Jan Ševčík

Diversity of Trypanosomatids in Cockroaches and the Description of Herpetomonas tarakana sp. n.

In this study, we surveyed six species of cockroaches, two synanthropic (i.e. ecologically associated with humans) and four wild, for intestinal trypanosomatid infections. Only the wild cockroach species were found to be infected, with flagellates of the genus Herpetomonas. Two distinct genotypes were documented, one of which was described as a new species, Herpetomonas tarakana sp. n. We also propose a revision of the genus Herpetomonas and creation of a new subfamily, Phytomonadinae, to include Herpetomonas, Phytomonas, and a newly described genus Lafontella n. gen. (type species Lafontella mariadeanei comb. n.), which can be distinguished from others by morphological and molecular traits.

Molecular phylogeny of fungus gnats (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) revisited: position of Manotinae, Metanepsiini, and other enigmatic taxa as inferred from multigene analysis

The phylogeny of selected genera from four subfamilies of fungus gnats (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) – Manotinae, Leiinae, Sciophilinae and Gnoristinae (including Metanepsiini) – is reconstructed based on the combined analysis of five mitochondrial (12S, 16S, COI, COII, cytB) and two nuclear (28S, ITS2) gene markers. Results of the different analyses all support Manotinae as a monophyletic group, with Leiinae as the sister group. Allactoneura DeMeijere is nested in the monophyletic and strongly supported clade of Leiinae. The tribe Metanepsiini is revealed as paraphyletic and the genera Metanepsia Edwards and Chalastonepsia Søli do not appear to be closely related. The genera Docosia Winnertz, Ectrepesthoneura Enderlein, Novakia Strobl and Syntemna Winnertz were placed with a group of genera included traditionally in the Gnoristinae. The monophyly of Dziedzickia Johannsen and Phthinia Winnertz is not supported. The genera of Sciophilinae (excluding Paratinia Mik but including Eudicrana Loew) form a monophyletic group in the Bayesian model.

Fungus gnats (Diptera: Sciaroidea) of the Gemer region (Central Slovakia): Part 1 – Bolitophilidae, Diadocidiidae, Ditomyiidae and Keroplatidae

Fungus gnats (Diptera: Sciaroidea) of the Gemer region (Central Slovakia): Part 1 - Bolitophilidae, Diadocidiidae, Ditomyiidae and Keroplatidae A total of 17 species of Bolitophilidae, 4 species of Diadocidiidae, 2 species of Ditomyiidae and 25 species of Keroplatidae are recorded from the Gemer region in central Slovakia. The material was obtained mainly in the years 2008-2010 by means of Malaise traps and by individual collecting by the authors. Five species, Bolitophila spinigera Edwards, 1925, Antlemon servulum (Walker, 1837), Orfelia nigricornis (Fabricius, 1805), Macrocera maculata Meigen, 1818 and Macrocera zetterstedti Lundström, 1914, are recorded from Slovakia for the first time. The occurrence of Asindulum nigrum Latreille, 1805 in Slovakia is confirmed. Dvoukřídlí nadčeledi Sciaroidea (Diptera) regionu Gemer (střední Slovensko): Část 1 - Bolitophilidae, Diadocidiidae, Ditomyiidae a Keroplatidae Celkem 17 druhů čeledi Bolitophilidae, 4 druhy Diadocidiidae, 2 druhy Ditomyiidae a 25 druhů Keroplatidae je zaznamenáno z regionu Gemer na středním Slovensku. Materiál byl získán zejména v letech 2008-2010 pomocí Malaiseho pastí a individuálním sběrem autorů. Pět druhů, a to Bolitophila spinigera Edwards, 1925, Antlemon servulum (Walker, 1837), Orfelia nigricornis (Fabricius, 1805), Macrocera maculata Meigen, 1818 a Macrocera zetterstedti Lundström, 1914, je zaznamenáno ze Slovenska poprvé. Potvrzen je zde výskyt druhu Asindulum nigrum Latreille, 1805.

