Fly palaeo-evo-devo: immature stages of bibionomorphan dipterans in Baltic and Bitterfeld amber

Abstract

Larvae of flies and gnats (Diptera) form a crucial component of many terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems in the extant biosphere. Larvae of Diptera play a central role in water purification, matter and energy transfer in riparian ecosystems in rivers, carbon cycling in lakes and forests as well as being major decomposers of dead organic matter. Despite all these important roles, dipteran larvae are most often ignored in palaeoecological studies, due to the difficulty of the taxonomic identification of fossil larvae, but also due to the perceived importance of adult dipterans in palaeoentomological and taxonomic studies. Despite that, much information on palaeoecosystems can be gained from studying fossil dipteran larvae, in particular for well preserved specimens from fossil resins (ambers and copals). Since ambers are selectively preserving fauna of trunks and leaf litter, it allows us to learn a lot about xylophages and saprophages of amber forests, such as Eocene Baltic amber forest. Here we present immature stages (larvae and pupae) of the dipteran ingroup Bibionomorpha, from Baltic and Bitterfeld amber forests. We have recorded at least four different larval morphotypes, one with four distinct instars, and at least three pupal morphotypes. One larva is recognised as a new species and can be interpreted either as a representative of a highly derived ingroup of Bibionidae or as a sister species to Bibionidae. Also represented by single larval specimens are the groups Pachyneura (Pachyneuridae) and Sylvicola (Anisopodidae). The majority of the recorded specimens are representatives of the group Mycetobia (Anisopodidae). Due to the abundance of immature stages of Mycetobia, we have been able to reconstruct the number of larval stages (4) and relative growth rate of these fossil dipterans. We discuss implications of these finds.