 38, 168–175.
Bickel, D.J. & Dyte, C.E. (1989) Family Dolichopodidae. In: Evenhuis, N.L. (Ed.), Catalog of the Diptera of the Australasian and Oceanic Regions. Bishop Museum Special Publication 86, Honolulu, pp. 393–418.
Brooks, S.E. (2005) Systematics and phylogeny of Dolichopodinae (Diptera: Dolichopodidae). Zootaxa, 857, 1–158.
Chandler, P.J. (editor) (1998) Checklists of insects of the British Isles (New Series). Part 1: Diptera (incorporating a list of Irish Diptera). Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects, 12(1), 1–234.
Chvála, M. (1987) Revision of Palaearctic Microphoridae (Diptera) 2. Schistostoma Beck. Acta Entomologica Bohemoslovaca, 84, 133–155.
Chvála, M. (1989a) Atelestidae. In: Soós, Á. & Papp, L. (Eds.), Catalogue of Palaearctic Diptera, Therevidae – Empididae, Volume 6. Elsevier Science Publishers & Akadémiai Kiadó, Amsterdam & Budapest, pp. 169–170.
Chvála, M. (1989b) Microphoridae. In: Soós, Á. & Papp, L. (Eds.), Catalogue of Palaearctic Diptera, Therevidae – Empididae, Volume 6. Elsevier Science Publishers & Akadémiai Kiadó, Amsterdam & Budapest, pp. 171–174.
Chvála, M. (1996) A taxonomic revision of the Hilara maura-group (Diptera: Empididae) in Europe. Systematic Entomology, 21, 265–294.
Chvála, M. & Kovalev, V.G. (1989) Hybotidae. In: Soós, Á. & Papp, L. (Eds.), Catalogue of Palaearctic Diptera, Therevidae – Empididae, Volume 6. Elsevier Science Publishers & Akadémiai Kiadó, Amsterdam & Budapest, pp. 174–227.
Chvála, M. & Wagner, R. (1989) Empididae. In: Soós, Á. & Papp, L. (Eds.), Catalogue of Palaearctic Diptera, Therevidae – Empididae, Volume 6. Elsevier Science Publishers & Akadémiai Kiadó, Amsterdam & Budapest, pp. 228–336.
Collin, J.E. (1928) New Zealand Empididae based on material in the British Museum (Natural History). British Museum (Natural History), London, 110 pp.
Collin J.E. (1961) Empididae. In: British Flies, Volume 6. University Press, Cambridge, 782 pp.
Daugeron, C. (2001) The subgenus Xanthempis: new species and taxonomical data (Diptera: Empididae). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France (N.S.), 36(4) (2000), 371–388.
Daugeron, C. & Grootaert, P. (2003) Assessment of monophyly of species-groups within Afrotropical Empidini (Diptera: Empididae: Empidinae), with a cladistic analysis of the Empis setitarsus group. Systematic Entomology, 28, 339–360.
Dyte, C.E. (1975) Family Dolichopodidae. In: Delfinado, M.D. & Hardy, D.E. (Eds.), A catalog of the Diptera of the Oriental Region, Volume II, Suborder Brachycera through Division Aschiza, Suborder Cyclorrhapha. University Press of Hawaii, Honolulu, pp. 212–258.
Dyte, C.E. (1980) Some replacement names in the Dolichopodidae (Diptera). Entomologica Scandinavica, 11, 223–224.
Dyte, C.E. (1993) A new catalogue of Palaearctic Dolichopodidae. Empid and Dolichopodid Study Group Newssheet, 12, 6–9.
Dyte, C.E. & Smith, K.G.V. (1980) Family Dolichopodidae. In: Crosskey, R.W. (Ed.), Catalogue of the Diptera of the Afrotropical Region. British Museum (Natural History), London, pp. 443–463.
Enderlein, G. (1936) Ordnung: Zweiflügler, Diptera. In: Brohmer, P., Ehrmann, P. & Ulmer, G. (Eds.), Die Tierwelt Mitteleuropas, 6, Insekten III Teil, Abt. 16: 259 pp., 317 figs. Leipzig.
Evenhuis, N.L. & Pont, A.C. (2004) The Diptera genera of Jacques-Marie-Frangile Bigot. Zootaxa, 751, 1–94.
Grichanov, I. Ya. (2004) Review of Afrotropical Dolichopodinae. Plant Protection News Supplement, 245 pp.
Haliday, A.H. (1832) The characters of two new dipterous genera, with indications of some generic subdivisions and several undescribed species of Dolichopodidae. The Zoological Journal. London, 5(1830-1831), 350–367.
Loew, H. (1874) Diptera nova a Hug. Theod. Christopho collecta. Zeitschrift für gesammten Naturwissenschaften, 43 (N.F. 9), 413–420.
Melander, A.L. (1902) Monograph of the American Empididae. Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 28, 195–368.
Melander, A.L. (1928) Diptera, Fam. Empididae. In: Wytsman, P. (Ed.), Genera Insectorum, 185 (1927), 1–434.
Melander, A.L. (1965) Family Empididae (Empidae, Hybotidae). In: Stone, A., Sabrosky, C.W., Wirth, W.W., Foote, R.H. & Coulson, J.R. (Eds.), A Catalog of the Diptera of America north of Mexico. United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook No. 276, pp. 446–481.
Meuffels, H.J.G. & Grootaert, P. (1988). Dolichopodidae (Diptera) from Papua New Guinea VIII. Phacapsis, a new genus incertae sedis from the mangrove. Indo-Malayan Zoology, 5, 311–319.
