Introduction
THE DIPTERA OF SUFFOLK PETER VINCENT
The records that form this checklist are from the Watsonian vice-counties of East (v.c. 25) and West (v.c. 26) Suffolk which are of greater extent than the modern administrative county boundaries of Suffolk. Diptera are not well recorded in Suffolk, with few records of even quite common species. Therefore, records are in the main collected at monad (O.S.1km square) or greater accuracy, although, in order to assess the relative abundance and distribution of a diptera species the hectad (O.S.10km square) is used as the base recording unit. Suffolk comprises of 54 hectads or part hectads.
In this checklist of Suffolk Diptera, the arrangement of families follows as set out in Chandler (1998) and updates (Dipterists Forum, 2023). The classification of British diptera starts with the Lower Diptera (Nemotercera) followed by the Brachycera. Within families, all taxa are listed alphabetically. Altogether there are at present 107 families of diptera recognised within the British fauna, and the British Isles list of diptera currently (October 2023) runs to some 7259 species, of which 39 are recorded from Ireland only. (Chandler, 2023).
The layout of the checklist is that for each family the first division is by genus followed by species in alphabetical order. Subfamilies and tribes are also recognised for most families, and the genus can also be divided at subgenus level. For every individual species the species name (in bold type) is followed by the authority, then details of the first record of that species from Suffolk including - place, date (with as much accuracy as possible) and recorder (where known). To give an indication of the distribution and the abundance of each species this is followed by a list of all the hectads each species has occurred in and the number of known records (in square brackets).
Part Six: Opetiidae, Platypezidae, Phoridae, Lonchopteridae.
The first three parts of the checklist list all the known Suffolk species of the twentyfive families of the Lower Diptera suborder. Part Four started the second suborder of Diptera, the Brachycera. The Brachycera contains the remaining six infraorders of the British diptera, a total of eighty-one families. The first four infraorders, Xylophagomorpha, Tabanomorpha, Stratiomyomorpha and Asilomorpha, were covered in Part Four. The fifth infraorder, the Eremoneura, comprises of the Empidoidea and the Cyclorrhapha. The Empidoidea was catalogued in Part Five of the checklist. The Cyclorrhapha contains the remaining three superfamilies: Platypezoidea, Lonchopteroidea and Syrphoidea (known collectively as the Lower Cyclorrhapha), and the section Schizophora. Part Six of the checklist deals with the first two of these superfamilies: the Platypezoidea containing three families, Opetiidae, Platypezidae, and Phoridae, and the Lonchopteroidea, which contains only one family, Lonchopteridae. The Syrphoidea will be covered in subsequent parts of the checklist.
Once considered part of the Platypezidae, the Opetiidae are a small family of flies comprising in Britain just one species, Opetia nigra Meigen, 1830. A small dark fly with a distinctive wing venation, it is found in small numbers throughout Britain, with some fifteen Suffolk records.
Platypezidae are commonly called flat-footed flies because of their distinctive enlarged hind legs, often with broadened tarsi - particularly broad and flattened in the females of subfamily Platypezinae. While Platypezid males of most species and females of some are mainly dark coloured, the sexes often differ in colouration. In these cases, the females are usually more brightly coloured, with distinctive patterns of brown, grey, silver, yellow or orange markings. Most members of this family are woodland specialists associated with fungi and all of the flat-footed flies are considered to be fungal feeders as larvae apart from flies of the genus Microsania. Adults are most often found around their host fungi or on surfaces of broad leaves, where they feed on honeydew. They are not well recorded by trapping methods, probably because they have relatively low population levels and are localised by habitat requirements. Many species also have short vernal or autumnal flight periods, so can easily be overlooked. One species, Agathomyia wankowiczi (Schnabl,1884), forms conspicuous galls on the tough perennial brackets of the Artist’s fungus (Pers.) Pat. Most Suffolk records of this species are gall records. The larval biology of the smoke flies of the genus Microsania remains unknown, however the adult behaviour of these tiny flies (c1mm) is intriguing as they
Polyporivora picta (Platypezidae)
(2017). It was last recorded in Suffolk by Claude Morley at Monk Soham in 1945, the other Suffolk record being from Orford in 1906. Classified as Endangered by Chandler (2017) Agathomyia collini Verrall, 1901 has two Suffolk records, most recently from a garden near Bradfield Woods by Ivan Perry in 2007 and an earlier record from Monk Soham in 1915 by Claude Morley. The smoke fly Microsania vrydaghi Collart, 1954 has been recorded less than five times since being added to the British list in 2002 and thus its rarity status is regarded as Not Evaluated (Chandler, 2017). It was recorded in Suffolk by Ivan Perry at Hopton in 2020. Of the 34 British species of Platypezidae 27 have been recorded from Suffolk.
