Diptera of Suffolk

THE DIPTERA OF SUFFOLK (Cont. from Vol. X, Pt. 1, page 61) FAMILY

xxvi:

PHORIDAE

HUMP-BACKED

FLIES

B y ALASDAIR

ASTON

Unfortunately not many, at least to my knowledge, Phoridae have been recorded with us. Our late Hon. See. seems to have fought rather shy of them, perhaps on account of their small size, but his collection ineludes 25 unidentified speeimens.

T h e records, except where otherwise stated, are from the collection of Claude Morley. M S denotes Monks Soham. These flies are minute to small, very active, greyish-black, brownish or yellowish, of hump-back appearance, with highly characteristic wing-venation. There is, I believe, no up-to-date work dealing with the identification of the British species of Phoridae, but, in case reference is needed, see Wood, J. H. " On the British species of P h o r a " . Ent. Mon. Mag. 42 : pp. 186 - 96, 262 - 6, 1906. 44 : pp. 164 - 74, 215 - 8, 253 - 4, 1908. 45 : pp. 24 - 9, 59 - 63, 113 - 20, 143 - 49, 191 - 5, 240 - 4, 1909. 46 : pp. 149 54, 195 - 202, 243 - 9, 1910 ; Wood, J. H. " Notes on British Phora, Corrections and additions ", Ent. Mon. Mag. 48 : pp.

94 - 9, 166 - 81, 1912 ; Wood, J. H. " Notes on British Phora, further additions ", Ent. Mon. Mag. 50 : pp. 152 - 4, 1914; Lundbeck, W. " Diptera Danica". Vol. VI. Wm. Wesley and Son, London, 1922 ; Malloch, J. R. " Scottish Phoridae ", with tables of all the British Species and notes of localities. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hirt., 1910 : 15 - 21, 87 - 92, 1910 ; Collin, J. E. " On various new or little-known British Diptera, including species bred from the nests of Birds and Mammals ". Ent. Mon. Mag., 75 : 134 - 54, 1939 ; Schmitz, H. " On the Irish Species of the Dipterous Family Phoridae ". Proc. Roy. Irish Acad. 44 (B) 9 : pp. 173 - 204, 1938 ; Schmitz, H. in Lindner, E. " Die' Fliegen der Palaearktischen Region". 33. Phoridae (not complete).

Schweizerbart, Struttgart, 1938 - 49. On a flat surface these insects indulge in " scuttling ". (Over 250 Brit. Spp.) Genus : ANEURINA, Lioy.

Species : *A. unispinosa,Zett. M S 13.viii.25. Henstead Marshes —30.iii.1899. At M S on angelica flowers, 23.ix.16. *A. curvinervis, Becker. Ampton and Bamham, late April and early May (Nurse). King's Lynn, May, 1907 (Atmore) and common there April, 1914. *A. thoracica, Meigen. Ampton (Nurse). *A. urbana, Meigen. Ampton (Nurse).

224

DIPTERA OF SUFFOLK

Genera : and

CHAETOPLEUROPHORA, CITRAGO, S c h m i t z - n o n e .

Schmitz ;

TRIPHLEBA,

Rondani;

Genus : SPINIPHORA, Mall.

Species: *S. maculata, Meig. Timworth, 3.iv.l3 (Nurse).

Genus : BECKERINA, Mall.

Species : *B. umbrimargo, Beck. Fakenham, l.vi.13 (Nurse).

Genus : DIPLONEURA, Lioy.

Species: *D. abdominalis, Fallen. Ampton, 11.ix.13 (Nurse).

One $ at King's Lynn in August, 1913 (in coli. Collin). One was recorded (E.M.M., 1896, p. 155) as P.florea by Tuck from nest of Vespa germanica at Tostock. *D. concinna, Mg. Cavendish, 14.vi.1900. Southwold, 9.vi.18. Letheringham, 15.viii.18. M S fly-trap, 21.viii.

18. MS, 15.vi.25. Timworth and Ampton (Nurse). crassicornis, Verrall (a synonym for concinna) nec Mg.— Dublin, 2.vii. 13.—Morley. Tuddenham Fen, 6.viii.l3. M S , 18.vii.15 and 20.vii.23.

