Bradysia tilicola, (LOEW, 1850)

Menzel, Frank, Smith, Jane E. & Chandler, Peter J., 2006, The sciarid fauna of the British Isles (Diptera: Sciaridae), including descriptions of six new species, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 146 (1), pp. 1-147 : 63-64

BRADYSIA TILICOLA (LOEW, 1850)

Synonyms: alma (Winnertz, 1871) ; amoena ( Winnertz, 1867) ; coprophila (Lintner, 1895) ; domestica Frey (1948) ; incomta ( Winnertz, 1867); nanella (Frey, 1936) ; selecta (Winnertz, 1871) ; setigera ( Winnertz, 1867) ; signata ( Winnertz, 1867) ; triseriata ( Winnertz, 1867) ; turbida ( Winnertz, 1867); vana (Winnertz, 1871) ; vividula ( Winnertz, 1867); volucris ( Winnertz, 1867); wendalinae (van Bruggen, 1954).

Literature:? Walker (1848): 108 [as Sciara sylvatica (recte silvatica )]; Basden (1933): 44 [as Sciara modesta , misidentification]; Freeman (1983b): 36; Laurence (1994): 116 [in part as Bradysia triseriata , misidentification]; Menzel (1998): 20; Chandler (2001): 200 [all as Bradysia amoena ]; Menzel & Heller (2005): 351 [ amoena (Winnertz) as synonym to tilicola (Loew) ].