The Phoridae are known as scuttle flies, the name relates to their characteristic scuttling gate as they run across surfaces to escape rather than take to flight. In appearance they are small to very small (8mm to less than 1mm) flies with a hunchbacked thorax and characteristic reduced wing venation. The ecology of the larvae is extremely diverse, living in many forms of detritus, dung, carrion and even in dead snails and the nests of hymenoptera. Some are fungal feeders, but others live on plants. The majority are specialised predators or parasitoids and even true parasites
Borophaga incrassata (Phoridae)
of many groups of invertebrates from aphids to ants and beetles. One species Megaselia lutescens (Wood, 1910) is known to cause galls on gall on the gills of the Paneolina and Panaeolus agarics (Spooner, 2003), this together with Agathomyia wankowiczi (see above) are the only invertebrates in Britain known to cause galls on fungi. Another species Conicera tibialis Schmitz, 1925 is named the coffin fly from its predilection for breeding in confined dead human bodies. Forensic entomologists have used the fly’s life cycle to help approximate the age of a corpse. Phoridae are one of the largest families of diptera in Britain with some 350 species known to occur, seventy per cent of which belong to the giant genus Megaselia. This is a taxonomically difficult genus with hundreds of superficially similar small flies only reliably separable by inspection of the male hypopygium from prepared slides. Professor Henry Disney is the acknowledged world expert on Phorids adding many new species to the British and the world fauna. Fortunately, he spent some time collecting at Flatford Mill Field Centre in July 1981 and these records form the majority of the Suffolk Phoridae, particularly of the Megaselia. With many species as yet known from very limited material in Britain, even species that Disney thought quite scarce are classified as Data Deficient (Falk & Chandler, 2005). Nevertheless, some of the material identified from Flatford by Disney remains very rare, Megaselia clemonsi Disney, 1984 and M. drakei Disney, 1984 are the paratypes of this species, while M. aculeata (Schmitz,
1919), M. insons (Lundbeck, 1920), M. latipalpis (Schmitz, 1921), M. perdistans (Schmitz, 1924), M. serrata (Wood, 1910) and Phora bullata Schmitz, 1927 were all added to the British list. (Disney, 1985). Of the 357 British species, only 91 have been recorded from Suffolk.
Lonchopteridae are a distinctive family of flies, small, bristly and are easily recognised by their narrow, pointed wings with characteristic venation, which gives rise to their common name of spear flies. They are usually found in wet or humid places near water or in shade. There is only one genus Lonchoptera of which there are seven British species, two of which are extremely common and, the others with more restricted distribution. One of these Lonchoptera lutea Panzer, 1809 is a very variable species with many colour varieties, from pale yellow to almost black and with various markings on the thorax. These different forms were once considered distinct species. Three of the seven Lonchoptera species listed by Aston (1954) are synonyms of L. lutea. Four species of Lonchopteridae have been recorded from Suffolk.