Molecular phylogeny of the fungus gnat family Diadocidiidae and its position within the infraorder Bibionomorpha (Diptera)

The molecular phylogeny of the family Diadocidiidae (Diptera: Sciaroidea) is reconstructed based on the combined analysis of four mitochondrial (12S, 16S, COI, cytB) and two nuclear (28S, ITS2) gene markers. All the analyses strongly support Diadocidiidae as a monophyletic group. Genus Diadocidia Ruthe, 1831 includes monophyletic subgenera Diadocidia s. str. and Taidocidia Papp and Ševčík (Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 51, 2005b, 329). The monophyly of Adidocidia Laštovka & Matile, 1972 was not confirmed. The position of Diadocidiidae and relationships of the families within the infraorder Bibionomorpha are demonstrated in the analyses based on three gene markers (28S, 12S and 16S). The Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses of 10 families of Bibionomorpha revealed Sciaridae as the closest relative of Diadocidiidae. Most of the currently recognised extant families of Bibionomorpha proved to be monophyletic. The family Keroplatidae revealed as paraphyletic, with the genera of Macrocerinae being more related to Cecidomyiidae, but the support is low.

Fungus gnats (Diptera: Sciaroidea) of the Gemer region (Central Slovakia): Part 2 - Mycetophilidae

Fungus gnats (Diptera: Sciaroidea) of the Gemer region (Central Slovakia): Part 2 - Mycetophilidae A total of 317 species of Mycetophilidae are recorded from the Gemer region in central Slovakia. The material was obtained mainly in the years 2008-2011 by means of Malaise traps and by individual collecting by the authors. A new species of Mycetophila Meigen, M. gemerensis sp. n., is described and additional 47 species are recorded as new to Slovakia. A new synonym is proposed: Mycetophila quadra Lundström, 1909 = M. chamberlini (Laffoon, 1957) syn. n. Dvoukřídlí nadčeledi Sciaroidea (Diptera) regionu Gemer (střední Slovensko): Část 2 - Mycetophilidae Celkem 317 druhů čeledi Mycetophilidae je zaznamenáno z regionu Gemer na středním Slovensku. Materiál byl získán zejména v letech 2008-2011 pomocí Malaiseho pastí a individuálním sběrem autorů. Popsán je nový druh rodu Mycetophila Meigen, M. gemerensis sp. n., a dalších 47 druhů je zaznamenáno jako nových pro Slovensko. Navrženo je nové synonymum: Mycetophila quadra Lundström, 1909 = M. chamberlini (Laffoon, 1957) syn. n.

Two new European species of Docosia (Diptera: Mycetophilidae)

Two new species of Docosia Winnertz, 1863 are described, Docosia chandleri sp. n. from Austria and Italy and Docosia matilei sp. n. from France and Italy. Both species resemble Docosia montana Laštovka et Ševčík, 2006 and they are characterized by bare laterotergites, yellow legs and long flagellomeres.

The fauna of Opetiidae and Platypezidae (Diptera) in the Gemer region (Central Slovakia)

