Fanniidae Schnabl, 1911

The Fanniidae are mostly small to medium-sized (3.0-5.0 mm, rarely up to 9.0 mm) calyptrate muscoid flies. Colour mostly dark, but legs and abdomen sometimes partly or entirely yellow. Male eyes touching or nearly so. Female fronto-orbital plates usually convex on inner side. Subcosta on wing straight in apical half, and anal vein short and bow-shaped. Hind tibia with a single submedian seta in dorsal position. The larvae are somewhat flattened dorsoventrally, with longitudinal rows of dorsal and lateral plumate processes and the posterior spiracles placed on finger-like projections. The larvae are generally saprophagous and feed mostly on decaying organic matter. A relatively large number of species has been reared from various fungi, whilst other larvae are known to live in birds’ nests, burrows of vertebrates, and nests of social Hymenoptera. F. vespertilionis is closely associated with bat roosts. The adults are originally inhabitants of forests, and are thus relatively rare in open landscapes and wetlands. Several species have a close association with man and the refuse he produces. Females are usually attracted to decaying material and excrement, whilst a few are secretophagous and attack cattle in pastures and perspiring humans in summer (chiefly F. armata).

In total 83 species in three genera are known to occur in Europe (Gregor & Rozkošný 2005, Pont 2007, Rozkošný et al. 1997), and 66 of them are listed in the present checklist: 64 from the Czech Republic (60 from Bohemia and 60 from Moravia) and 50 from Slovakia. Since the PCV2 (Gregor & Rozkošný 1997), the number of species in the Czech Republic has increased by five (eight in Bohemia and six in Moravia) and in Slovakia also by five. About 15 additional species may be expected from Slovakia. Some recent records from Slovakia published by V. Straka (e.g. Straka 2005, Straka & Majzlan 2007) miss data on sex and number of specimens and need confirmation by a specialist.

The general characteristics of the Fanniidae in the Palaearctic region were recently given by Pont (2000). The identification of the Central European species is possible using the keys in the review of the European species (Rozkošný et al. 1997), which also summarises all the available data on the morphology of immature stages and adults, development and biology, medical, hygienic and economic importance, and distribution. Recently Pont (2002) has proposed some new synonyms based on a study of Zetterstedt´s types.

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