Records for this section of the checklist come mainly from Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service (SBIS) and the National Biodiversity Network (NBN), with historical records from the Transactions of the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists’ Society (Morley & Atmore, 1915) and the Transactions of the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society (Aston, 1954; Aston, 1958a; Aston,1958b, Parmenter, 1958 and Disney, 1985). Other records were obtained from Chandler (2018, 2020 and 2021) and Disney (1983 and 1989).
A few records have been italicised and these records whether for, rarity, location, habitat, or date should be considered doubtful. These records have been retained in the checklist until further checks can be done on any possible voucher specimens to support the record. These records have not been included in the species totals.
References
Ashton, A. E. (1954). The Diptera of Suffolk (continued). Family xxiv: Lonchopteridae. Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 9 (1): 20–21.
Ashton, A. E. (1958a). The Diptera of Suffolk (continued). Family xxxi: Phoridae.Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 10 (3): 223–227.
Ashton, A. E. (1958b). The Diptera of Suffolk (continued). Family xxxii: Clythiidae (= Platypezidae). Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 10 (3): 227–229.
Chandler, P. J. (ed.) (1998). Checklists of Insects of the British Isles (New Series). Part 1; Diptera. Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects 12 (1): 1–234.
Chandler, P. J. (2017). A review of the status of the Lonchopteridae, Platypezidae and Opetiidae flies of Great Britain. Natural England Commissioned Reports, No 246.
Chandler, P. J. (2018). Flat-footed Fly Recording Scheme. Newsletter 2. 6pp. Bulletin of the Dipterists Forum No 85
Chandler, P. J. (2020). Flat-footed Fly Recording Scheme. Newsletter 3. 4pp. Bulletin of the Dipterists Forum No 89.
Chandler, P. J. (2021). Flat-footed Fly Recording Scheme. Newsletter 4. 4pp. Bulletin of the Dipterists Forum No 91
Chandler, P. J. (2023). Corrections and Changes to the Diptera Checklist (50). - Editor Dipterists Digest (Second Series) 30 (2): 170-171.
Dipterists Forum. (2023). An Update of the 1998 Checklist of Diptera of the British Isles (updated 5 July 2022) Dipterists Forum [online] http://www. dipterists.org.uk/ checklist/ [Accessed 23 October 2023].
Disney, D. H. L. (1983). Scuttle Flies, Diptera, Phoridae (except Megaselia). Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects 10(6): 3–185.
Disney, D. H. L. (1985). Records of Scuttle Flies (Diptera: Phoridae) from Flatford Mill including two species new to Britain. Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc.21: 292–293.
Disney, D. H. L. (1989). Scuttle Flies, Diptera, Phoridae Genus Megaselia. Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects 10(8): 3–81.
Falk, S. J. & Chandler, P. J. (2005). A review of the scarce and threatened flies of Great Britain. Part 2: Nematocera and Aschiza not dealt with by Falk (1991). Species Status 2: 1–189. Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough.
Morley, C. & Atmore, E. A. (1915). The Diptera of Norfolk and Suffolk. Transactions of the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists’ Society 10: 1–180.
Parmenter, L. (1958). Phoridae (Diptera) New to the Suffolk List. Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 10 (4): 292–293.
Spooner, B. (2003). A dipteran gall of Paneolina and Panaeolus Field Mycology 4 (3): 91–92.
