Two new species of Dicranoptycha Osten Sacken, 1859, crane flies (Diptera, Limoniidae) from the Korean peninsula are described, illustrated and compared with already known and related species. An identification key and check-list of all Korean Dicranoptycha is presented.

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The investigation of Limoniinae (Diptera: Limoniidae) crane flies on the Korean Peninsula was started by the authors of this publication in 2012. Since then specimens are collected each season in different localities, at differ ent times and using different methods throughout the country. The aim of the study is to document, redescribe, illustrate and prepare keys for all Korean species. This publication is continuation of our previous works on Li moniinae crane flies from the Korean Peninsula (Podenas

Larval gut characters of 45 species of black flies, representing 17 subgenera and 15 genera, were studied for their utility in taxon diagnosis and phylogenetic inference. Phasecontrast and scanning electron microscopy revealed a wealth of new characters in the esophageal armature of the foregut. Larval gut morphology, particularly characters of the esophageal armature, varied significantly among taxa, permitting generic diagnoses. A cladogram inferred from 13 gut characters supported a sister-group relationship between Parasimulium and the remaining simuliids, but did not show a strong phylogenetic signal for the current, well-supported concept of tribal level monophyly.Additional key words: esophageal armature, morphology, peritrophic matrix Invertebrate Biology 128(2): 182-204. r

Trichospores of Harpella melusinae in larval black flies from four streams in northwestern South Carolina were measured. The longest fresh trichospore was 242 microm, 38% longer than the reported maximum length of trichospores for this species. After staining with lactophenol cotton blue, trichospore length was significantly reduced by up to 24.4% in fresh larvae and up to 4.9% in fixed larvae. Mean trichospore length differed significantly between seasons and between sampling sites but did not differ significantly between middle and final instars. Trichospore length correlated significantly with host size. We suggest that taxonomic descriptions of trichomycetes should include measurements of fresh, fixed and stained trichospores.

The widespread nominal black fly Simulium (Simulium) rufibasis Brunetti was reexamined morphologically, chromosomally, and molecularly to determine the status of populations in Japan and Korea with respect to S. rufibasis from the type locality in India and to all other known species in the S. (S.) tuberosum species-group. Morphological comparisons established that the species previously known as S. rufibasis in Japan and Korea is distinct from all other species. Consequently, it was described and illustrated as a new species, Simulium (S.) yamatoense. Simulium yokotense Shiraki, formerly a synonym of S. rufibasis, was morphologically reevaluated and considered a species unplaced to species-group in the subgenus Simulium. Chromosomal analyses of S. yamatoense sp. nov. demonstrated that it is unique among all cytologically known species of the S. tuberosum group and is the sister species of the Taiwanese species tentatively known as S. (S.) arisanum Shiraki. Populations of S. yamatoense sp. nov. included two cytoforms, based on the sex chromosomes. Cytoform A, including topotypical representatives, was found in Kyushu, Japan, whereas cytoform B was found in Korea and Honshu, Japan. Molecular analysis based on the COI mitochondrial gene generally corroborated morphological and chromosomal data that S. yamatoense sp. nov. is a distinct species and, like the chromosomal data, indicate that it is most closely related to S. arisanum, with interspecific genetic distance of 2.92–4.63%.

Pyrgotidae is a small acalyptrate family including about 370 species worldwide and little attention has been given to their systematics until recently. Latest changes in taxonomic status of some of the Korean species made this review inevitable. In the present study, the Korean pyrgotid species are reviewed with discussion of their taxonomic status. We also provide a revised key to all 14 Korean species (seven Adapsilia, three Eupyrgota, two Parageloemyia, one Porpomastix, and one Tephritopyrgota species) supplemented by digital images to facilitate accurate identification.

Immature stages of Simulium (Simulium) japonicum were collected and redescribed from Korea. Descriptions are supplemented with photographs of larvae and pupae as well as habitat information. The fungal pathogenic parasite, Coelomycidium simulii, is reported for the first time from Korea. Coelomycidium simulii, a widespread pathogen of black fly larvae, was found in Simulium (Simulium) japonicum larvae with infection rate of 2%.