Genus :

PHORA,

Lat.

Species: *P. aterrima, Fab. A very common, deep velvetyblack fly, with glassy-clear wings in which the black anterior veins show up clearly. Often found in summer running actively on broad leaves such as those of laurel or of rhododendron, while the males hover like Empids with pendulous legs.

This was observed at noon, 29.vi.09, in M S garden by the Elder-tree on the lawn six feet from the ground. On flowers by the Orwell near Ipswich, 1.vi. 1897. Common about Timworth (Nurse). Orford (King). Covehithe Bd., l . i x . l l . Boston, June, 1912. Tuddenham Fen, 6.viii.l3.

Brandon, 22.vi.16. Several on lime at M S , 12.vii.17. Letheringham, 15.viii.18. Rattlesden, 22.vii.21. Bentley Woods, 12.V.26. Swept on myrica gale, New Forest, 4.viii.27. MS, 30.viii.48. *P. vetulina, Mg. I cannot find this one in Kloet and Hincks. It is recorded from Orford (King). Perhaps it is only a synonym.

Genus : HYPOCERA, Lioy—none.

Genus :

BOROPHAGA, E n d . ( S u b ) PEROMITRA,

End.

Species : *P. carinifrons, Zett. West Stow, 26.vii.13 (Nurse).

Brandon Butts, 7.viii.l3. Letheringham, 15.viii.18. Frostenden, 16.ix.37. On windows at M S on 17, 18.viii.43, 23.viii.

44. * Denotes Suffolcian.

225

DIPTERA OF SUFFOLK

*P. incrassata, Mg. Ampton and West Stow (Nurse).

Corton Cliffs and Foxhall on ragwort in August. Ringstead Downs in August. Common on foliage of oaks about King's Lynn since September, 1907. Ipswich, 10.viii.97. Lowestoft district, August, 1898. Tuddenham, 28.viii.02. Cromer, August, 03. Staverton, 22.viii.18. M S window, 13.viii.19 and 19.viii.32. M S , 3.viii.21, 3.ix.22, 20.31.viii.23. Lowestoft Denes, 6.ix.23. M S , 7, 10, 12, 13, 15.viii.25. Butley Pit, 22.V.32. Fritton, 17.viii.25. In cop. low on oak trunk in snow, Blythburgh Wood, 23.iii.39. Stowmarket, 19+9 (Aston).

G e n u s : CONICERA, Mg. (Colyer and Hammond State that puparia of one species in this genus have been discovered in large numbers on exhumed human bodies, interred two or three years previously, and the evidence has pointed to several generations having developed in the coffins.)

Species : *C. atra, Mg. Orford (King). Attacked by Tachydromia pallidiventris in M S garden, 7.ix.08. MS, 30.vii.17 and 30.vi.22. *C. similis, Hai. Orford (King). Several beaten from fir in Bentley Woods on ll.v.1899. M S , 14.vii.41.

Genus :

GYMNOPTERA,

Genus : none.

AENIGMATIAS,

Lioy.—none.

Genus :

PLECTANOCNEMA,

Genus :

WOODIPHORA,

Schmitz.—none.

Genus:

GYMNOPHORA,

Mcq.

Meinert.—one species is parasitic on ants— Schmitz.—none.

Species: *G. arcuata, Mg. (nec Wing.).

Helpston, near Peterborough, 13.vi.08.

Genus:

PSEUDACTEON,

Orford

(King),

Coq.

Species : *P. formicarum Verrall. A very tiny species, about 1 m m . long. Parasitic upon the ant, Lasius niger (Meeting of Entomoligical Society, 16th March, 1904). Colyer and H a m mond give it as an internal parasite of Lasius flavus, F. It has been swept in a Newmarket paddock before 1914. For its habits see Donisthorpe, H. St. J. K., " T h e Guests of British.

Ants." Routledge, London, 1927.

Genus:

MEGASELIA,

Rnd.

(=APHIOCHAETA).

Species: *M. picta, Lehm. A scarce species. Timworth (Nurse). Claude Morley presented one to the British Museum which did not possess the species.

It was from Grovelev Wood, near Salisbury on 27.vi.1911.

One specimen annually in Norfolk in June, 1910, May, 1912, and August, 1913 (Atmore).