(2023)
Suffolk Diptera Checklist (Part Six)
OPETIIDAE
OPETIA Meigen, 1830
nigra Meigen, 1830 - Potters Bridge, Southwold, 20 September 1913, C. Morley
TL 67,95 TM 07,46,47 [15]
PLATYPEZIDAE
CALLOMYIINAE
AGATHOMYIA Verrall, 1901
antennata (Zetterstedt, 1819) - Letheringham, 15 August 1918, C. Morley
TL 86,87,95 TM 25 [8]
boreella (Zetterstedt, 1838) - Cavenham, 30 May 1994, I. Perry TL 77,87 [2]
cinerea (Zetterstedt, 1852 - West Stow, 13 September 2002, I. Perry TL 87 [6]
collini Verrall, 1901 - Monk Soham, 22 August 1915, C. Morley TL 95 TM 25 [9]
falleni (Zetterstedt, 1819 - Ickworth, 1 October 2004, I. Perry TL 87,95 [3]
unicolor Oldenberg, 1928 - Ickworth, 13 September 2002, I. Perry TL 86.87 [3]
viduella (Zetterstedt, 1838) - Bradfield Woods, 2 May 2007, I. Perry TL 95 TM 24 [2]
wankowiczii (Schnabl,1884) - Newbourne Springs, November 2001, N. Mahler
TL 78,87 TM 04,14,24,45,47 [10]
woodella Chandler in Shatalkin, 1985 - Kings Forrest, Wordwell, November 2002, I. Perry TL 87 [1]
CALLOMYIA Meigen, 1804
amoena Meigen, 1824 - Brandon, September 1896, C. Morley TL 78,86,95 [4]
dives Zetterstedt, 1838 - no specific record but mentioned from Suffolk in Chandler (2017)
elegans Meigen, 1804 - Orford, 1906, J.J.F.X. King TM 26,45 [2] no recent records
speciosa Meigen, 1824 - Newmarket, 25 August 1899, G.H. Verrall TL 66,67,87 [3]
PLATYPEZINA Wahlgren, 1910
connexa (Boheman, 1858 - Brandon Country Park, 17 October 2020, I. Perry TL 87 [1]
MICROSANIINAE
MICROSANIA Zetterstedt, 1837
vrydaghi Collart, 1954 - Hopton, 30 July 2020, I. Perry TL 98 [1]
PLATYPEZINAE
BOLOPUS Enderlein, 1932
furcatus (Fallén, 1826) - Redlingfield Wood, 10 June 1922, C. Morley TL 95
TM 13,17,26 [7]
LINDNEROMYIA Kessel, 1965
dorsalis (Meigen, 1804) - Monk Soham, 22 June 1941, C. Morley TL 67,86
TM 03,26,46 [5]
PARAPLATYPEZA Kessel & Maggioncalda, 1968
atra (Meigen, 1804) - Bentley Woods, 26 April 1895, C. Morley TL 78,86,87,95
TM 13 [4]
bicincta (Szilády, 1941) - Bradfield Woods, 11 October 2007, I. Perry TL 95 [1]
PLATYPEZA Meigen, 1803
aterrima Walker, 1836 - Ickworth, 1 October 2010, I. Perry TL 86 [1]
consobrina Zetterstedt, 1844 - Parham Wood, 5 October 1916, H. Vinter TL 86,95 TM 36 [5]
fasciata Meigen, 1804 - Monk Soham, 23 October 1947, C. Morley TM 26 [1] no recent records
POLYPORIVORA Kessel & Maggioncalda, 1968
ornata (Meigen, 1838) - Brandon Staunch, 8 August 1913, C. Morley TL 78,87,95 [4]
picta (Meigen, 1830) - Parham Wood, 5 October 1916, H. Vinter TM 34,36,46 [3]
PROTOCLYTHIA Kessel, 1949
modesta (Zetterstedt, 1844) - Timworth, 16 September 1905, C.G. Nurse TL 86 TM 46 [4]
rufa (Meigen, 1830) - Orford, 1905, J.J.F.X. King TL 77,86 TM 03,34,45,46 [8]
PHORIDAE
ANEVRINA Lioy, 1864
curvinervis (Becker, 1901) - Ampton, no date given, C.G. Nurse TL 87 [1] no recent records
thoracica (Meigen, 1804) - Cattawade, 29 July 1953, L. Parmenter TM 13,34,46 [3] unispinosa (Zetterstedt, 1860) - Henstead Marshes, 30 March 1899, C. Morley
TM 26,48 [4] no recent records
urbana (Meigen, 1830) - Ampton, no date given, C.G. Nurse TL 87 [1] no recent records
BOROPHAGA Enderlein, 1924
femorata (Meigen, 1830) - Boyton, 4 September 2020, G. Lowe TM 34 [1] incrassata (Meigen, 1830) - Ipswich, 16 August 1897, C. Morley TM 03,14,24,26,34,35,47,49,59 [10]
CHAETOPLEUROPHORA Schmitz, 1922
erythronota (Strobl, 1892) - Dodnash Wood, Bentley, 25 July 1953, L. Parmenter TM 03 [1]
CONICERA Meigen, 1830