The fauna of Opetiidae and Platypezidae (Diptera) in the Gemer region (Central Slovakia) A review of the fauna of flat-footed flies (Diptera: Opetiidae and Platypezidae) in the Gemer region (Slovakia) is presented. Based on previously published records and material examined 1 species of Opetiidae and 17 species of Platypezidae are treated, each with comments on its general distribution, biology and faunistics, and/or nature conservation importance. Nine species of Platypezidae are considered particularly significant for the area because of comprising taxa that are endangered, stenotopic or generally rare. Of the five species newly recorded from the Gemer area, one, viz. Agathomyia collini Verrall, 1901, is a new addition to the Slovak fauna and three, viz. Agathomyia falleni (Zetterstedt, 1819), Protoclythia rufa (Meigen, 1830) and Polyporivora picta (Meigen, 1830) represent second records from Slovakia, the last species being re-discovered in Slovakia after more than 140 years. Fauna čeledí Opetiidae a Platypezidae (Diptera) v Gemerské oblasti (střední Slovensko) Je podán přehled druhů čeledí Opetiidae a Platypezidae zjištěných v Gemerské oblasti (Slovensko), která zahrnuje Národní parky Muránska planina, Slovenský raj a Slovenský kras. Na základě již dříve publikovaných údajů a nově studovaného materiálu byl v této oblasti zaznamenán 1 druh čeledi Opetiidae a 17 druhů čeledi Platypezidae, které jsou pojednány s informacemi o jejich celkovém rozšíření, faunistice na Slovensku, bionomii a případném významu pro ochranu přírody. Devět druhů čeledi Platypezidae je považováno za zvláště významné pro studované území, protože jde o taxony ohrožené, stenotopní nebo vzácné. Z pěti druhů nově uváděných z Gemerské oblasti je jeden, Agathomyia collini Verrall, 1901, novým druhem pro faunu Slovenska a tři další, Agathomyia falleni (Zetterstedt, 1819), Protoclythia rufa (Meigen, 1830) a Polyporivora picta (Meigen, 1830) představují druhé nálezy na Slovensku, pričemž posledně jmenovaný byl znovuobjeven na Slovensku po více než 140 letech.

Docosia Heikkii, sp. nov., the first oriental record of Docosia (Diptera: Mycetophilidae)

Abstract A new species of Docosia Winnertz, 1863 (Diptera: Mycetophilidae), Docosia heikkii, sp.nov., is described from Doi Inthanon of northern Thailand. This is the first record of the principally Holarctic Docosia from the Oriental Region. The new species is characterized by its apically clouded wings with all the veins dark, vein ta being relatively short and oblique, long palpi, setose laterotergites, yellow coxae and peculiar male terminalia. It has a rather distinct position within the genus with some characters typical of the subfamily Gnoristinae rather than Leiinae.

Two new species of Sycorax (Diptera: Psychodidae: Sycoracinae) from the Oriental Region.

Two new species of Sycorax Haliday in Curtis, 1839 are described from Ulu Temburong National Park in Brunei Darussalam: Sycorax konopiki sp. nov. and S. tomkineana sp. nov. Both species were found resting on two frog species: Ansonia leptopus (Günther, 1872) and A. longidigita Inger, 1960. Differential diagnoses for males are included and morphological characters illustrated. Possible host associations of the new species are briefly discussed. DNA barcode sequence (COI) for Sycorax konopiki sp. nov. is also provided.

Diptera associated with sporocarps of Meripilus giganteus in an urban habitat

The Diptera community associated with fruit bodies of the wood-decaying fungus Meripilus giganteus (Pers.) P. Karst., 1882 was investigated in two city parks in Opava (Czech Republic, Central Europe) during the years 2009 and 2010. A total of 10,451 adult specimens of Diptera belonging to 66 species and 17 families emerged from this fungus during our rearing experiments. The six most dominant species, Coboldia fuscipes (Meigen, 1830) (D=50.70%), Drosophila funebris (Fabricius, 1787) (D=21.40%), Logima satchelli (Quate, 1955) (D =14.16%), Forcipomyia squamigera Kieffer, 1916 (D=5.48%), Lycoriella ingenua (Dufour, 1839) (D=2.96%) and Apteromyia claviventris (Strobl, 1909) (D=0.95%) represented 95.65% of all reared specimens. Altogether 59 species were reared from M. giganteus for the first time. Comments on host specialization, degree of synynthropy and other aspects of biology of particular species are provided. The qualitative composition of the fly community associated with M. giganteus in an urban habitat, causes of high species richness, and the predominance of polysaprophagous species in the reared material are discussed. The accidentally reared {itOrnitholeria nidicola} Frey, 1930 (Chiropteromyzidae) represents the first family record from the Czech Republic and the first record of the species from Central Europe.