226

DIPTERA OF SUFFOLK

*M. Meigeni, Beck.

Ampton and Fakenham (Nurse).

*M. fuscinervis, Wood.

West Stow, 12.vi.13 (Nurse).

*M.

MS

latifemorata,

Bk.

fly-trap,

23.vii.17.

*M. giraudii, Egger. ( = r a t a , Wood). 19.ix.30 at beetle holes in dead pine, Blythburgh Wood. 14.ix.09, a $ bred from frass of Callimorpha jacobaeae, Brandon. *M. minor, Zett.

15.vi.25.

M S windows, 21, 23, 30.iii.21, and

*M. lutea, Mg. M S , 17.X.23. and September, 1913 (Atmore).

King's Lynn, August

*M. rufipes, Mg. A very common species, often on windows even in the depth of winter. It was in cop. at M S outside house windows on 18.i.32. Ipswich on study window commonly, 4.xii.98. Ipswich, 31.vii.98, in cop. Ipswich, 15.xii.1897. Very common M S , ll.iv.05. M S , 14.ix.09, 10, 24.iii.21, 29, 30.xi and i.xxi.22, 10.vii.43, 5, 20.xi.44, and several on bedroom windows, 23.xi.44. Horsham St. Faith's, Morley, very common at King's Lynn (Atmore). T h i s fly will eat a great number of things decaying, such as milk curd. In August, 09, both sexes were bred from frass of Callimorpha jacobaeae larvae. Rufipes will also parasitise other insects.

Colyer and Hammond quote the Cerambycid beetle, Criocephalus ferus, Muls., but M r . Morley noted it from pupae of the moth Acherontia atropos and from another moth Eriogaster lanestris. Nurse bred it commonly from a nest of V. crabro at Timworth. Tuck found it at Bury and one $ in a nest of V. crabro at Tostock. Catterick Camp, Yorks. August, 1949 (Aston). *M. pulicaria, Fln. In moss at Ipswich on the first of March, 1895. Swept from reeds at Foxhall, 8.iv.04. Orford (King). Boston, Lines, 6.vi.l2. In a Southwold wooden shelter, 25.ix. 13. Staverton, 20.viii.17. M S , 9.ix.20 and 10.iii.21. Groveley, Wiks, 27.vi.ll. *M. pygmaea, Zett. M S windows, 20, 24.iii.21, and 13.viii.25. Abundant there too on 9.ix.20. *M. melanocephala, Von Roser. Always common at M S in the autumn, 3, 6, 9, 8.ix.20, l.x.22, 19.viii.23, 20.X.29, 23.X.33. Also at MS, 24.iii.21, 2, 13.iv.21, lO.v.40. On a M S window in a warm room, 10.i.21. M S stable, 20.ix.19.

M S window evening, 12.ix.20. M S at light, 5.X.28. At light M S at house, 9 p.m., 17.V.42. M S in frost, 18.X.20.

Shrubland Park, 27.viii.20.

A few speeimens beaten from fir trees at King's Lynn (Atmore).

DIPTERA OF SUFFOLK S.

Genus :

APHIOCHAETA,

227

Brues.

Species: *A. campestris, Wood. Timworth, 29.ix.13 (Nurse). *A. ciliata, Zett. Bedfield Moss, February, 1921. *A. albipennis, Wood (nec Mg.=meconicera). Common in November and February at Timworth (Nurse). *A. diversa, Wood. Tuddenham, 20.viii.13 (Nurse). *A. chlorogaster, Bk. Possibly a Megaselia species, or a mere synonym, as I cannot find it under this genus in Kloet and Hincks. Frequent at Barton Mills on fir, 5.vi.l6. MS, 30.vii.21 and 12.vii.24. Mildenhall on Scots Pine, 27.V.35.

MS, 20.ii.45. M S windows, 29.viii.45, the first there since 28.ii.45. *A. intermedia, Mall. (Or is this Megaselia ?). Ampton (Nurse). *A. fennica, Beck. Not a species I can find in Kloet and Hincks. M S windows, 14.V.21.

Genus:

PHALACROTOPHORA—none.

G e n u s : METOPINA, M c q .

