Dr. Oliver Beckers, an associate professor and principal investigator at Murray State University’s Department of Biological Sciences, has discovered a new species of fly named Neomintho beckersi. The discovery began during a 2021 research project in northern Florida, where Beckers was collecting katydids with funding from the National Science Foundation.
“After I brought the katydids to Murray, I noticed that a couple of larvae emerged from the katydids,” said Beckers. “I was aware that these katydids are used as hosts by the eavesdropping parasitoid fly Ormia lineifrons, that we have here in Kentucky and kills many of the calling katydid males that try to attract females for mating (I do research on those). Thus, I assumed it would be one of those flies and reared them to adulthood in my lab.”
Upon reaching adulthood, the emerging fly displayed characteristics different from Ormia lineifrons; it had a black and slender body rather than yellowish white. Beckers consulted Dr. James E. O’Hara at the University of Guelph in Ottawa, Ontario, who confirmed after further museum research that this was a new species and allowed Beckers to name it. O’Hara has now officially described Neomintho beckersi.
The newly identified fly parasitized a katydid host called Neoconocephalus triops. Unlike other parasitoid flies known for using sound to locate hosts due to their hearing organs, Neomintho beckersi lacks ears and is active during daylight hours when its host is not calling. This makes its method for finding hosts unclear.
“My finding that this fly actually parasitized a katydid is also the first direct evidence that supports this taxonomic grouping related to the other parasitic fly groups,” said Beckers. “Flies of this particular group (Euthelairini) are established in the Neotropics, which adds a little more surprise to this discovery in northern Florida.”
Beckers explained that similar flies lay larvae on their cricket or katydid hosts; these larvae then develop inside while feeding on non-vital organs before eventually killing their host upon emergence after 7-10 days.
“Dr. Beckers’ discovery adds to his work on the relationships between katydids and parasitoid flies,” said Dr. Sterling Wright, professor and chair of Biological Sciences at Murray State University. “The fact that the new fly species cannot hear will undoubtedly keep Dr. Beckers very busy while he studies the dynamics of this interesting relationship.”
“This is a very exciting discovery by Dr. Beckers and will add to the many research breakthroughs that have occurred in our Department of Biological Sciences,” added Dr. Maeve McCarthy, interim dean of Jesse D. Jones College of Science, Engineering & Technology.
More information about Neomintho beckersi can be found at bit.ly/4sfHgx2.
This recent finding follows another insect discovery within Beckers’ family: In 2016, his wife Dr. Laura Sullivan-Beckers—also an associate professor at Murray State—and their daughter Sylvie discovered a new treehopper species while gardening.
“I let Sylvie water the bed, which she promptly flooded,” said Sullivan-Beckers. “All these freshly-killed treehoppers came floating to the surface. I worked with treehoppers as a Ph.D. student, and I knew they didn’t belong in the soil; they’re plant-feeding insects.”
Sullivan-Beckers noted wasps had been depositing stunned treehoppers underground but recognized one unfamiliar species among them—a find later confirmed as new by collaborating experts including her former advisor Dr. Rex Cocroft (University of Missouri) and Dr. Stuart McKamey (U.S Department of Agriculture). Their publication formally described Hebetica sylviae—the fifth known member of its genus worldwide but first found in North America—in August 2019.
“As soon as it was confirmed as a new species, I knew I wanted to name it after Sylvie,” Sullivan-Beckers said.“She was at the heart of the discovery, and it’s not every day a mother gets the chance to name a species after her child.”
She added,“I still can’t believe that these undiscovered treehoppers were essentially in my own backyard.What’s even crazier is that I never would have found them had it not been for the wasps delivering them to my flower bed and my daughter overwatering it.It’s true that science involves luck and serendipity.I was at the right place at the right time with the perfect field assistant.”
With two discoveries now credited between them,Sullivan-Beckers noted her husband has challenged her for future finds.
