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The Cyclorrhaphan Larva

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Book cover Ecomorphology of Cyclorrhaphan Larvae (Diptera)

Part of the book series: Zoological Monographs ((ZM,volume 4))

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Abstract

The Cyclorrhapha is well-supported, species-rich, biodiverse and includes one of the most explosive of insect radiations. Although the larval stage is considered to be important in the radiation of the Cyclorrhapha, knowledge of larvae is poor, a characteristic of most insect groups with a larval stage. Reasons for such neglect are introduced and include an understandable emphasis on the adult stage in taxonomy, problems of obtaining, rearing and identifying larvae and assumptions that they are inherently similar and poor as a source of data. A brief overview of the literature on cyclorrhaphan larvae is presented. To provide an introduction and to set a context for more detailed assessments that are the subjects of later chapters, the origin of the insect larval stage and its attributes and groundplan states in the Diptera are considered. These attributes and groundplan states include peristalsis, fat storage, dormancy and the puparium, and their influence on cyclorrhaphan larval ecomorphology is introduced. The structure and content of the book is outlined.

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  1. National Museums of Scotland, Edinburgh, UK

    Graham E. Rotheray

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Rotheray, G.E. (2019). The Cyclorrhaphan Larva. In: Ecomorphology of Cyclorrhaphan Larvae (Diptera). Zoological Monographs, vol 4. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92546-2_1

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