Updating and expanding the key to European Megaselia (Diptera, Phoridae): from Disney’s Britain to a continental fauna, with 393 additions and four new species

We present a comprehensive list of additions to Disney’s 1989 key ʻScuttle Flies. Diptera: Phoridae. Genus Megaseliaʼ, which has become the de facto fundamental reference for the identification of European species of Megaselia. The present update extends Disney’s key to cover all Palearctic species, with 393 additions and an indication of where they fit in the key. The couplets in Disney (1989) where these species key are indicated. We also report the discovery of two specimens of M. romphaea (Schmitz, 1947) and provide an updated description of this species, as the original account is outdated and difficult to consult. In addition, we describe four new species of Megaselia from Germany – M. bruna Caruso, Bøggild & Grundmann sp. nov., M. curta Caruso, Bøggild & Grundmann sp. nov., M. robertoi Caruso sp. nov., and M. splendida Caruso, Bøggild & Grundmann sp. nov. – using the streamlined method of description developed specifically for the genus.

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Publication Details

Journal
European Journal of Taxonomy
Published
2026-04-13
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2026.1048.3253
Primary Topic
Forensic Entomology and Diptera Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Updating and expanding the key to European Megaselia (Diptera, Phoridae): from Disney’s Britain to a continental fauna, with 393 additions and four new species

Bernd Grundmann, Emily Hartop, Esben Bøggild, Daniel Whitmore et al.
European Journal of Taxonomy
Forensic Entomology and Diptera Studies
article

Updating and expanding the key to European Megaselia (Diptera, Phoridae): from Disney’s Britain to a continental fauna, with 393 additions and four new species

Bernd Grundmann, Emily Hartop, Esben Bøggild, Daniel Whitmore, R. H. L. Disney, Valerio Caruso
article en

Abstract

We present a comprehensive list of additions to Disney’s 1989 key ʻScuttle Flies. Diptera: Phoridae. Genus Megaseliaʼ, which has become the de facto fundamental reference for the identification of European species of Megaselia. The present update extends Disney’s key to cover all Palearctic species, with 393 additions and an indication of where they fit in the key. The couplets in Disney (1989) where these species key are indicated. We also report the discovery of two specimens of M. romphaea (Schmitz, 1947) and provide an updated description of this species, as the original account is outdated and difficult to consult. In addition, we describe four new species of Megaselia from Germany – M. bruna Caruso, Bøggild & Grundmann sp. nov., M. curta Caruso, Bøggild & Grundmann sp. nov., M. robertoi Caruso sp. nov., and M. splendida Caruso, Bøggild & Grundmann sp. nov. – using the streamlined method of description developed specifically for the genus.

European Journal of TaxonomyVol. 1048
Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NO), University of Cambridge (GB), Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart (DE), Ford (Germany) (DE), Dantherm Power (Denmark) (DK)
Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
Openalex Percentile: Top 22%
Forensic Entomology and Diptera Studies
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