Pediciidae Osten Sacken, 1860

Jaroslav Starý

Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, tř. Svobody 26, CZ-771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic; stary@prfnw.upol.cz

This family comprises mostly medium-sized to large species, reaching its maximum with Pedicia rivosa which has a wing-length of over 25 mm. The Pediciidae can be characterised by pubescent eyes and spurred tibiae in combination with certain venational features, such as Sc2 retracted before the origin of Rs and a four-branched media. The larvae are predominantly aquatic or semiaquatic, preying on oligochaetes, mites, insect larvae and other invertebrates. However, the larvae of one genus, Ula Haliday, 1833, are mycetophagous, and those of Nasiternella Wahlgren, 1904 appear to be saproxylic. In general, adults occupy similar habitats to Limoniidae and other Tipulomorpha, but a considerable proportion of the species are found along rapidly flowing mountain streams. Many species produce swarms of predominantly male specimens.

Altogether 65 species and subspecies are known to occur in Europe (Oosterbroek 2005, after adjustments). 43 species are listed in the present checklist: 38 species from the Czech Republic (28 in Bohemia and 37 in Moravia) and 41 from Slovakia. Compared with the previous version of the checklist, 3 species have been added for the Czech Republic (6 in Bohemia and 4 in Moravia), and 4 species for Slovakia. Names that have been changed for various reasons are noted in the checklist. Other changes are also mentioned. The Czech Republic and Slovakia are among the best-investigated countries in Europe for the Pediciidae, but further additions are still possible, of species known to occur in adjacent countries or species that are still undescribed.

The family was treated as a subfamily of the Limoniidae until Starý (1992) raised it to family rank. The treatment by Savchenko (1986) can be used for identification of the species. Subsequent papers should, however, also be consulted. The genera and subgenera can be identified using the keys by Dienske (1987) and Reusch and Oosterbroek (1997). The nomenclature of this checklist is adopted from Oosterbroek (2006), with the subsequent changes as indicated; subspecies category is not shown for nominotypical subspecies (Pedicia rivosa).

The work was supported by grant 206/04/1170 from the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic.

References

[1] Chvála M. & Götze J. 2004: Species-group names of Diptera described by Gabriel Strobl. Acta Universitatis Carolinae, Biologica 48: 31-47.

[2] Dienske J.W. 1987: An illustrated key to the genera and subgenera of the western Palaearctic Limoniidae (Insecta: Diptera), including a description of the external morphology. Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde (A) (No. 409)1987: 1-52.

[3] Oosterbroek P. 2005: Fauna Europaea: Pediciidae. In Jong H. de (ed.): Fauna Europaea: Diptera, Nematocera, Fauna Europaea Version 1.2. http://www.faunaeur.org.

[4] Oosterbroek P. 2006: Catalogue of the Craneflies of the World (Insecta, Diptera, Nematocera, Tipuloidea), Version 23 Feb 2006. http://ip30.eti.uva.nl/ccw.

[5] Reusch H. & Oosterbroek P. 1997: Diptera Limoniidae and Pediciidae, Short-palped Craneflies. In Nilsson A.N. (ed.): Aquatic Insects of North Europe – A Taxonomic Handbook Vol. 2. Apollo Books, Stenstrup, 105-132 pp.

[6] Salmela J. & Piirainen T. 2003: Contribution to the taxonomy of the Holarctic Ula Haliday, 1833 (Diptera, Pediciidae). Norwegian Journal of Entomology 50: 73-90.

[7] Savchenko E.N. 1986: Limoniidae (general characteristics, Pediciinae, Hexatominae). In Fauna Ukrainy 14 (2). Naukova Dumka, Kiev, 380 pp. (In Russian.)

[8] Starý J. 1992: Phylogeny and classification of Tipulomorpha, with special emphasis on the family Limoniidae. Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia 35: 11-36.

[9] Starý J. 1998: Two new species of Dicranota (Paradicranota), related to D. (P.) landrocki Czižek, 1931 (Diptera, Pediciidae). Časopis Slezského muzea, Opava (A) 47: 25-29.

[10] Starý J. 1999: Faunistic records: Trichoceridae, Limoniidae, Pediciidae. In Jedlička L. (ed.): Dipterologica bohemoslovaca Vol. 9. Slovak Entomological Society, Bratislava, pp. 187-188.

[11] Starý J. 2001: Faunistic records: Trichoceridae, Limoniidae, Pediciidae. In Chvála M. (ed.): Dipterologica bohemoslovaca Vol. 10. Acta Universitatis Carolinae, Biologica 45: 185-187.

[12] Starý J. 2004: Dicranota (Paradicranota) cinerascens Lackschewitz, 1940, a valid species (Diptera: Pediciidae). Aquatic Insects 26: 273-279.

[13] Starý J. 2004: Faunistic records from the Czech and Slovak Republics: Limoniidae, Pediciidae. In Kubík  Š. & Barták M. (eds): Dipterologica bohemoslovaca Vol. 11. Folia Facultatis Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Masarykianae Brunensis, Biologia 109: 321-322.

[14] Starý J. 2004: Faunistic records from the Czech and Slovak Republics: Trichoceridae, Limoniidae, Pediciidae. In Bitušík P. (ed.): Dipterologica bohemoslovaca Vol. 12. Acta Facultatis Ecologiae 12/Suppl. 1: 155-156.

[15] Starý J. 2006a: Nomenclatural changes in West Palaearctic Limoniidae and Pediciidae. Acta Universitatis Carolinae, Biologica 49: 175-186.

[16] Starý J. 2006b: Faunistic records from the Czech and Slovak Republics: Limoniidae, Pediciidae. Entomofauna carpathica 18: 38

[17] Starý J. & Barták M. 2000: Pediciidae. In Barták M. & Vaňhara J. (eds): Diptera in an industrially affected region (north-western Bohemia, Bílina and Duchcov environs), I. Folia Facultatis Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Masarykianae Brunensis, Biologia 104: 37-40.