Material examined: Belfairs , Essex, 4 males, 23.x.− 12.xii.1989 (reared), Withers leg. ( PPWM) . Berwick- upon-Tweed, Northumberland, 1 male, 30.ix.1998; 1 male, vi.1999; 1 male, viii.1999; 2 males, ix.1999; 2 males, x.1999; 1 male, 27.xii.1999, all Laurence leg. ( PBLN) . Bishop’s Stortford , Hertfordshire, 4 males, 4 females, 1927 (reared), no collector detail ( BMNH) . Brampton , Cambridgeshire, 1 male, 13.v.1985; 1 male, 22.v.1985; 3 males, 10.iii.1994; 2 males, 3.v.−4.v.1997 (reared), all J.H. Cole leg. ( PJCB) . Burnham , Buckinghamshire, 8 males, 4 females, 11.vi.−12.ix.1934 (reared), Basden leg. ( NMS) . Byfleet , Surrey, 1 male, iv.1934, no collector detail ( BMNH) . Cadair Idris , Gwynedd, 1 male, 19.vi.1993, Laurence leg. ( PBLN) . Cambridge , Cambridgeshire, 1 male, x.1931, Thomas leg. ( BMNH) ; 1 male, 21.ix.1940, Edwards leg. ( BMNH) . Coppets Wood, Greater London , 1 male, 22.xii.1990; 2 males, 17.vii.1991; 6 males, 25.vii.1991, all K.G.V. Smith leg. ( PBLN) . Cors Lawnt , Powys, 1 male, 11.x.1988, Holmes, Boyce & Reed leg. ( PPWM) . Dickleburgh , Norfolk, 1 male, 22.i.−29.i.1989; 1 male, 2.iv.1991, all Withers leg. ( PPWM) . Hickling Broad , Norfolk, 1 male, 16.iv.1989 (reared), Evans leg. ( PPWM) . How Hill , Norfolk, 1 male, 13.viii.1989, Withers leg. ( PPWM) . Letchworth , Hertfordshire, 1 male, x.1911; 3 males, v.1918, Edwards leg. ( BMNH) . London, Greater London , 2 males, 1 female, x.1982; 1 male, 1 female, ii.1983, all no collector detail ( BMNH) . Market Weston Fen , Suffolk, 1 male, 6.ix.1988 (reared), Evans leg. ( PPWM) . Matley Bog, New Forest , Hampshire, 1 male, 15.xi.1953, Colyer leg. ( BMNH) . Melksham , Wiltshire, 5 males, 1 female, 21.iii.− 25.vii.2002, Chandler leg. ( PPCM) . Merton, Greater London , 1 male, x.1911 (reared), C.B. Williams leg. ( BMNH) . Milham Ford School, Oxford , Oxfordshire, 1 male, 18.v.−22.v.2001, Webb leg. ( PPCM) . Nailsea, Avon , 1 male, v.1944, no collector detail ( BMNH) . North Wood, Meikleour, Perth & Kinross , 1 male, ii.1996 (reared), MacGowan leg. ( NMS) . Oxford , Oxfordshire, 1 male, 10.iv.1926 (reared), Hamm leg. ( BMNH) . Oxford University Parks, Oxford , Oxfordshire, 1 male, 3.iv.1930, Hamm leg. ( BMNH) . Pett’s Wood, Greater London , 1 male, 24.vi.1983, Freeman leg. ( BMNH) . Putney, Greater London , 31 males, ix.1917, Cant leg. ( BMNH) . Rothamsted, Harpenden , Hertfordshire, 3 males, 2 females, i.1933, M.A. Watson leg. ( BMNH) . Scilly Isles , Cornwall, 1 male, ii.1902, Jenkinson leg. ( BMNH) . Sheffield, South Yorkshire , 4 males, 2 females, ix.1922, L.W. Cole leg. ( BMNH) . Stanford , Norfolk, 1 male, 10.iv.−24.iv.1988, Collier leg. ( PPWM) . Temple, Berkshire , 1 male, 23.iv.1932; 7 males, 3 females, 1934 (all reared), all Basden leg. ( BMNH, NMS) . The Loke, Norwich , Norfolk, 1 male, 20.iv.1987; 1 male, 23.iv.1987; 5 males, 26.iv.1987; 3 males, 27.iv.1987; 2 males, 8.v.1987; 2 males, 5.vii.1987; 2 males, 15.ix.1987; 1 male, 24.x.− 25.x.1987; 1 male, 20.iv.1988; 1 male, 23.vi.1988; 1 male, i.-iii.1990; 1 male, 28.iv.−4.v.1990; 1 male, 2.v.− 6.v.1992; 1 male, v.1992; 1 male, 29.ix.−3.x.1992; 6 males, 2.iii.1993; 1 male, 14.iii.1993, all Laurence leg. ( PBLN) . Thornham Magna , Suffolk, 2 males, 30.x.1988 (reared), Evans leg. ( PPWM) . Thornton Heath, Greater London , 1 male, 26.ii.1927 (reared), Stokes leg. ( BMNH) . Trawsfynydd , Gwynedd, 1 male, 5.viii.1988, Holmes, Boyce & Reed leg. ( PPWM) . Tulse Hill, Greater London , 1 male, 3 females, vii.1934 (reared), Nixon leg. ( BMNH) . Wellesbourne , Warwickshire, 1 male, 24.ii.−2.iii.2000; 1 male, 24.v.− 27.vi.2001; 1 male, 27.vi.−5.vii.2001; 1 male, 13.ix.− 4.x.2001, all J.E. Smith leg. ( HRI) . West Harling Common , Norfolk, 1 male, 1.iv.1989, Withers leg. ( PPWM) . Wheatfen Broad , Norfolk, 1 male, 8.vii.−15.vii.1986, Withers leg. ( PPWM) . No locality details, Berkshire , 1 male, 3 females, 1.v.1925, Fox-Wilson leg. ( BMNH) .

Ecological notes: found in damp broad-leaved and alder carr woodland; pine plantations; moorland; wetlands including fen, bog, sedge bed and valley mire; gardens; grounds of horticultural research station; school grounds with old poplars; open montane habitats; in house; in greenhouse; house-plant compost, in old bird nest. Reared from fungi Amanita muscaria , Gymnopilus junonius , Inonotus cuticularis , Lepiota cristata , under dead poplar bark, larva under pine bark, tulip bulbs, decaying onions, formicarium, and soil from rabbit burrow. Larvae found destroying young seedlings of ling ( Calluna vulgaris ) and bulbs of lily ( Lilium aurantiacum ); in gerbil cage. i–xii.

Taxonomic note: Loew found Sciara tilicola in large numbers. From the apparently large type series, only 2 males with the original labelling ‘ tilicola Lw. ’ could still be found in the Loew collection. The lectotype designation in Menzel & Heller (2005) conforms with the interpretation of Lengersdorf (1928 –30: 52), who considered that tilicola Loew is identical with amoena Winnertz but listed the species under the incorrect name ‘ modesta Staeger, 1840 ’. Further information about the type material of tilicola (Loew) and about the synonymy of amoena (Winnertz) can be found in Menzel & Heller (2005).