dauci (Meigen, 1830) - Monk Soham, 7 September 1908, C. Morley TM 03,26 [4] floricola Schmitz, 1938 - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1] schnittmanni Schmitz, 1926 - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1] similis (Haliday, 1833) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1] tarsalis Schmitz, 1920 - Minsmere, 2004, D. Gibbs TM 46 [1] tibialis Schmitz, 1925 - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1]
DIPLONEVRA Lioy, 1864
abbreviata (von Roser, 1840) - Ampton, 11 September 1913, C.G. Nurse TL 87 [1] no recent records
concinna (Meigen, 1830) - Southwold, 9 June 1918, C. Morley TM 25,26,57 [4] no recent records
funebris (Meigen, 1830) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03,46 [2]
nitidula (Meigen, 1830) - Dodnash Wood, Bentley, 18 July 1951, L. Parmenter TM 03 [3]
pilosella Schmitz, 1927 - Westleton, 2 June 1952, L. Parmenter TM 03,46 [2]
GYMNOPHORA Macquart, 1835
arcuata (Meigen, 1830) - Orford, no date given, J.J.F.X. King TM 03,34 [2] no recent records
forresteri Disney, 2017 - Dodnash Wood, Bentley, 18 July 1951, L. Parmenter TM 13 [1]
healeyae Disney, 1980 - no specific record but mentioned from Suffolk in Disney (1983)
MEGASELIA Rondani, 1856
aculeata (Schmitz, 1919) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1]
aequalis (Wood, 1909) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1]
affinis (Wood, 1909) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1]
albicaudata (Wood, 1910) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1]
alticolella (Wood, 1909) - no specific record but mentioned from Suffolk in Disney (1989)
altifrons (Wood, 1909) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1]
basispinata (Lundbeck, 1920) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1]
berndseni (Schmitz, 1919) - Flatford, 8 July 1951, L. Parmenter TM 03 [2]
brevicostalis (Wood, 1910) - East Bergholt, 27 July 1953, L. Parmenter TM 03 [2])
campestris (Wood, 1908) - Timworth, 29 September 1913, C.G. Nurse TL 86 [1] no recent records
ciliata (Zetterstedt, 1848) - Bedfield, February 1921, C. Morley TM 26 [2]
clemonsi Disney, 1984 - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1] diversa (Wood, 1909) - Tuddenham, 20 July 1913, C.G. Nurse TL 77 [1] no recent records
drakei Disney, 1984 - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1]
errata (Wood, 1912) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1] flava (Fallén, 1823) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1] frameata Schmitz, 1927 - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1] fuscinervis (Wood, 1908) - West Stow, 12 June 1913, C.G. Nurse TL 77 [1] no recent records
giraudii (Egger, 1862) - Brandon, 14 September 1909, C. Morley TL 78 TM 03 [4] halterata (Wood, 1910) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1]
hirsuta (Wood, 1910) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1]
hirticaudata (Wood, 1910) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1] hortensis (Wood, 1909) - Flatford, 8 July 1951, L. Parmenter TM 03 [1]
infraposita (Wood, 1909) - Dodnash Wood, Bentley, 18 July 1951, L. Parmenter TM 13 [1]
insons (Lundbeck, 1920) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1] latifemorata (Becker, 1901) - Monk Soham, 23 July 1917, C. Morley TM 26 [1] no recent records
latior Schmitz, 1936 - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1]
latipalpis (Schmitz, 1921) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1] ledburiensis (Brues, 1915) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1] longicostalis (Wood, 1912) - Orfordness, 31 January 2003, P. Lee TM 45 [2] longipalpis (Wood, 1910) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1]
longiseta (Wood, 1909) - Dodnash Wood, Bentley, 25 July 1953, L. Parmenter TM 13 [1]
