Chonocephalus heymonsi STOBBE 1913

Sadeghi, S., Weber, G., Fallahzadeh, M. & A. F, 2013, Introduction to the Scuttle Flies Fauna (Diptera: Phoridae) of Fars Province, Iran, Linzer biologische Beiträge 45 (2), pp. 2019-2024 : 2020

Chonocephalus heymonsi STOBBE 1913

S p e c i m e n s e x a m i n e d:4: Jahrom; 28 49 N 53 55 E, 1038 m, 11 September 2011, Light trap in date palm garden [ Phoenix dactylifera L. ( Arecaceae )].

H o s t: The female caught on the edible paddy straw mushroom Volvariella (Plutaceae) was probably ovipositing on an over ripe sporophore; as was the case with the females recorded on rotting Termitomyces ( Amanitaceae ) on a termite mound ( DISNEY 1994). Also, it has been reared from bread fruit ( Artocarpus altilis (PARKINSON) FOSBERG , Moraceae ) (DISNEY & SINCLAIR 2008). A female from Costa Rica attributed to this species, has been reported from a colony of the termite Coptotermes niger ( BRUES 1925). The female reported from a refuse deposit of the army ant Eciton burchellii and the other female from the detritus from a tree hole (DISNEY & RETTENMEYER 2007) further suggest that a range of decaying organic materials are exploited by this species ( DISNEY 2008c).

D i s t r i b u t i o n: This species is the ultimate tramp species, having been recorded from every biogeographic region (except the Antarctic), but it was probably originally native to mainland Africa south of the Sahara and has been transported across the world by humans ( DISNEY 2002, 2005, 2008c, DISNEY & SINCLAIR 2008). New record for the fauna of Iran.