M U S E U M & I N S T I T U T E OF Z O O L O G YP O L I S H A C A D E M Y O F S C I E N C E S

F R A G M E N T A F A U N I S T I C AFragm. faun. W arsaw, 30.12.1999 42 13 127-132

R. Henry L. D is n e y * and Ewa D u r s k a **

A new subspecies o f a scu ttle fly [Diptera: Phoridae) th at feeds on oyster m ushroom s (Pleurotus ostreatus) in Poland

A b s tra c t. The O riental species M egaselia tam ilnaduensis D isn ey , b u t of a new subspecies polo­nica, is reported to be a pest of the m ycelium of cultivated Pleurotus ostreatus (JACQ. ex Fr .) Q u e l , in Poland. In considering its affinities w ith E uropean species, M. com pacta S chmitz is synonym ised w ith M. deuia S c h m itz

K ey w ords: Lentinaceae, Pleurotus, Phoridae, Megaselia, pest, subspecies, synonym .

A u th o rs ' add resses: * University M useum of Zoology, Downing Street, C am bridge CI32 3E J, UK ** M useum and Institute of Zoology, PAS, Wilcza 64, 00-679 Warszawa, POLAND

INTRODUCTION

The cultivation of oyster m ushroom s is increasingly popular and hence the s tu d y of their pests is a growing field of research. A new host record for M egaselia lam ilnaduensis D is n e y (Diptera: Phoridae), b u t of a new subspecies, w hose larvae feed on the mycelium of cultivated Pleurotus ostreatus ( J a c q . ex F it.) Q u e l , in Poland is reported. It was reared from larvae spoiling the m yce­lium of oyster m ushroom s being cultivated on sacks of pasteurised rye straw a t two farm s n ear Kock (150-200 km SE of W arsaw). Mr M. Lewandowski (V/. A. U. - D epartm ent of Applied Entomology) sen t the m aterial to the M u­seu m and Institu te of Zoology PAS., where the flies were reared out in the laborato ry by E. D urska and sen t to R. H. L. Disney for identification. The species proves to be the Oriental species Megaselia tam ilnaduensis D is n e y (M o h a n , M o h a n , D is n e y 1996) b u t of a new subspecies, which is described below.

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128 R. H. L. Disney and E. D urska

DESCRIPTION

M egaselia tam ilnaduensis polonica subsp . n.

M egaselia tam ilnaduensis D is n e y in M o h a n , M o h a n , D is n e y 1996:516.

This subspecies differs from M. tam ilnaduensis tam ilnaduensis in having the hind fem ur a little longer in relation to its m axim um bread th (being > 2.6x as long a s broad as com pared with being < 2.6x) and the range for the costal index is 0 .41 -0 .46 (compared with 0.39-0.43). The male hypopygium of the Polish subspecies is as Figs 1-2.

Material exam ined. Holotype male: POLAND, Kock, 4 J u n e 1998, para- types: 4 m ales, 2 females, sam e da ta as holotype (University M useum of Zool­ogy, Cambridge). Paratype male: sam e date as holotype (M useum and Insti­tu te of Zoology, PAS, Warsaw).

Taxonom ic rem arks. In considering th is species in relation to the E uro ­pean fauna, we note th a t the m ales will run to lead 2 of couplet 285 in the key to British species ( D is n e y 1989). It is imm ediately d istinguished from M. dvalis (WOOD) by the an tia l and an tero lateral b ristles being alm ost a t the sam e level in the la tte r species. M. praeacuta S c h m i t z will also run to th is lead, b u t it h a s sh o rt ha irs only on the epandrium ( Ć a k a r , D is n e y 1991, D is n e y , C a m p a d e l l i 1997). M. beatńcis COLYER (1962) is only known in the female sex and is covered by no key. It clearly resem bles M. tamilnaduensis, b u t it is im ­m ediately d istinguished by having only sho rt sparse hairs below the basal ha lf of the h ind fem ur. Likewise M. compacta SCHMITZ (1940) is covered by no key and its description resem bles the new species. However, R. H. L. Disney re ­m ounted the holotype (from the M useum Koenig, Bonn) on a slide and found it to be M. devia S c h m i t z (1936). Therefore M. compacta is herew ith syn- onym ised w ith M. devia. In d iscussing the affinities of M. compacta, SCHMITZ (1940) m ade no reference to M. devia. The male of the la tte r is keyed by D is n e y (1989). I note in addition th a t the male labella are som ew hat spinose below and th a t the SPS vesicles of the third an tenna l segm ent (see P f e i l , W a l s h , M u m m a 1994) are unusually large (Fig. 4). In M. tam ilnaduensis these vesicles are absen t.

If M. tam ilnaduensis is ru n through the relevant section of the keys to Ne- arctic species (B o r g m e i e r 1966) its com bination of brown femora and the possession of some long ha irs below the basal half of the h ind fem ur will ex­clude all sim ilar species.

DISCUSSION

T h e l a r v a e o f t h e fo l lo w in g Phoddae a r e n o w k n o w n to fe e d o n s p e c i e s o f o y s t e r m u s h r o o m s , Pleurotus (F r .) P . K um m . [Lentinaceae] , m o s t b e i n g r e ­p o r t e d f r o m s p o r o p h o r e s :

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A new subspecies of Phoridae

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Figs 1-2. M egaselia m ale. M egaselia tam ilnaduensis polonica subsp . n., hypopygium . 1 - right face, 2 - left face. (Scale b ars = 0.1 mm).

