Taxonomic revision of the genus Aberdareleria (Diptera, Heleomyzidae, Oecotheini) with description of a new species from China

Occurrence Observation
Latest version published by ZooKeys on Feb 3, 2026 ZooKeys
Publication date:
3 February 2026
Published by:
ZooKeys
License:
CC-BY 4.0

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Description

This dataset supports our paper titled “Taxonomic revision of the genus Aberdareleria (Diptera, Heleomyzidae, Oecotheini) with description of a new species from China” published in ZooKeys. Our work involved a taxonomic revision of the genus Aberdareleria, leading to the description of a new species, Aberdareleria qinghaiensis sp. nov., based on a single male specimen collected in Qinghai Province, China. This record is significant as it represents the first discovery of the genus outside the Aberdare Mountains in Kenya, indicating a remarkable intercontinental disjunction of more than 6,000 km. The dataset consists of the complete occurrence record for the holotype specimen of this new species. Key details of the specimen, including its precise locality (country, province, specific habitat), decimal latitude and longitude coordinates, elevation, collection date, and collector, have been structured following the Darwin Core standard. By publishing this primary data of the sole specimen through GBIF, we aim to provide a reliable and citable data point for the global research community, facilitating further studies in biogeography and systematics.

Data Records

The data in this occurrence resource has been published as a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A), which is a standardized format for sharing biodiversity data as a set of one or more data tables. The core data table contains 1 records.

This IPT archives the data and thus serves as the data repository. The data and resource metadata are available for download in the downloads section. The versions table lists other versions of the resource that have been made publicly available and allows tracking changes made to the resource over time.

Versions

The table below shows only published versions of the resource that are publicly accessible.

How to cite

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

Zeng W (2026). Taxonomic revision of the genus Aberdareleria (Diptera, Heleomyzidae, Oecotheini) with description of a new species from China. Version 1.0. ZooKeys. Occurrence dataset. https://ipt.pensoft.net/resource?r=aberdareleria_qinghaiensis&v=1.0

Rights

Researchers should respect the following rights statement:

The publisher and rights holder of this work is ZooKeys. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY 4.0) License.

GBIF Registration

This resource has been registered with GBIF, and assigned the following GBIF UUID: d1cae9ed-8d4f-44d0-add0-b5468779de0f.  ZooKeys publishes this resource, and is itself registered in GBIF as a data publisher endorsed by GBIF Bulgaria.

Keywords

Occurrence; Observation

Contacts

Wei Zeng
  • Originator ●
  • Point Of Contact
China Agricultural University
100193 Beijing
CN
Dawei Hong
  • Point Of Contact
Xizang Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University
860000 Nyingchi
Xizang
Ding Yang
  • Point Of Contact
China Agricultural University
100193 Beijing
CN

Geographic Coverage

China, Qinghai, Menyuan, Xianmi, [37°31.8'N, 101°34.8'E], 3491 m

Bounding Coordinates South West [37.53, 101.58], North East [37.53, 101.58]

Sampling Methods

The holotype specimen of Aberdareleria qinghaiensis sp. nov. was collected in July 2023 from Menyuan County, Qinghai Province, China, using an aerial sweep net. All taxonomic identifications and comparisons were conducted under optical stereo microscopes. The methodology followed standard morphological taxonomy procedures, involving dissection, slide preparation, observation, imaging, and morphometric measurement of key characters (e.g., head, wings, terminalia). The diagnosis was based on point-by-point comparison with the morphological descriptions published in the literature.

Study Extent This study presents a global taxonomic revision of the genus Aberdareleria (Diptera: Heleomyzidae). The study extent encompasses the detailed examination of the holotype specimen of the new species from Qinghai, China, and a comprehensive morphological comparison with the original descriptions and illustrations of the previously known species, A. freidbergi.

Method step description:

  1. Field Collection: The specimen was captured via aerial sweeping in a high-altitude meadow habitat. Laboratory Examination: The specimen was pinned, labeled, and examined under a Leica M205C stereo microscope. Morphological Analysis: Key structures were dissected, measured, and photographed for comparison with published descriptions.

Additional Metadata