Species : *M. galeata, Hai. Found in an Ipswich garden in 1908 (Bennett).

Phoridae :—20 Genera, over 250 species, 35 in Suffolk.

F A M I L Y xxvii: C L Y T H I I D A E ( = P L A T Y P E Z I D AE) FLAT-FOOTED

FLIES

Suffolk is better recorded in this family, but not necessarily better represented. Small, thinly-haired flies with characteristic wing-venation, they have a habit similar to that of the Phoridae, in that they run jerkily on leaves, rapidly tracing out a circular orbit. Clythiidae, however, sometimes show reddish sheen in strong light. T h e females are usually more attractive than the males. For reference see Verrall, G. H. " British Flies ", Vol. V I I I . Gurney and Jackson, London, 1901 ; Wood, J. H. " Agathomyia viduella, Ztt., a new British fly." Ent. Mon. Mag., 39 : 271, 1903 ; Wood, J. H. " Occurrence in Herefordshire of Callimyia elegantula, Fall., and Agathomyia boreella, Ztt." Ent. Mon. Mag., 41 : 5 - 7, 1905 ; Wood, J. H. " Agathomyia elegantula Fall., a correction; Agathomyia zetterstedti, Ztt., a species new to Britain." Ent. Mon. Mag., 46 : 45 - 6, 1910 ; Lundbeck, W. " Diptera D a n i c a " Vol. vii. Wm. Wesley and Son, London, 1927. Brit. spp. 23.)

228

DIPTERA OF SUFFOLK

Genus : MICROSANIA, Zett.

Species : M. pectinipennis, Mg. Microsania species are just over a mm. in length and are attracted to the smoke of bonfires. Mr. Morley found this one in smoke at Rhinefield Sandys, in the New Forest; it was new to Hants. on this occasion in 1938, and new to Britain in 1926. T h e specimen was a male, determined by Coe, and recorded SNS. trans. iv. p. 73. See Edwards, F. W. on smoke flies, J. Soc. Brit. Ent., 1934.

M. pallipes,

Mg.—none.

G e n u s : OPETIA, M g .

Species: *0. nigra, Mg. Ampton (Nurse). Orford (King).

Potters' Bridge, 20.ix.13. Blythburgh, 24.ix.28. Locally common about King's Lynn in September, 1910 and 1913 (Atmore).

Genus:

CALLOMYIA, M g .

(=CALLIMYIA).

Species : *C. speciosa, Mg. A scarce species with us. A $ in Newmarket garden, 25.viii.1899 (Verrall). Barton Mills in the evening, 20.vi.15. One $ at King's Lynn, in June, 1910 and another June, 1912 (Atmore). *C. amoena, Mg. One at Newmarket in September (Verrall). West Stow (Nurse). In the Brandon district in 1896, Claude Morley, September, a $ Crow Wood Hill, Notts., W. Leake, 9.viii.l4. On a mouldy leaf of dogwood in M S orchard at 3 p.m., on 3.viii.28.

C. leptiformis, Fal.—none. *C. elegans, Mg. New to Suffolk at 2 p.m., on 23.vi.

45, when it was swept in a bog at Blythburgh Wood in the sunshine.

Genus : AGATHOMYIA, Verr.

Species : A. viduella, Zett.-—none. *A. antennata, Zett. Letheringham, 15.viii.18.

Killarney, 7.vi.l913, Morley.

A. boreela, Zett.—none. *A. Collini, Verr. On elm and sloe leaves at MS, 11.viii.17. MS, 22.viii.15, 13, 17.vi and 23.vii and 8, 12, 18, 22.viii.1917.

A. Zetterstedti, Zt.—none.

A. elegantula, Fl.—none.

Genus:

CLYTHIA, M g .

(=PLATYPEZA, M g . = B c > L 0 P u s ,

End).

