Mycetophilidae (Diptera) in Dominican amber as indicators of ecosystem stability in the Caribbean - faunistic changes through geological time

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Mycetophilidae (Diptera) are nematoceran flies whose larvae live in the litter on forest floors, where they partake in decomposition of organic matter. The project proposed here concerns faunistic analyses of fossil Mycetophilidae in Dominican amber and the extant members of this family in the Caribbean. Similarities and differences between the faunas will provide insight into the impact that environmental changes through geological time had on the rainforest ecosystem. The results for the litterbased mycetophilid fauna will be compared with studies on other insect taxa from different habitats, such as the aquatic fly family Chironomidae. Faunistic analyses of key taxa constitute a productive approach for a palaeoecological reconstruction of the ancient forest, and reveal potential alterations induced by environmental change. The Dominican amber-producing forest is ideal for conducting comparative studies on the impact of environmental changes through geological time. Climate in particular has undergone significant changes in this region and experienced cool and dry periods. The effects of these climatic changes on the tropical rainforestecosystems in the Caribbean are still unclear.