Stratiomyomorpha (soldier flies and allies) is an ingroup of Diptera, with a fossil record stretching back to the Early Cretaceous (the Barremian, about 125 MYA). Stratiomyomorpha includes at least 3,000 species in the modern fauna, with many species being crucial for ecosystem functions, especially as saprophages. Larvae of many stratiomyomorphans are especially important as scavengers and saproxyls in modern ecosystems. Yet, fossil larvae of the group are extremely scarce. Here we present 23 new records of fossil stratiomyomorphan larvae, representing six discrete morphotypes. Specimens originate from Cretaceous amber from Myanmar, Eocene Baltic amber, Miocene Dominican amber, and compression fossils from the Eocene of Messel (Germany) and the Miocene of Slovenia. We discuss the implications of these new records for our understanding of stratiomyomorphan ecomorphology in deep time as well as their palaeoecology.

中文翻译：

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水兵蝇及其近亲幼虫的深层生态形态多样性


Stratiomyomorpha（军蝇和盟友）是双翅目的一个内类群，其化石记录可以追溯到早白垩世（巴列姆纪，约 125 MYA）。层肌动物门包括现代动物群中至少 3,000 个物种，其中许多物种对于生态系统功能至关重要，尤其是作为腐食动物。许多层肌类动物的幼虫在现代生态系统中作为食腐动物和腐木动物尤其重要。然而，该群体的幼虫化石极其稀少。在这里，我们展示了 23 个层肌类幼虫化石新记录，代表了六种离散的形态类型。标本来自缅甸的白垩纪琥珀、始新世波罗的海琥珀、中新世多米尼加琥珀以及来自德国梅塞尔始新世和斯洛文尼亚中新世的压缩化石。我们讨论了这些新记录对于我们理解深层时间层藻类生态形态学及其古生态学的影响。