Taxonomic Revision of Tipula (Vestiplex Bezzi) Crane Flies (Diptera, Tipulidae) in Taiwan with Descriptions of Six New Species

Simple Summary The crane fly subgenus T. (Vestiplex) includes 189 species level taxa which are distributed throughout the Nearctic, Palaearctic, and Oriental Regions. In this work, the T. (Vestiplex) fauna of Taiwan is revised, entailing the recognition of 18 species, including six new species. DNA barcode sequences are also provided. The crane fly subgenus Tipula (Vestiplex) Bezzi, 1924 (Diptera, Tipulidae) of Taiwan is taxonomically reviewed, entailing the recognition of 18 species, with six of these species newly described, including T. (V.) diamondi sp. nov., T. (V.) formosae sp. nov., T. (V.) graciliana sp. nov., T. (V.) pseudobiserra sp. nov., T. (V.) survilai sp. nov., and T. (V.) taiwanica sp. nov. Three species, T. biaciculifera Alexander, 1937, T. niitakensis Alexander, 1938, and T. pseudobiaciculifera Men, Xue and Wang, 2016, listed previously as members of the subgenus T. (Pterelachisus) Rondani, 1842, are now formally placed as member taxa within T. (Vestiplex). Tipula subnata Alexander, 1949 and T. (V.) longarmata Yang and Yang, 1999 are designated as junior synonyms of T. (V.) coxitalis Alexander, 1935; T. (V.) nokonis Alexander, 1935 is designated as a junior synonym of T. (V.) terebrata Edwards, 1921; and T. (V.) takahashiana Alexander, 1938 is designated as a junior synonym of T. (V.) bicornigera Alexander, 1938. Included in this taxonomic revision are a key to species, species diagnoses for all species, complete descriptions for newly described species, and illustrations of the male genitalia for all species, and for female terminalia when available. DNA barcode sequences for all Taiwanese species of T. (Vestiplex) are provided. Males are associated with conspecific females based on CO1 results and maximum likelihood trees resulting from the analyses are presented. The Taiwan fauna of Tipula (Vestiplex) is highly endemic with 16 of the 18 species restricted to the island. At the species group level, no groups are endemic to Taiwan and the groups show closest biogeographic relationships to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Automated summary

In this study, the taxonomy of Tipula (Vestiplex) subgenus in Taiwan was revised, and 18 species, including six new species, were recognized. The DNA barcode sequences were also provided. Sixteen out of the 18 species are endemic to Taiwan, and the species group shows closest biogeographic relationships to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.