Project Number: 1275-22000-226-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Oct 01, 2004
End Date: Oct 31, 2005

Objective:
Long-term goal is to develop identification tools and new predictive classifications of agriculturally important flies; specifically to conduct taxonomic studies on fruit flies, provide monographic research on flower flies, complete taxonomic studies on Western Hemisphere tachinid flies, provide databases of taxonomic, host and other related information concerning flies and provide authoritative identifications of Diptera portions of the USNM Diptera Collection.

Approach:
The most cost effective method of capturing and analyzing character information for phylogenetic and revisionary studies remains the examination and scoring of mirphological characters states among target taxa. Taxonomic problems will be solved using some or more of the following steps: survey of comparative morphological characters; characterizations (diagnosis amd description) of taxa at world or other appropriate level of study by assessment of characters that are shared or unique for each taxon; study type specimens (name vouchers) of species group, genus group, genus group amd higher level taxa to associate taxa recognized with their valid names. Identifications of specimens submitted from within and outside the USDA will be made using available literature and by comparison with identified material in the USNM Diptera Collection.

Project Team

Norrbom, Allen - Al Thompson, F - Chris Scheffer, Sonja Woodley, Norman - Norm

Related National Programs

Crop Protection & Quarantine (304)