Boletina kowarzi Stackelberg, 1943 (Diptera: Mycetophilidae): first Central European record after nearly 150 years from the Bavarian Alps
Boletina kowarzi Stackelberg, 1943 (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) is recorded from Central Europe for the first time in nearly 150 years. The species was originally described based on a single specimen from Thuringia, Germany, collected in 1877, and has not been reported from Central Europe since. New material collected in the Bavarian Alps, Germany, has enabled a redescription and updated diagnosis of the species. The morphology of the male terminalia is documented in detail and illustrated together with the general habitus. Diagnostic characters confirm that B. kowarzi belongs to the species group centred around B. dubia, characterised by a two-branched gonostylus with elongated branches, but it is distinguished from related species by the structure of the inner gonostylar branch and the arrangement of spines on the cerci. DNA barcode data (COI), including diagnostic molecular combination (DMC), reveal pronounced genetic divergence between B. kowarzi and other examined congeners, supporting its distinct species status. The new specimens were collected in an old-growth forest remnant in the Bavarian Alps, characterised by abundant dead wood and a rich community of wood-inhabiting fungi. The discovery suggests that the species may persist in relic montane forests, although its ecological requirements remain poorly understood.
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