Saproxylic fly diversity in a Costa Rican forest mosaic

<p>This paper presents the first assessment of the diversity of tropical saproxylic Diptera, done on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica. Forty-one trees representing nine species and six plant families were sampled in a rearing experiment. In total, 272 individuals attributable to 18 families of Diptera were reared. Low abundance and species richness of flies was observed overall. A majority of taxa were in saprophagous and mycophagous larval feeding guilds, followed by predators. Host associations, successional stage, and stratum preferences are estimated for the more abundant species. The results support previous findings regarding saproxylic Diptera and their association with moist wood and secondary forests. </p>