Diptera of Svalbard
Diptera (mosquitoes and flies) have in a large extend adapted to a life in an arctic environment and is by far the most common group of insects at Svalbard. This ongoing project will increase the knowledge about the Diptera biodiversity through field work and previous collected material.
Diptera is the most common group of insects at Svalbard; however the fauna is still poorly investigated. The project will therefore compile an updated checklist of all known Diptera of Svalbard, as well as creating identification keys for all species and provide material for the reference collections at the museums.
Such detailed overviews of the species of Svalbard will be important tools for monitoring of the effects of climate warming or introduction of alien species. And will be highly useful for both nature management as well as scientist working with arctic ecology.
There will be taken samples for DNA-barcoding of all species in collaboration with Norwegian Barcode of Life (NorBol). Such data will fortify the species identification, and ease the association between known and unknown stages of life. Collated with other findings will such data illuminate the origin of Svalbard’s fauna and association to other arctic fauna areas.
Project leader: Geir Søli, Natural History Museum of Oslo
Project period: January 2012 – March 2015
Collaborating partners: Department of arctic biology (UNIS) and NTNU University Museum