lucifrons (Schmitz, 1918) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1]
lutea (Meigen, 1830) - Monk Soham, 17 October 1923, C. Morley TM 26 [1] no recent records
lutescens (Wood, 1910) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03,45 [2] manicata (Wood, 1910) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1]
meigeni (Becker, 1901) - Ampton, no date given, C.G. Nurse TL 87 [1]
melanocephala (von Roser, 1840) - Shrubland Park, Coddenham, 27 August 1920, C. Morley TM 16,26 [11] no recent records minor (Zetterstedt, 1848) - Monk Soham, 21 arch 1921, C. Morley TM 26 [4] no recent records
minuta (Aldrich, 1892) - no specific record but mentioned from Suffolk in Disney (1989)
nasoni (Malloch, 1914) - Dodnash Wood, Bentley, 25 July 1953, L. Parmenter TM 13 [1]
nigra (Meigen, 1830) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1] nigriceps (Loew, 1866) - Dodnash Wood, Bentley, 25 July 1953, L. Parmenter TM 13 [1]
paludosa (Wood, 1908) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1] perdistans (Schmitz, 1924) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1] picta (Lehmann, 1822) - Ampton, no date given, C.G. Nurse TL 87 [1] pleuralis (Wood, 1909) - Flatford, 8 July 1951, L. Parmenter TM 03,13,35 [4] propinqua (Wood, 1909) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1] pulicaria (Fallén, 1823) - Ipswich, 1 March 1895, C. Morley TM 03,13,14,24,26,57 [8] pumila (Meigen, 1830) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1] rufcornis (Meigen, 1830) - Dodnash Wood, Bentley, 25 July 1953, L. Parmenter TM 13 [1]
rufipes (Meigen, 1804) - Ipswich, 15 December 1897, C. Morley TM 03,14,26 [11] serrata (Wood, 1910) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1]
spinicincta (Wood, 1910) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1] stigmatica (Schmitz, 1920) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1] sulphuripes (Meigen, 1830) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1]
tumida (Wood, 1909) - Minsmere, 25 May 1952, L Parmenter, TM 46 [1]
unicolor (Schmitz, 1919) - no specific record but mentioned from Suffolk in Disney (1989)
variana Schitmz, 1926 - Staverton Thicks, Wantisden, 1 June 1952, L. Parmenter TM 13,35 [2]
vestita (Wood, 1914) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1]
yatesi Disney, 2001 - Orfordness, 31 January 2003, P. Lee TM 45 [1]
METOPINA Macquart, 1835
galeata (Haliday, 1833) - Ipswich, 1908, R. Bennett TM 14 [1] no recent records
oligoneura (Mik, 1867) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1]
pileata Schmitz, 1936 - Langley Wood, Brent Eleigh, May 1985, R. Cooke TL 86,94 [2]
ulrichi Disney, 1979 - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1]
PHALACROTOPHORA Enderlein, 1912
fasciata (Fallén, 1823) - Flatford, 8 July 1951, L. Parmenter TM 03 [2]
PHORA Latreille, 1796
atra (Meigen, 1804) - Staverton Thicks, Wantisden, 1 June 1952, L. Parmenter
TL 77 TM 13,35 [3]
bullata Schmitz, 1927 - Flatford 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1]
PLECTANOCNEMA Schmitz, 1926
nudipes (Becker, 1901) - no specific record but mentioned from Suffolk in Disney (1989)
PSEUDACTEON Coquillett, 1907
formicarum (Verrall, 1877) - Newmarket, c1914, G.H. Verrall TL 66 [1]
TRIPHLEBA Rondani, 1856
autumnalis (Becker, 1901) - no specific record but mentioned from Suffolk in Disney (1989)
nudipalpis (Becker, 1901) - Flatford, 12-19 August 1981, D.H.L. Disney TM 03 [1]
LONCHOPTERIDAE
LONCHOPTERA Meigen, 1803
bifurcata (Fallén, 1810) - Ipswich, 8 September 1897, C. Morley TL 67,78
TM 07,14,23,46,57 [21]
lutea Panzer, 1809 - Mildenhall, 25 September 1907, C. Morley TL 67,77,86,95
