Herniosina bequaerti (Villeneuve, 1917)

Rohacek, Jindrich, 2016, Herniosina Rohacek: revised concept, two new species, new key and atlas of male and female terminalia (Diptera, Sphaeroceridae), ZooKeys 609, pp. 69-106 : 76-77

Taxon classification Animalia Diptera Sphaeroceridae

Herniosina bequaerti (Villeneuve, 1917) Figs 1, 2-6, 7-11

Leptocera ( Limosina ) Bequaerti Villeneuve, 1917: 143 [both sexes]. Type locality: The Netherlands, Maestricht, St. Pietersberg.

Leptocera ( Scotophilella ) Bequaerti. - Duda 1925: 154 [subgeneric combination].

Limosina ( Limosina ) Bequaerti. - Duda 1938: 110 [generic combination, illustr.].

Leptocera bequaerti . - Goddard 1938: 240-241 [puparium, illustr.].

Limosina bequaerti . - Roháček 1978: 55 [redescription, genitalia, illustr.]; Papp 1984: 96 [Palaearctic catalog].

Herniosina bequaerti . - Roháček 1982: 260-263 [illustr.]; Roháček 1983: 19 [generic combination, redescription, phylogenetic notes]; Roháček 1993: 191 [key]; Skidmore 1993: 8, 16 [puparium, illustr.]; Roháček et al. 2001: 148 [catalog]; Marshall et al. 2011: 243 [catalog].

Limosina (Scotophilella) herniata Duda, 1918: 108 [both sexes, illustr.]. Type locality: Austria, "Styriae Alpes". - Duda 1924: 194 [synonymy].

Type material.

Leptocera ( Limosina ) Bequaerti Villeneuve: Lectotype ♂ (designated by Roháček 2001: 471), labelled: "Maestricht, StPietersberg, 5-IX-12" (obverse), „grot“ (reverse), " Limosina sp. III, bu L. nana Rdi." (handritten by?), " Limosina Bequaerti Villen." ( Villeneuve’s handwriting) and " Leptocera ( Limosina ) Bequaerti Villen., J. Roháček des. 2000, ♂ Lectotypus" (red label). Paralectotype ♀ labelled as lectotype but lacking the label " Limosina sp. III ...". Lectotype with genit. prep., paralectotype intact, both deposited in MNHN.

Limosina (Scotophilella) herniata Duda: Lectotype ♂ (designated by Roháček, 1983: 19), labelled: "Styriae Alpes Strobl", "L. rufilabris Stenh. ♂ 23/9", "52 138", "nova spec. Herniata mihi det Duda" (pink label), deposited in ZMHB. Paralectotypes: 2♀, labelled: "No. 200 Wypustek" and " herniata ♀ det Duda", deposited in MMBC).

Other material examined.

90♂78♀ - BELGIUM: 5♂5♀ (ISNB), for localities see Roháček (1978). CZECH REPUBLIC: 80♂67♀ (JRO, MMBC, NMPC, SMOC), for localities see Roháček (1978, 1980, 1983, 1984); additional data: SE Bohemia: Palupín nr. Strmilov (distr. Jindřichův Hradec), in cellar, 19.viii.1991, 55♂ 39♀, J. Roháček leg. (JRO); N Moravia: Vidnava env. (distr. Šumperk), nest of Talpa europaea , 28.iii.1985, 1♀, J. Roháček leg. (SMOC). FINLAND: 1♀ (MZHF), for locality see Roháček (1983). ITALY: 1♂ (MSNV), for locality see Roháček (1983). SLOVAKIA: 4♂5♀ (SMOC), for localities see Roháček (1983, 1986, 1994, 2009); addtional data: NE Slovakia: Regetovka env. (distr. Bardejov), sifting decayed grass in runs of Microtus agrestis , 10.x.1985, 1♂, J. Roháček leg. (SMOC).

Diagnosis.

Largest Palaearctic species on the average (body length: male 2.26-2.85 mm, female 2.22-3.05 mm), with lightest head (ochreous to reddish brown anteriorly). Male: abdomen with large and long T5 and S8 (Fig. 2); S1+2 strongly bulging (Figs 1, 2); S5 with longest (in lateral view sinuate) medial, apically forked, process (Figs 2, 11); epandrium with a long dorsolateral seta (Fig. 4); cerci relatively shortly but acutely double-projecting (Fig. 5); gonostylus rather simple (Fig. 3), ventrally somewhat emarginate, with small and short internal subdorsal projection (cf. Fig. 5); hypandrial rod long and slender (Fig. 4); phallapodeme long, with large dorsal keel (Fig. 4); postgonite short and robust; distiphallus with short lateral and ventral lobes and robust funnel-shaped apex (Fig. 6). Female: postabdomen slender, with relatively narrow sclerites of 6 th– 8th segment (Figs 7, 8); T8 complete and entirely pigmented (Fig. 7); S8 small, subtrapezoidal, with a small anterior structure (Fig. 8); spermathecae pyriform with conical base (Fig. 10); S10 medially divided (Fig. 8); cerci long and slender (Figs 7-9).

Biology.

Herniosina bequaerti is closely associated with subterranean habitats, such as caves ( Czižek 1916; Duda 1918, 1938; Papp & Plachter 1976), cellars (Pax & Maschke 1935; Roháček 1978) and burrows, runs and nests of small mammals, including those of rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ), rats ( Rattus norvegicus ), hedgehogs ( Erinaceus europaeus ), moles ( Talpa europaea ), shrews ( Sorex araneus ), mice ( Mus musculus ) and voles ( Microtus agrestis , Microtus sp., Arvicola terrestris ) ( Duda 1918; Richards 1930; Goddard 1938; Roháček 1978, 1983; Rotheray 1991). Adults can be also caught by means of soil traps ( Roháček 1980); only very scarcely (migrated specimens) they can be collected outside subterranean habitats (e.g. Grundmann 1991).

Because of being adapted to cold and the complete darkness in aphotic parts of caves and having the ability to develop under these conditions, Papp and Plachter (1976) classified Herniosina bequaerti as a troglophilous species. They found larvae consuming various decaying media, viz. dead animals, rotten vegetation including wood and/or mycelia of fungi and determined the length of its life-history (from egg to imago) within caves as 70-90 days and the life as an adult being 38 days on the average. The sometimes abundant occurrence of the species in cellars (see Roháček 1978 and material examined), caused by convenient conditions and a rich supply of larval food, can be considered a special case of synanthropy ( Roháček 1983). In burrows of mammals the larvae develop in their droppings and other nest debris ( Rotheray 1991) but obviously much more rapidly due to higher temperature. Adults can occur throughout the whole year. Puparia of Herniosina bequaerti were described by Goddard (1938) and Skidmore (1993) based on specimens found in mouse-runs and on subfossil specimens excavated in an archaeological site in Iceland respectively.

Distribution.

Widespread in Europe (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland) but surprisingly hitherto unrecorded from its SE part (Balkan peninisula).