Eco-morphological diversity of larvae of soldier flies and their closest relatives in deep time

Viktor A Baranov; Yinan Wang; Rok Gašparič; Sonja Wedmann; Joachim T Haug

doi:10.7717/peerj.10356

Eco-morphological diversity of larvae of soldier flies and their closest relatives in deep time

PeerJ. 2020 Nov 27:8:e10356. doi: 10.7717/peerj.10356. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Viktor A Baranov¹, Yinan Wang², Rok Gašparič³, Sonja Wedmann⁴, Joachim T Haug^{1

5}

Affiliations

¹ Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, Bayern, Germany.
² Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences, Logan, UT, USA.
³ Oertijdmuseum, Boxtel, The Netherlands.
⁴ Department of Messel Research and Mammalogy, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Frankfurt/M., Germany.
⁵ GeoBio-Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Bayern, Germany.

Abstract

Stratiomyomorpha (soldier flies and allies) is an ingroup of Diptera, with a fossil record stretching back to the Early Cretaceous (the Barremian, about 125 MYA). Stratiomyomorpha includes at least 3,000 species in the modern fauna, with many species being crucial for ecosystem functions, especially as saprophages. Larvae of many stratiomyomorphans are especially important as scavengers and saproxyls in modern ecosystems. Yet, fossil larvae of the group are extremely scarce. Here we present 23 new records of fossil stratiomyomorphan larvae, representing six discrete morphotypes. Specimens originate from Cretaceous amber from Myanmar, Eocene Baltic amber, Miocene Dominican amber, and compression fossils from the Eocene of Messel (Germany) and the Miocene of Slovenia. We discuss the implications of these new records for our understanding of stratiomyomorphan ecomorphology in deep time as well as their palaeoecology.

Keywords: Amber; Diptera; Messel; Morphospace; Soldier Flies; Stratiomyomorpha.

Grants and funding

This project is supported by the Volkswagen Foundation in the frame of a Lichtenberg Professorship of Joachim T. Haug (Joachim T. Haug; Viktor Baranov). Viktor Baranov was supported by the LMU Excellence Initiative, via LMU Junior Researcher Fund. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.