TM 03,07,14,15,26,27,28,34,35,36,37,39,45,46,47,48,49,57,58 [136]
nitidifrons Strobl, 1898 - Middleton, 19 June 2014, P.J. Vincent TM 46 [2]
earlier records without specific details
scutellata Stein, 1890 - Lower Abbey Farm Marshes, Leiston, 1983, I. McLean TL 68
TM 07.46 [3] earlier records without specific details
tristis Meigen, 1824 - Foxhall, 23 March 1896, C.Morley TG 50 TM 07,24,26,49 [6] no recent records
DIPTERA REPORT 2023
PETER VINCENT
The use of the website iRecord to record Suffolk diptera has increased greatly in the last few years. In the past year, iRecord has collated some 1600 records of Suffolk flies. Considering the SBIS (Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service) database contains only c. 54,000 diptera records, many of which are duplicates and non-species specific, this is quite a boost to a relatively poorly recorded order. For those unfamiliar with iRecord, it is a website for sharing wildlife observations. Users can upload records, including associated photographs, to be checked and verified by experts. These records are then passed on to National Recording Schemes and to local record centres such as SBIS. SBIS in turn passes these records to the county recorders such as myself for further checking and verification. Records that pass these quality controls can be reliably entered onto the SBIS and NBN Atlas databases to be made available to support research and decision making at local and national levels.
For my part, the verification process initially involves identifying which records have been verified by an expert or recorded by a knowledgeable and reliable dipterist. Those records need no more verification on my part. For records that have not been verified, checks are then made to ensure the location, habitat and date of the record is within what is known about the species, as well as the how common the fly is thought to be within the county. For common and widespread flies that conform to the correct species traits, I feel it is acceptable within reasonable time restraints to accept these records. It is my opinion, though perhaps heresy in some recording circles, if a few mistakes are made with the records of very common species, then in all likelihood that species is likely to be there anyway even though that actual record may be inaccurate. However, records of more unusual and rare flies for the county must be subjected to a more rigorous verification process and this is where the supporting images provided to iRecord are of importance. When looking at these photographs, most records are correct and can be validated, while a few images are obviously not correct, and these records can be eliminated. A third group are those that are probably correct, but similar species cannot be ruled out simply by looking at the photograph; these cannot be validated without further information. Therefore, the gold standard of verification still involves the retention of voucher specimens.
iNaturalist is a similar website to iRecord for sharing records. This is a worldwide system and, as such, has much larger database of species, of which only a relative few are confirmed as British, which can cause some problems. The verification process for iNaturalist also involves the use of artificial intelligence and the use of consensus amongst its users to reach judgements on identification, with less use of experts than iRecord. Regardless, iNaturalists’ international presence means a greater number of overseas based dipterists, including those with more experience of some of the rarer British flies, can view the images and check their validity.