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130 R. H. L. D isney and E. D urska

Figs 3-4 . M egaselia m ales. M egaselia tam ilnaduensis polonica subsp . n. 3 - posterior face of h indfem ur, A - M . deuia Schm itz, SPS vesicles of th ird an ten n a l segm ent. (Scale b ars = 0.1 mm).

Pleurotus sp. - M egaselia chaetoneura (MALLOCH) (BROWN, MARSHALL 1984), M. syIvatica (W o o d ) (D is n e y , E v a n s 1979);

P. citrinopileatus S i n g e r [H il b e r (1993) t r e a t e d t h i s s p e c i e s a s a s u b s p e c i e s o f P. cornucopiae, b u t w i t h o u t g iv in g a n y g r o u n d s fo r t h i s c o n c l u s i o n ] - M. tam ilnaduensis D is n e y , t h e l a r v a e f e e d i n g o n t h e m y c e l iu m (M o h a n , M o h a n , D is n e y 1996);

P. cornucopiae (Pa u l , e x P e r s .) R o l l a n d . - M. fra m ea ta S c h m it z (B u x t o n 1961, C h a n d l e r 1973, D is n e y 1994), M. giraudii (E g g e r ) (B u x t o n 1961), M. plurispinulosa (Z e t t e r s t e d t ) (C h a n d l e r 1973);

P. ostreatus - ( J a c q . ex F r . ) Q u e l . - M. longipennis ( M a l l o c h ) ( A c k e r m a n , S h e n e f e l d t 1973), t h e l a r v a e o f t h i s s p e c i e s b e i n g p r i m a r l y a m y c e l iu m f e e d e r (HUSSEY 1960), M. rubescens (W o o d ) ( Y a k o v le v 1986), M. tam ilnaduensis D is n e y s u b s p e c i e s polonica D is n e y & D u r s k a , t h e l a r v a e f e e d i n g o n t h e m y c e ­l i u m ( t h i s p a p e r ) ;

P. sajor-caju (F r .) S i n g e r - M. pleurota D i s n e y , t h e l a r v a e f e e d i n g o n t h e s p o r o p h o r e s , a n d M. scalaris (Lo e w ), w h o s e l a r v a e in i t i a l l y fe e d o n t h e m y c e ­l i u m b u t s u b s e q u e n t l y i n v a d e t h e s p o r o p h o r e s ( J o h a l , D is n e y 1994).

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A new subspecies of Phoridae 131

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

R.H.L. Disney’s work on Phoridae is funded by the Isaac Newton T rust (Trinity College, Cambridge). E. D urska 's stud ies are funded by Komitet Badań Naukowych, PAN (Committee for Scientific Research, PAS).

REFERENCES

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B o r g m e i e r T. 1966. Revision of the North American Phorid flies. Part 111. The species of the ge­n u s Megaselia. su b g en u s Megaselia (Diptera, Phoridae). S tud ia Ent., Petropolis, 8: 1-160 (1965).

B rown B. V ., Marshall S. A. 1 9 8 4 . Phorid Hies (Diptera: Phoridae) associated with m ushroom s in S ou thern O ntario, Proc. Ent. Soc. O ntario 115: 7 7 - 8 0 .

BUXTON P. A. 1961. B ritish Diptera associated with fungi. III. Flies of all families reared from ab o u t 150 species of fungi. Entom ologist's mon. Mag., London, 96: 61 -94 (1960).

Ć a k a r L., D i s n e y R. FI. L. 1991. A leaf-m ining scu ttle fly (Diptera: Phoridae) as a pest of ch ickpeas (Leguminosae) in Yugoslavia. Bull. Entom ol. Res., London, 81: 2 1 -4

C h a n d l e r P. 1973. Some Diptera and o ther insects associated with decaying elm s (Ulmus procera Salisbury) a t Bromley, Kent, with som e additional observations on these and related species. E ntom ologist’s Gaz., London, 24: 329-346 .

C o l y e r C . N. 1962. Ten new species of Phoridae from Yugoslavia (Diptera). S tud ia Ent., Petropo­lis, 5: 257-76 .

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D i s n e y R. II. L. 1994. Scuttle Flies: The Phoridae. C hapm an and Hall, London, pp .467.D i s n e y R. H. L. C a m p a d e l l i G. 1997. A new species of Megaselia Rondani (Diptera: Phoridae)

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(Agaricales: Pleurotaceae) in India. Bull. ent. Res., London, 84: 247-254 .M o h a n S., M o h a n S., D i s n e y R. H. L. 1996. A new species of scu ttle fly (Diptera: Phoridae) th a t is

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SCHMITZFI. 1 9 3 6 . V ier n e u e e u r o p a isc h e P horid en (Diptera). K onow ia, 14: 1 9 0 -1 9 5 .S c h m i t z H. 1940. Die e rs tenhundert Phoriden von Portugal (tcil IV). Broteria, 36: 4 9 -7 4 + Taf. I-IV.Y a k o v l e v E . B . 1986. N asekom ye-m itsebionty yuzhoi Karelii (ekologofaunisticheskii spisok). In:

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132 R. H. L. D isney and E. D urska

STRESZCZENIE

[Tytuł: Nowy podgatunek Phoridae niszczący upraw y boczniaka (Pleurotus ostreatus) w Polsce]

O pisano nowy podgatunek z rodziny Phoridae (Diptera) - M egaselia tamil- naduensis polonica D is n e y & D u r s k a z Polski. Podgatunek ten, ja k również orientalny gatunek Megaselia tam ilnadnensis D is n e y niszczą upraw y bocznia­ka (Pleurotus). W pracy został także zsynonim izowany gatunek Megaselia com- pacta S c h m i t z z M. devia S c h m i t z .

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