ISSN 1211-3026 Čas. Slez. Muz. Opava (A), 61: 131-142, 2012 DOI: 10.2478/v10210-012-0014-2 The fauna of Pseudopomyzidae, Micropezidae, Megamerinidae and Psilidae (Diptera) in the Gemer area (Central Slovakia) Jind řich Rohá ček The fauna of Pseudopomyzidae, Micropezidae, Megamerinidae and Psilidae (Diptera) in the Gemer area (Central Slovakia). – Čas. Slez. Muz. Opava (A), 61: 131-142, 2012. Abstract: A review of the fauna of four acalyptrate families (Diptera) in the Gemer area (Slovakia) is presented. Based on previously published records and material examined 1 species of Pseudopomyzidae, 10 species of Micropezidae, 1 species of Megamerinidae and 18 species of Psilidae are listed, each with comments about general distribution, biology, faunistic and/or nature conservation importance. Pseudopomyza atrimana (Meigen, 1830) (Pseudopomyzidae), Cnodaco- phora stylifera (Loew, 1870), Neria longiceps (Loew, 1870) , Rainieria calceata (Fallén, 1820) (Micropezidae), Megamerina dolium (Fabricius, 1805) (Megamerinidae) and Chamaepsila strigata (Collin, 1959) (Psilidae) are the most significant species in the area belonging to rare taxa distinctly jeopardized due to association with (in Central Europe) endangered habitats. Chamaepsila strigata , a new species for the fauna of Slovakia, is recorded for the first time since its description from Montenegro. The first record from Austria and second record from Slovakia of Cnodacophora stylifera are given. New data about habitat association of these rare species are presented. Key words: Diptera, Pseudomyzidae, Micropezidae, Megamerinidae, Psilidae, faunistics, nature conservation, Slovakia, Gemer Introduction Most of the representatives of all of the acalyptrate families treated below were already recorded from the Gemer area in the past. Oldest records dealing with a few species of the family Psilidae were published by the Hungarian dipterist Soós (1946) and the majority of other species of this family were later reported by Martinek (1976, 1984, 1986) and Martinek & Mocek (1995). Rohá ček (1981) published the first finding of Pseudopomyzidae (then as a new family for the fauna of Slovakia) and Rohá ček (1985) the first record of Megamerinidae from the Slovenský kras (Slovak carst). Species of Micropezidae were only reported from the Gemer area by Rohá ček & Barták (1990) in the framework of the revision of the Czech and Slovak fauna of this family. Most of these previously published records were based on collections performed in the study area by the Czech and Slovak dipterists, like Palásek (in 1949), V. Zeman (in 1956, 1962), R. Rozkošný (in 1966), V. Martinek (in 1971), M. Kozánek, J. Máca and V. Straka (in 1979), B. Mocek (in 1989) but mainly by J. Rohá ček (in 1980-1984, his unpublished records based on material from 1984 are presented here). Additional findings from the area under study have been available thanks to recent collecting efforts of J. Šev čík, who operated Malaise traps in the Muránska planina territory and also collected individually in several other parts of the Gemer area. A few other specimens, caught by a Malaise trap in Paseky nr. Tisovec, were submitted for this study by Ľ. Vidli čka. Most recently (collecting trips in 2010-2012) a further significant material was collected by the author. This recently obtained material contributed to the knowledge of the hitherto poorly studied Muránska planina National Park because it added records of some rare species formerly unknown from the Gemer region and/or the whole of Slovakia. The present study belongs to a series of papers devoted to Diptera of the Gemer area (cf. Šev čík & Kurina 2011a,b; Roháček & Šev čík 2011; Rohá ček 2011; Šev čík 2011). Material and methods The account of species recorded from the Gemer area is based on critical review of all published records supplemented by data obtained from the material collected recently in this territory, identified by the author and 131 deposited in SMOC (unless mentioned otherwise). The nomenclature used here largely follows the most recent Checklist of Diptera of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, electronic version 2 (Jedli čka et al. 2009) except some cases where the names are treated according to sources referred to. Species significant from the biogeographical, ecological or nature conservation point of view are marked by “*”, those recorded from Slovakia for the first time by “**”preceding the species’ name. Abbreviations used in text: MT = Malaise trap, SMOC = Slezské zemské muzeum, Opava, Czech Republic. The species from the families listed below were identified using the keys and other determination tools cited in the introductory texts to these families in the above checklist (Jedli čka et al. 2009) unless mentioned otherwise. Study area The Gemer area is here understood as the territory of three national parks in central Slovakia – Muránska planina National Park (= NP), Slovenský raj NP and Slovenský kras NP. A part of the material presented in this study was collected within the framework of