magnicornis
Raymond Watson’s collection of the Tachinid Tachina magnicornis (Zetterstedt, 1844) in his moth trap at Hollesley on 21 August (Watson, 2023) has raised some interesting questions. This was the first confirmed record of T. magnicornis from mainland Britain*; previously, it had only been found on the Channel Islands. A further possible T. magnicornis was collected by David Basham at Westhorpe. Chris Raper (organiser of the Tachinidae Recording Scheme) (pers. comm.) thinks this could be the second for mainland Britain, however, he also notes it could be something else entirely. T. magnicornis belongs to a group of Tachinids, which in Britain includes T. fera (Linnaeus, 1761); in mainland Europe there is a, yet to be formally described, species known a T. tetramera, which could be present in Britain and another, former but currently synonymised, species T. nupta (Rondani, 1859) (Raper, 2023). Widespread and common, T. fera occurs in most flower rich habitats and is often the most conspicuous Tachinid at a site. Because of its singular appearance, T. fera until now, was thought to be an easy to identify species in the field. However, recorders now need to take care to first, rule out T. magnicornis and second, to look out for T. tetramera - both best confirmed by examination of the male genitalia. Finally, we must ask ‘how long has T. magnicornis been in Suffolk?’ According to David Basham (pers. comm.), T. magnicornis has been widespread throughout the county this late
Tachina fera
summer/ autumn. So, is it a recent colonist? Suffolk is well placed to receive migrant flies from mainland Europe; or has it been here for a while, not noticed and just assumed to be T. fera. It will be interesting to see if T. magnicornis is as widespread next summer, but certainly all Tachina will need to be checked closely.
In addition to species mentioned above, some interesting and uncommon species that have recently been recorded from Suffolk (this includes records obtained from iRecord and iNaturalist) are, the Agromyzids, Agromyza abiens Zetterstedt, 1848, A. igniceps Hendel, 1920 [1st Suffolk record], A. nigrescens Hendel, 1920, Aulacigaster leucopeza (Meigen, 1830), Calycomyza artemisiae (Kaltenbach, 1856), Cerodontha iridis (Hendel, 1927), Liriomyza flaveola (Fallén, 1823), L. orbona (Meigen, 1830), L. pisivora Hering, 1954, L. pusilla (Meigen, 1830), Melanagromyza oligophaga Spencer, 1990 [1st Suffolk record], Phytomyza cirsii Hendel, 1923, P. cytisi Brischke, 1881, P. minuscula Goureau, 1851 and P. spinaciae Hendel, 1935, the Anthomyiids, Delia criniventris (Zetterstedt, 1860) and D. echinata (Séguy, 1923), the Chironomid Metriocnemus albolineatus (Meigen, 1818), the Chloropids Chlorops frontosus Meigen, 1830, Oscinimorpha arcuata (Duda, 1932), Oscinisoma cognatum (Meigen, 1830), Meromyza athletica Fedoseeva, 1974 and Meromyza palposa Fedoseeva, 1960, the Ditomyid Symmerus annulatus (Meigen, 1830), the Dolichopodids, Dolichopus excisus Loew, 1859, Medetera diadema (Linnaeus, 1767) and Neurigona pallida (Fallén, 1823), the Empid Rhamphomyia barbata (Macquart, 1823), the Hybotid Platypalpus interstinctus (Collin, 1926), the Lonchaeid Protearomyia nigra (Meigen, 1826),
triangula (Fallén, 1825), the (Fabricius, 1794), the Tabanid, Hybomitra ciureai Myopites inulaedyssentericae Blot, 1827, Otites (Loew, 1844).
group species Tachinid Recording Scheme [online] https://tachinidae.org.uk/blog/distinguishing-tachina-fera-groupspecies/ [Accessed 7 November 2023]. Watson, R. (2023.) Tachina magnicornis. White Admiral 113: 25.
Peter Vincent Pennyfields, Rectory Road, Middleton, Suffolk. IP17 3NW Diptera@sns.org.uk
*Postscript: A specimen of Tachina magnicornis was collected by Paul Lee on the 15 August at Woolverstone. This predates Raymond Watson's record by six days, making this the first record of T. magnicornis from mainland Britain.