First Records of One Genus and Three Species of Long–Legged Flies (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) from Slovakia

Folia faunistica Slovaca 17 (4) 2012: 357–360 www.ffs.sk

FIRST RECORDS OF ONE GENUS AND THREE SPECIES OF LONG–LEGGED FLIES (DIPTERA: DOLICHOPODIDAE) FROM SLOVAKIA

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1Jozef Oboňa , Marc Pollet & Stefan Naglis Department of Biology and General Ecology, Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences,2 Technical University in Zvolen, T. G. Masaryka 24, SK–960 53 Zvolen, Slovakia [[email protected]] Department of Entomology, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Vautierstraat 29, B–1000 Brussels, Belgium; Research Group Terrestrial Ecology (TEREC), University of Ghent (UGent), K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B–9000 Ghent, Belgium;3 and Information and Data Center (IDC), Research Institute of Nature and Forest (INBO), Kliniekstraat 25, B–1070 Brussels, Belgium[ [[email protected]] Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH–8057 Zurich, Switzerland [email protected]] Abstract: - Systenus pallipes First records of three Systenusspecies of leucurus long–legged flies (Diptera: Dolicho podidae) of the subfamily Medeterinae from Slovakia are presented.Ulmus Systenus (von scholtzii Roser, 1840) and Loew, 1859 emerged from rearing unitsBetula with sediment from a water–filled tree hole of elm ( sp.), and (Loew, 1850) from rearing units with similar sediments from birch ( sp.). The relevance of this approach i.e. the rearing process of immatureKey words: stages from tree holes in laboratorySystenus, conditions is briefly discussed.

Diptera, Dolichopodidae, tree holes, first records. INTRODUCTION MATERIAL AND METHODS

- Dolichopodidae or long–legged flies is one of the- During 2012, the first author collected debris from largest families of Diptera (Pape et al. 2009), char tree holes of birch (4. 4. 2012) and elm (25. 5. 2012)- (see in Figure 1) in deciduous forests in Slovakia in acterized by a striking morphological homogenei- - order to rear Dolichopodidae larvae from this sub ty. Most species have a metallic green body colour- - strate. This sampling was carried out in the imme and usually long and slender legs (hence the fam- ily name). The long–legged flies occupy all terres diate vicinity of the village Diviacka Nová Ves (dis trict Prievidza, Slovakia) at two sites: an oak forest trial habitats from coastal beaches to high alti Betula northeast of the village (site 1), with one sampled tude mountain sites (e.g. Robinson & Vockeroth birch tree ( sp.) (tree hole at 1.5 m height), 1981, Pollet et al. 2004, Yang et al. 2006, Pollet Ulmus - and a beech forest west of the same village (site 2), & Brooks, 2008). with one sampled elm tree ( sp.) (tree hole at 0.5 m height). Both tree holes had a capacity of 1–5 Current knowledge on the distribution of Doli- chopodidae in Europe is summarized by Pollet litres. (2011). In Europe, over 790 species have been re Collected debris and fluids from each tree were corded (Pollet 2009, 2011; Naglis 2010), whereas transferred from the field to the laboratory, and the recent Slovakian checklist of long–legged flies placed in a separate transparent 4–liter canning (Pollet & Suvák 2009) includes 238 species. jar. This jar was filled with sediment topped with

Oboňa J, Pollet M & Naglis S, 2012: First records of one genus and three species of long–legged flies (Diptera: Dolichopodi- dae) from Slovakia. Folia faunistica Slovaca, 17 (4): 357–360. Received 30 October 2012 ~ Accepted 14 December 2012 ~ Published 16 December 2012

♂ New species for liquid from the same tree hole to one third of its SlovakiaE, 340 m a. s. l., 7276 DFS , 20. 8. 2012, 1 , J. Oboňa height, and closed by a Petri dish. These rearing leg., M. Pollet det., in M. Pollet coll., Systenus scholtzii (Loew, 1850) units were daily monitored. Long–legged flies that- . emerged from these substrates were stored in a 75 % ethanol solution in a polyethylene Eppendorf vi - al and disseminated for identification to the junior Material examined: Slovakia occ., Prievidza district, authors. - Vrbany env. Diviacka Nová Ves, site 1, Rudnians - ka♀ kotlina basin, ♀birch tree hole, 48° 45’ 16.87” N Explanations and abbreviations: geomorpholog 18° 30’ 44.73”New E, 320species m a. fors. l., Slovakia 7277 DFS , 5. 5. 2012, ical units and grid mapping codes of the Data 1 , 14. 5. 2012, 1 , J. Oboňa leg., S. Naglis det., in S. bank of the Slovak fauna (DFS) are cited following Naglis coll., . Lučivjanská (1989). DISCUSSION RESULTS Dolichopodidae - Subfamily: Medeterinae The majority of dolichopodid species is found in all- Genus: Systenus Loew, 1857 kinds of humid to wet habitats, often in large num- bers. In these habitats, adults feed on insect lar Systenus leucurus Loew, 1859 vae, mites, worms and other invertebrates (see Ul rich 2004) that they obtain from substrates like - wet mud, mosses and plant foliage. In contrast, Material, examined: Slovakia occ., Prievidza district, dolichopodid larvae and their ecology are very Diviacka Nová Ves, site 2, Strážovské vrchy♀ moun poorly known, and theSystenus preimaginal stages of only- tains elm tree hole, 48° 44’ 54.63” NewN 18° species 28’ 45.13” for very few Palaearctic species have been described SlovakiaE, 340 m a. s. l., 7276 DFS , 26. 8. 2012, 1 , J. Oboňa (Hedström 1997). species make an ex leg., M. Pollet det., in M. Pollet coll., ception to that rule, most probably due to the fact Systenus pallipes (von Roser, 1840) . that they are easily gathered, as being restricted in- their occurrence to rot holes and sap runs of trees - (Steyskal 1970, Vaillant 1978). As such, lar Material, examined: Slovakia occ., Prievidza district, val habitats of eight Palaearctic (Lundbeck 1912, Diviacka Nová Ves, site 2, Strážovské vrchy moun Krivosheina & Mamaev 1967, Krivosheina 1973) tains elm tree hole, 48° 44’ 54.63” N 18° 28’ 45.13” and four Nearctic species (Wirth 1952) have been

Figure 1.

