The following information was extracted from the document "A Seven Year Plan for an Inventory of the Diptera of Costa Rica" (September 1998) by D.M Wood and Manuel Zumbado and up dated with recomendations of the Diptera Taxonomic working group follow up workshop held on June 2000.

For its size, Costa Rica must have one of the most diverse faunas of any country in the world. Unfortunately, however, the taxonomy of most of the families of Costa Rican flies is not well developed, especially among families in which the flies themselves are very small. We estimate that there are between 20,000 and 30,000 species of flies in Costa Rica, but scarcely 900 of these have been recorded in the literature. A recent survey of the tachinid literature revealed that fewer than 5% of the expected species of Tachinidae have been mentioned from Costa Rica, and the same is true for most other families, of which there are almost 90 so far recorded in Costa Rica.Tabanidae, Mosquitoes (Culicidae) may be an exception, however, because the group is well known in the Neotropical Region, but even for mosquitoes it is not possible at the present time to state precisely how many species are found in Costa Rica.

On May 29 1998, the Diptera Taxonomic Working Group (TWIG) met to develop sampling and curatorial protocols to maximize the data to be obtained by the Diptera TWIG.

In June 11-15, 2000 some of the Diptera TWIG members met in Monterverde to evaluate the process of collecting, mounting and identification of specimens. Likewise, the strategy for the Manual of the Diptera of Costa Rica was defined.

Diptera TWIG

Diptera TWIG Organization:

Taxonomists

Monty Wood (Canadian National Collection, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa) (Oestridae y Tachinidae) (Coordinador Internacional)

Larry Quate (Poway, California) (Psychodidae)

Darlene Judd (Oregon State University, Corvallis) (Culicidae)

Art Borkent (Royal British Columbia Museum, British Columbia) (Ceratopogonidae)

Art Borkent (Royal British Columbia Museum, British Columbia) (Corethrellidae)

Norman E. Woodley (Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA, Washington, DC) (Stratiomyidae)

John Burger (University of New Hampshire, Durham) (Tabanidae)

Eric Fisher (California Department of Food and Agriculture, Sacramento) (Asilidae)

Jeff Cumming (Canadian National Collection, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa) (Empididae)

Dan Bickel (Australian Museum, Sidney) (Dolichopodidae)

Brian Brown (Los Angeles County Museum, California) (Phoridae)

Chris Thompson (Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA, Washington, DC) (Syrphidae)

Steve Marshall (University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada) (Sphaeroceridae y Micropezidae)

Mathias Buck (University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada) (Acalyptratae)

Al Norrbom (Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA, Washington, DC) (Tephritidae)

Thomas Pape (Sweden Museum of Natural History, Stockholm) (Sarcophagidae y Rhinophoridae)

John Vargas (Organismo de Investigación Judicial) (Calliphoridae)

Mario Vargas (Universidad de Costa Rica) (Culicidae)

Valery Kornyeyev (I.I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology) (Ulidiidae)

Kamenyeva Olena (I.I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology) (Ulidiidae)

Manuel Zumbado Arrieta (INBio) (Syrphidae y Tachinidae)

Luis Guillermo Chaverri Sánchez (INBio) (Culicidae)

Curators:

Manuel Zumbado Arrieta (Coordinador General)

Luis Guillermo Chaverri Sánchez

Identification of specimens

Parataxonomists:

Annia Picado Calvo (las cinco áreas)

Braulio Hernández Bogantes (las cinco áreas)

José Daniel Gutiérrez Martínez (AC Arenal-Tilarán)

Milady Alfaro Vindas (AC La Amistad-Pacífico)

Khanaki Caballero Carrera (AC Osa)

Yow Cárdenas Navarro (AC Tempisque)

Elías Rojas Mora (AC La Amistad-Atlántico)

Duvalier Briceño (AC Guanacaste)

Parataxonomist, curators and collaborating taxonomists
during a field trip to Tapantí- Macizo de la Muerte
National Park

Technicians:

Elvia Zumbado Chaves

Xinia Fernández Cedeño

Manuel Solís Vargas

Elvia Zumbado, Sorting of specimens

 

Diptera TWIG / Sampling site selection /
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