Stratiomyidae Latreille, 1802

Rudolf Rozkošný

Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, CZ-61137 Brno, Czech Republic; rozk@sci.muni.cz

The Stratiomyidae are a basal brachyceran family belonging to the Orthorrhapha and Tabanomorpha. European members of this family are diverse, ranging from 2.0 to 20.0 mm in length. Their colour is often striking, dark with a yellow, white or greenish pattern, with metallic reflections known in some species. Some species are quite slender, whilst others are stout or conspicuously flattened. Compound eyes large, contiguous in males (with some exceptions) and separated by a band-shaped frons in females. Antenna consisting of two basal segments and an annulated flagellum, the last two flagellomeres sometimes forming an apical or subapical style or arista. Three or four veins arising from discal cell on wing. The integument of the larvae is rough and strongly sclerotised, having a honeycomb or mosaic appearance. Two morphological types of larvae reflect the two main larval habitats, terrestrial and aquatic. All larvae are saprophages, living as micropantophagous scavengers. Adults, as typical nectar feeders, are found on a wide range of flowering plants, especially umbels alongside water margins but also in open sunny places.

In Europe the family includes 138 species in 27 genera (Rozkošný 2005), with an additional new species described recently (Stuke 2004). 69 species are included in the present checklist: 66 from the Czech Republic (55 from Bohemia and 62 from Moravia) and 65 from Slovakia. Since the last version of the checklist (Rozkošný 1997a), the number of species in the Czech Republic has increased by 3 (2 in Bohemia and 2 in Moravia) and in Slovakia also by 3. A review of earlier faunistic data from the Czech Republic has been given by Rozkošný and Barták (2000). The species richness of the stratiomyid fauna is relatively well-known in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The monograph of the European species by Rozkošný (1982-1983) summarises all known data on adult and larval morphology, biology, distribution, systematics, and economic and hygienic importance, including keys to the species. A key to the Palaearctic genera (both larvae and adults) was compiled by  Rozkošný (1997b), the same author also published a monograph of the aquatic species of Central Europe (Rozkošný 2000). A set of interesting recent records extending knowledge of species distribution in the countries of Europe was published by Mason and Rozkošný (2003). The nomenclature and classification used here follow the world catalogue by Woodley (2001).

For financial support, the Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic and the Masaryk University (grant No. MSM 0021622416 ) are acknowledged.

References

[1] Barták M. & Rozkošný R. 1999: Faunistic records: Stratiomyidae. In Jedlička L. (ed.): Dipterologica bohemoslovaca, Vol. 9. Slovak Entomological Society, Bratislava, p. 193.

[2] Chandler P. 1998: Stratiomyidae. In Chandler P. (ed.): Checklists of Insects of the British Isles (New Series). Part 1. Diptera (Incorporating a List of Irish Diptera). Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects, Vol. 12. Royal Entomological Society, London, pp. 74-76.

[3] Kozánek M. & Rozkošný R. 2004: New faunistic records of Stratiomyidae (Diptera) from Slovakia. Entomological Problems 34: 142.

[4] Mason F. & Rozkošný R. 2003: Interesting records of European Stratiomyidae including description of the female of Nemotelus danielssoni (Diptera Stratiomyidae). Bolletino della Societa entomologica Italiana 134: 253-264.

[5] Rozkošný R. 1982-1983: A biosystematic study of the European Stratiomyidae (Diptera). Vols 1-2. W. Junk, The Hague-Boston-London, 401 + 431 pp.

[6] Rozkošný R. 1997a: Stratiomyidae. In Chvála M. (ed.): Check List of Diptera (Insecta) of the Czech and Slovak Republics. Karolinum – Charles University Press, Prague, pp. 44-45.

[7] Rozkošný R. 1997b: Family Stratiomyidae. In Papp L. & Darvas B. (eds): Contributions to a Manual of Palaearctic Diptera (with special reference to flies of economic importance). Vol. 2. Nematocera and Lower Brachycera. Science Herald, Budapest, pp. 388-411.

[8] Rozkošný R. 1998: Xylomyidae, Stratiomyidae. In Rozkošný R. & Vaňhara J. (eds): Diptera of the Pálava Biosphere Reserve of UNESCO I. Folia Facultatis Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Masarykianae Brunensis, Biologia 99: 139-144.

[9] Rozkošný R. 2000: Insecta: Diptera: Stratiomyidae. In Schwoerbel J. & Zwick P. (eds): Süβwasserfauna von Mitteleuropa. Vol. 21/18. Spektrum, Heidelberg-Berlin, 110 pp.

[10] Rozkošný R. 2005: Fauna Europaea: Stratiomyidae. In Pape T. (ed.): Fauna Europaea: Diptera, Brachycera. Fauna Europaea version 1.2, http://www.faunaeur.org.

[11] Rozkošný R. & Barták M. 2000: Stratiomyidae. In Barták M. & Vaňhara M. (eds): Diptera in an industrially affected region (north-western Bohemia, Bílina and Duchcov environs). Vol. 1. Folia Facultatis Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Masarykianae Brunensis, Biologia 104: 141-146.

[12] Rozkošný R., Barták M. & Roháček J. 2001: Faunistic records: Stratiomyidae. In Chvála M. (ed.): Dipterologica bohemoslovaca. Vol. 10. Acta Universitatis Carolinae, Biologica 45: 187-188.

[13] Stuke J.-H. 2004: Eine neue Art der Gattung Beris Latreille, 1802 aus Mitteleuropa. Beiträge zur Entomologie 54: 333-342.

[14] Woodley N.E. 2001: A World Catalog of the Stratiomyidae (Insecta. Diptera). Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, 473 pp.