Sampled tree holes of birch and elm respectively. Folia faunistica Slovaca 17 (4) 2012: 357–360 359

Table 1. Systenus

specimens collected in Belgium (1981–2006) and separated per sampling method (Pollet, unpubl. data). * HC: collected by hand; MT: Malaise trap; PiT: pitfall trap; BGPT: blue–green pan trap; WPT: white pan trap; YPT: yellow pan trap; RE: rearingSpecies from \ Collecting rot hole debris. method * HC MT PiT BGPT WPT YPT RE Systenus bipartitus 1 2 1 Systenus leucurus 3 9 Systenus pallipes 1 2 1 1 Systenus scholtzii 5 Systenus tener 3 3 5

- documented, but the identification of the first im- a wide array of stenotopic Diptera andSystenus Coleoptera mature stages remains quite difficult. In order to (Schmidl et al. 2008). These invertebrates, in turn, achieve a reliable identification, it is therefore rec represent a suitable food source for larvae ommended to rear these larvae to the adult stage. (e.g. Wirth 1952). DamagedSystenus trees or trees with tree- Systenus This was also the approach applied in this study. holes are quite common in Slovakia.Systenus Therefore it is- quite surprising that has not yet been re According to the older literature, adults corded, especially considering the diversi are mainly collected by the rearing of larvae from ty observed in an even intensively managed beech substrates (rot hole detritus or tree saps), gathered - forest in Germany (Diestelhorst & Lunau 2001). on trees (e.g. Lundbeck 1912, Parent 1938, d’Assis Systenus - Of course, in order to gather a reliable picture of Fonseca 1978). With the introduction of new sam - - the diversity in a certain region, the em pling techniques, representatives of this genus are ployment of traditional collecting methods for doli currently more readily, but still not quite often, en - chopodids will prove unsatisfactory. One approach countered. And although most recent records still that yields very detailed information on the type originate from larval rearing, others were gath of microhabitat of the different species certainly is ered with pan traps (Yang & Gaimari 2003, Pollet the collection of substrate from potential breeding & Grootaert, 1987, 1994, Diestelhorst & Lunau - sites on trees (see the present study). Another one 2001), Malaise traps (Bickel 1986, Naglis 2000), might be the periodic monitoring of these breed light traps (Wirth 1952, Bickel 1986), and sweep ing places which is less destructive, but requires a nets (Godfrey 1993) or observed directly in the higher time investment. field (Bickel Systenus1986). Of particular interest are the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS light trap collectings, which might be explained by- the fact that appears to be mainly active beyond its known microhabitats late in the after Systenus - The work of the first author was supported by the noon and the evening (Speight 1987). In addition, - Slovak Research and Development Agency under also the predominance of in dull black col the contract No. APVV–0059–11. oured pan traps seems Systenusto have an ecological finger- REFERENCES print (these traps might simulate the dark coloured Systenus microhabitats where breeds) (Diestel Records of the Australian Museum horst & Lunau 2001). Table 1 summarizes records- Bickel DJ, 1986: Australian species of (Diptera: of Belgian specimens collected between 1981 and- Dolichopodidae). , 2006 in 15 Belgian localities, according to the sam 38 (5): 263–270. - pling technique (Pollet, EURODOL database, un Diestelhorst O & LunauMitteilungen K, 2001: der Leben Deutschen in der GesellsKrone.- publ. data). It can be concluded from this overview chaftFarbschalenfänge für allgemeine von und Dolichopodidenangewandte Entomologie, im Kronen Systenus - raum einer Buche. that Malaise traps yielded most of the specimens 13: (22 of 37). Also, six species of were col 543–546. Handbooks for the Iden- lected by Malaise traps from the same locality in d’Assistification Fonseca of British ECM, Insects, 1978: Diptera Orthorrhapha the Amazonas Basin near Manaus, Brazil (Naglis Brachycera Dolichopodidae. Systenus Systenus pallidus - 2000). Naturalist, 9 (5): 1–90. - Godfrey A, 1993: (Diptera, Dolichopo larvae have been reared from tree hole - didae) in Yorkshire. 118 (1004): 15–16. - sediments of a number of northern temperate de Hedström L, 1997: Diptera Dolichopodidae, Long–leg- ciduous tree species (see overviews in Speight - ged Flies. pp. 345. In NilssonApollo AN Books, (ed.): Stenstrup. Aquatic in 1987, Pollet 2000). Such tree holes, often called sects of North Europe. A taxonomic handbook. Vol dendrotelmata, are special, terrestrial to aquat ume 2. Odonata – Diptera. - ic, microhabitats (e.g. Röhnert 1950, Kitching Kitching RL, 1971: An ecological study of water–filled 1971, 2004), which house the immature stages of tree holes and their position in the woodland ecosys 360 Oboňa J et al.: Three species of dolichopodids from Slovakia

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