The Phoridae (Diptera) of NE-Westphalia: a field study over five years

Contributing reliable data sets to support conservation efforts is currently the most important target of taxonomy and faunistics, yet the lack of statistically significant data makes unambiguous recommendations based on actual biodiversity mostly elusive. Especially the abundance distribution of large and ecologically diverse groups as a prerequisite to assess regional differences is in general not available. In this study a comprehensive faunistic record of Phoridae comprising about 290 species and more than 62000 specimens from a single location in NE-Westphalia caught over five years in a Malaise trap and occasionally by further methods is presented. The study will be distributed among two parts: I) Genera except Megaselia. II) Megaselia. This first part is devoted to 71 species of Phoridae except Megaselia: their sex ratio, abundance distribution, rarefaction and a thorough presentation of rare species and species new to the area of investigation including annotations concerning morphology, ecology, distribution and used literature. Where feasible a photo showing important characters has been added.