the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventories project (ATBI, see www.atbi.eu ) organized by Workpackage 7 (WP7) of the “European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy” (EDIT, see www.e-taxonomy.eu ). All three national parks represent well-preserved karst areas with both montane and thermophilous species included, including several endemic. The results of the species inventory within the ATBI project are available at http://www.atbi.eu/gemer/ . Three Malaise traps were operated in the area – one at Fabova ho ľa Mt. in 2009, the second in the Hrdzavá dolina valley in 2010 and the third in Po ľudnica res. in 2011. For more detail see Šev čík & Kurina (2011a). In 2012 two additional Malaise traps were operated, one at the top plateau of Šiance res. (48°46'11''N, 20°04'14''E, 1000 m), the other near Muránska Lehota, in the Lehotský potok valley (48°42'58''N, 20°00'16''E, 455 m). Synopsis of species PSEUDOPOMYZIDAE A very small family of Acalyptrate Diptera, with only 6 genera and about 20 species worldwide (McAlpine & Shatalkin 1998), having only one representative in Europe (Merz 2007) which is also known from Slovakia (Rohá ček 2009b, 2012). The biology of the members of Pseudopomyzidae is largely unknown. Most recently, decayed vegetation was suggested as the most probable development substrate for the larvae (Rohá ček 2012). Adults can also be attracted to the freshly cut and sappy stumps or logs of deciduous trees (Frey 1952; Merz 1998; Rohá ček 2009a) and to some blossoming plants in forest clearings (Schacht 1997; Stuke 2009). *Pseudopomyza atrimana (Meigen, 1830) (Fig. 7) Literature: Slavec near Plešivec (Rohá ček 1981, 1986a); Muránska planina NP, Patina gamekeeper’s lodge, Muránska planina NP, Zlatno E margin (Rohá ček 2012). Remarks: A temperate transpalaearctic species known from Europe, Canary Is. and from the E. Palaearctic area (for summary of distribution see Rohá ček 2012). The previous records from Slovakia were scarce. Besides the findings from Gemer territory listed above it was only reported from Dlhé nad Cirochou (Rohá ček 1987) and from two localities in the Po ľana Mts. (Rohá ček 2009a). The species is considered vulnerable (VU) in the Czech Republic (Rohá ček 2005a) but regarding the recently increasing records and its abundant occurrence on rotting vegetation in the Muránska planina NP (Rohá ček 2012) it is possibly spreading in Central Europe. MICROPEZIDAE This predominantly tropical family is represented by only 22 species in Europe (Ozerov 2007a), 12 of which are known from Slovakia (Rohá ček 2009d). They are slender, small to large (3.0-16.0 mm) flies characterized by narrow wings and slender long legs. Central European Micropezidae belong to three trophic groups. Micropeza species have phytophagous larvae feeding in the root nodules of leguminous plants and occur in meadows and fields, Rainieria species develop in the rotting wood of deciduous trees and are typical elements of 132 Figs 1-4: Cnodacophora stylifera (Loew) (Micropezidae) and its habitats. 1 – Young growth of reed (Phragmites australis ) in Enns river valley near Admont (Austria); 2 – C. stylifera , male from Michalová env. (Slovakia), body length 5.3 mm; 3 – same specimen, head and thorax with characteristic microtomentose pattern; 4 – boggy meadow near Michalová, arrow indicates Carex acuta growth where the above male was collected. Photo by J. Rohá ček. 133 dipterous communities in old forests; representatives of the Calobatinae have saprophagous larvae developing in decayed organic matter and their adults live in humid forests along rivers or creeks. The majority of data about occurrence of Micropezidae (9 species) in the territory under study have been published by Roháček & Barták (1990) based on material mainly collected by J. Rohá ček in early 80ties but also on specimens obtained from other collectors (see Rohá ček & Barták 1990). The material acquired recently added one more species. Thus, altogether 10 species are now known in the area, including the wetland Cnodacophora stylifera , thermophilous Micropeza brevipennis and Neria longiceps or primeval forest inhabitant Rainieria calceata . Calobata petronella (Linnaeus, 1761) Literature: Murá ň-Hrdzavá dolina, Slavec near Plešivec (Rohá ček & Barták 1990). Material: Muránska planina NP, Tisovec 2.8 km WSW, Hlboký jarok res., 48°40'17''N, 19°54'27''E, 500 m, sweeping undergrowth of beech forest, 23.vi.2012, 1♂; Muránska planina NP, Stožky gamekeeper’s lodge, 48°49'14''N, 19°56'07''E, 870 m, sweeping Equisetum palustre at path, 24.vi.2012, 4 ♂2♀, J. Rohá ček leg. (SMOC). Remarks: A Palaearctic species, frequent in Central Europe. It lives along brooks, preferentially at higher altitudes (Rohá ček & Barták 1990). Cnodacophora sellata (Meigen, 1826) Literature: Murá ň-Hrdzavá dolina (Rohá ček & Barták 1990). Material: Muránska planina NP, Tisovec 3.6 km W, Suché doly res., 48°41'14''N, 19°53'44''E, 560 m, sweeping undergrowth of beech forest, 23.vi.2012, 1♀, J. Rohá ček leg.; Muránska planina NP, Muránska Lehota env., MT, 25.vii.-5.ix.2012, 1 ♀, J.