Fauna europaea: Diptera - brachycera

Area of Science:

• Zoology
• Entomology
• Biodiversity Informatics

Background:

• Fauna Europaea is a public web-service indexing scientific names and geographical distributions of European terrestrial and freshwater animals.
• The project has compiled approximately 230,000 taxonomic names, exceeding initial projections, thanks to over 400 contributing specialists.
• It serves as a crucial reference for diverse user communities in science, government, industry, conservation, and education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present data on the European fauna of Diptera-Brachycera (two-winged insects).
• To highlight the taxonomic classification and current knowledge status of European Brachycera families.
• To discuss the implications of habitat changes and human impact on the extinction risk of these species.

Main Methods:

• Compilation of taxonomic names and geographical distribution data for European animals.
• Focus on Diptera-Brachycera, involving 55 specialists and covering 96 families with 11,751 species.
• Analysis of taxonomic classification, knowledge gaps, and conservation status within European Brachycera.

Main Results:

• The Diptera-Brachycera group is detailed, including its classification into lower brachyceran grade and Eremoneura (Empidoidea, Apystomyioidea, Cyclorrhapha).
• Knowledge of European Diptera-Brachycera varies significantly among families, with some, like Syrphidae, being well-known and others, like Phoridae, poorly understood.
• Despite industrialization and habitat cultivation, no extinctions of European Diptera-Brachycera have been recorded, though data for national Red Lists are limited.

Conclusions:

• Fauna Europaea provides an invaluable, comprehensive resource for European fauna, particularly for the Diptera-Brachycera.
• Ongoing taxonomic research reveals a steady increase in knowledge, with new species discovery shifting towards smaller, more challenging taxa.
• While extinction risk is a concern due to human impact, current evidence suggests no European Diptera-Brachycera extinctions, underscoring the need for more comprehensive national assessments.