Species : *C. furcata, Fal. A scarce species generally, but with us in Redlingfield Wood, 10.vi.22. In M S garden, 6.vi.25, 12.vi.29, and on the front gate there, 29.V.28. In Bentley

DIPTERA OF SUFFOLK

229

Woods, 30.V.42. Colyer and Hammond report it from a bracket fungus (polyporus), growing on a tree-stump in a London suburban railway Station. *C. dorsalis, Mg. Newmarket garden a $ in June (Verrall). Felden, Herts, l.x.01 (A. Piffard). M S at 8 a.m. on west bedroom window, 22.vi.41, a q, a birthday present for C.M., the first dorsalis he ever saw in Suffolk, c.f. E.M.M., 1901 p. 281 and 1903 p. 173, etc. 30.ix.01 Felden. AtEast Bergholt in the woods on a fungus foray, 10.x.48, seen ovipositing on Polystictus versicolor.

C.M. considered it commoner later in the year and thought it possibly the most generally distributed British kind. *C. consobrina, Zt. Fonseca (E.C.M. d'Assis-Fonseca, " Four notes on Diptera ". Ent. Ree. 60 : 50. 1948) records females of this, rufa and modesta, swarming around Common Honey Fungus in mid-October, when the males sat on foliage nearby in the sun. Swept in Parham Wood, 5.X.16 (Vinter).

King's Lynn, one $, September, 1907. Ryde, 10.X.01.

The males are distinctly black, the females grey. *C. atra, Mg. In this species the sexes are fairly similar, deep dull black in colour. Beaten from birch in Bentley Woods on the 26th of April, 1895 and not since c.f. E.M.M., 1901 p. 281. *C. rufa, Mg. From Orford, 1905 (F. X. King).

A single female, the second Suffolk speeimen, occurred to me as it was Aying with several more about willow leaves in our garden at Stowmarket one afternoon early in September, 1946 (Aston). King's Lynn, 1913 (Atmore). Felden, 30.ix.01.

Ryde, lO.x.Ol. *C. modesta, Ztt. M S a $ on the west bedroom window at 9 a.m., 12.ix.49. One at Timworth on 16.ix.1905 (Nurse). *C. fasciata, Mg. A running on ivy in M S drive at 3 p.m., on 23.x.47. A speeimen labelled merely " Felden " .

C. hirtieeps, Verr.

Felden.

*C. infumata, Hai. Many S3 and 0 $ on Boleti on old Sallow stump in Brandon Staunch Wood at 10.30 a.m., on 8.viii.l3, (see SNS, trans. iv. p. 272). About Felixstowe in 1896 (Piffard teste Bloomfield). Ampton, 27.ix.13 (Nurse).

Ringstead Downs, 23. viii.06. *C. picta, Mg. Suffolk, 5.x. 16.

5 Genera.

On a hornbeam bush in Parham Wood,

23 Species.

15 in Suffolk.

230

DIPTERA OF SUFFOLK

Corrigenda :—Vol. ix.

Page 21.

SNS trans. for *L. punctum read *L. puncta, Mg.

Page 22.

For *L. trilineatus read *L. trilineata, Zett.

For D. phaleopus read D. phaeopus, Hai. After *D. atratus read Mg.

Page 25.

ciliifemoratus, Mcq. is given as a distinct species from nitidus in Lundbeck.

After andalusiacus read for Stroh.—Strobl.

Read for lineaticornis—lineatocornis.

After simplex read Mg. for Mcq.

Page 27.

For Chalybaeus read chalybeus.

Read G. metallicus and G. aerosus for A. aerosus and A. metallicus.

Page 29.

Read for the synonym of H. borealis, albiceps, Frey.

For ORTHOCERATUM read ORTHOCERATIUM. For *0. lacustris read *0. lacustre, Scop.

Page 30.

Change species names with capitals at front to small letters.

After jaculus read Fall, for Mg. After petrophilus read Kow for Low. After dendrobaenus read Kow for Row.

Page 31.

For *M. ambigulus read *M. ambiguus, Zett.

For *M. pallidipes read *M. pallipes, Zett.

After *M. muralis add Mg.

I am indebted to Dr. Day for the above corrections.

Insert at Trans, ix supra page 26 under *D. ungulatus the record at SNS Trans, iv. p. 121.

Insert at Trans, ix supra page 31, Mr. Morley's record of *M. muralis, Mg., imbibing moth-sugar at Fritton on 17th June, 1950.

Insert at Trans, x supra page 59 an asterisk before C. curvipes.

Page 61 for Insect read Insert!

ALASDAIR ASTON,

21st June, 1957.