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Issue: Vol. 5792 No. 2: 13 Apr. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-04-13
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5792.2.8
Page range: 370-382
Abstract views: 171
PDF downloaded: 4

Sexual dimorphism in wing shape of Dolichopus ungulatus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Hercostomus brevicornis (Staeger, 1842) with morphometric notes on wings of related species of Dolichopodinae (Diptera: Dolichopodidae)

Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology; Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection; University of Lodz; Banacha 12/16; 90-237 Łódź; Poland.
Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology; Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection; University of Lodz; Banacha 12/16; 90-237 Łódź; Poland.
Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology; Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection; University of Lodz; Banacha 12/16; 90-237 Łódź; Poland.
Department of Invertebrate Evolution; Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research; Faculty of Biology; Jagiellonian University; Gronostajowa 9; 30-387 Łódź; Poland.; Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals; Polish Academy of Sciences; Sławkowska 17; 31-016 Kraków; Poland.
Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology; Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection; University of Lodz; Banacha 12/16; 90-237 Łódź; Poland.
Diptera long-legged flies geometrical morphometry interspecific comparison intraspecific variation

Abstract

Wing venation provides important characters for systematic and phylogenetic studies of Dolichopodidae and may exhibit sexual dimorphism shaped by underlying biological mechanisms. This study examines sexual dimorphism in wing shape of two Dolichopodinae species, Dolichopus ungulatus and Hercostomus brevicornis, and compares male wing venation with that of closely related species, D. popularis and H. celer. Wing shape was analysed morphometrically using 138 wing images of four species collected in Poland, allowing quantitative assessment of intra- and interspecific variation. The results indicate pronounced sexual dimorphism in both studied species, with partial separation in H. brevicornis, and show significant differentiation in wing venation among related species. These findings highlight the utility of morphometric analysis in detecting subtle morphological differences between sexes and closely related taxa. These morphometric data may provide a useful basis for future studies on wing shape evolution and phylogenetic relationships within Dolichopodinae.

 

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How to Cite

Słomczyński, K., Stępień, A., Wardziak, N., Syratt, M. & Słowińska, I. (2026) Sexual dimorphism in wing shape of Dolichopus ungulatus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Hercostomus brevicornis (Staeger, 1842) with morphometric notes on wings of related species of Dolichopodinae (Diptera: Dolichopodidae). Zootaxa, 5792 (2), 370–382. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5792.2.8