Milward de Azevedo, E.M.V. (1976a) Sobre uma nova espécie de Condylostylus Bigot, do Brasil, com uma chave para determinaçao das espécies do grupo 'caudatus' (Diptera, Dolichopodidae). Revista Brasileira de Biologia, 36(1), 13–19.
Milward de Azevedo, E.M.V. (1976b) Sobre uma nova espécie de Condylostylus Bigot do Brasil e aspectos da morfologia externa da genitália do macho de Condylostylus erectus Becker, 1922 (Diptera, Dolichopodidae). Revista Brasileira de Biologia, 36(4), 961–965.
Negrobov, O.P. (1991) Family Dolichopodidae. In: Soós, Á. & Papp, L. (Eds.), Catalogue of Palaearctic Diptera. Dolichopodidae – Platypezidae, Volume 7. Elsevier Science Publishers & Akadémiai Kiadó, Amsterdam & Budapest, pp. 11–139.
Negrobov, O.P., Maslova, O.O. & Selivanova, O.V. (2007) New data on systematic of family Dolichopodidae (Diptera). Russian Entomological Journal, 16(2), 243–244.
O’Hara, J.E. (2008) Cataloguing the Tachinidae. Tachinid Times, 21 (Feb. Issue), 6–10.
Parent, O. (1933) Quelques espèces nouvelles de Diptères Dolichopodides de la Région Paléarctique. Annales de la Société Scientifique de Bruxelles (B), 53, 74–78.
Parent, O. (1938) Diptères dolichopodides. Faune de France, 35, 1–720.
Plant, A.R. (in press) Two new species of Trichopeza Rondani (Diptera: Empidoidea: Brachystomatidae) from Northern Thailand with a revised key to world species. Studia Dipterologica
Pollet, M.A.A., Brooks, S.E. & Cumming, J.M. (2004) Catalog of the Dolichopodidae (Diptera) of America north of Mexico. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 283, 1–114.
Rafael, J.A. & Cumming, J.M. 2004. The Neotropical genera Macrostomus Wiedemann and Porphyrochroa Melander (Diptera, Empididae, Empidinae). Revista Brasileira de Zoologia, 21(3), 439–448.
Robinson, H. (1970) Family Dolichopodidae (Dolichopidae). A Catalogue of the Diptera of the Americas South of the United States, 40, 1–92.
Sinclair, B.J. (1995) Generic revision of the Clinocerinae (Empididae), and description and phylogenetic relationships of the Trichopezinae, new status (Diptera: Empidoidea). The Canadian Entomologist, 127, 665–752.
Sinclair, B.J. & Cumming, J.M. (2006) The morphology, higher-level phylogeny and classification of the Empidoidea (Diptera). Zoo-taxa, 1180, 1–172.
Smith, K.G.V. (1967) Family Empididae (Empidae, Hybotidae). A Catalogue of the Diptera of the Americas south of the United States, 39, 1–67.
Smith, K.G.V. (1975) Family Empididae (Empidae, Hybotidae). In: Delfinado, M.D. & Hardy, D.E. (Eds.), A catalog of the Diptera of the Oriental Region, Volume II, Suborder Brachycera through Division Aschiza, Suborder Cyclorrhapha. The University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, pp. 185–211.
Smith, K.G.V. (1980) Family Empididae. In: Crosskey, R.W. (Ed.), Catalogue of the Diptera of the Afrotropical Region. British Museum (Natural History), London, pp. 431–442.
Smith, K.G.V. (1989) Family Empididae. In: Evenhuis, N.L. (Ed.), Catalog of the Diptera of the Australasian and Oceanic Regions. Bishop Museum Special Publication, 86, 382–392.
Stackelberg, A.A. (1937) Neue Dipteren-Arten aus Höhlen de Vertebrata Turkmeniens und angegrenzenden Länder Mittle Asiens. Trudy Soveta po izucheniyu estestvennykh proizvoditel'nykh sil. Seria Turkmenskaya, 9, 121–139 [In Russian, with German descriptions].
Van Duzee, M.C. (1925) Dolichopodids, new or imperfectly known. Pan-Pacific Entomologist, 1(4), 153–155.
Vaillant, F. (1953) Sur quelques Dolichopodidae du Tassili n’Ajjer. Mission scientifique au Tassili des Ajjer (1949). 1. Recherches zoologiques et medicales. Institut de Recherches Sahariennes de l'Université d'Alger, 273–288.
Wei L.M. (2006) Diptera: Dolichopodidae. In: Li Z.Z. & Jin D.C. (Eds.), Insects from Fanjingshan landscape. Guizhou Science and Technology Publishing House, Guiyang, pp. 468–502.
Westwood, J.O. (1840) Order XIII. Diptera Aristotle. (Antliata Fabricius. Halteriptera Clairv.), p. 125–154. In: An introduction to the modern classification of insects; founded on the natural habits and corresponding organization of the different families. Synopsis of the genera of British insects. Longman, Orme, Brown, Green and Longmans, London, pp. 158.
Wheeler, W.M. & Melander, A.L. (1901) Empidae. Biologia Centrali-Americana. Insecta. Diptera, 1 (Supplement), 366–376.
Woodley, N.E. (2001) A world catalog of the Stratiomyidae (Insecta: Diptera). Myia, 11, 1–473.
Yang D. & Yang C.K. (2004) Diptera Empididae: Hemerodromiinae, Hybotinae. Fauna Sinica, Insecta, 34, i–x, 1–335, pl. 1.
Yang D., Zhu Y., Wang M. & Zhang L. (2006) World Catalog of Dolichopodidae (Insecta: Diptera). China Agricultural University Press, Beijing, 704 pp.
Yang D., Zhang K., Yao G. & Zhang J. (2007) World Catalog of Empididae (Insecta: Diptera). China Agricultural University Press, Beijing, 599 pp.