Spelobia pseudonivalis (Dahl, 1909)

Roháček, Jindřich, 2012, Wing polymorphism in European species of Sphaeroceridae (Diptera), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52 (2), pp. 535-558 : 548

7. Spelobia pseudonivalis (Dahl, 1909)

( Figs. 31–34 )

Material examined. 29 specimens (9 JJ 20 ♀♀, with 1 ♀ macropterous, 1 J 2 ♀♀ submacropterous, others brachypterous) from Germany, Czech Republic and Slovakia – localities listed by ROHÁČEK (1975a, 1980, 1983, 1999, 2009a) and ROHÁČEK et al. (2005).

The species was originally described as brachypterous (for typical wing see Fig. 33 ). The first longer-winged specimens ( Fig. 31 ) were recorded by ROHÁČEK (1980) and its wing polymorphism was discussed by ROHÁČEK (1983). Unfortunately, the relatively small number of specimens available for study makes it impossible to study the phenomenon in S. pseudonivalis more thoroughly. It seems to be of a similar type to Puncticorpus cribratum but perhaps without geographical dependence and with a much rarer (sub)macropterous form. Among the brachypterous specimens a mutant female with strongly reduced wing and venation (dm-cu lost) was found ( Fig. 34 ) and recently a fully winged female was recorded from Poľana Mts. in Slovakia ( ROHÁČEK 2009a). Except for Spelobia manicata , S. pseudonivalis is the only microcavernicolous wing polymorphic species in Europe. It lives in burrows of small mammals, particularly in nests of moles (ROHÁČEK 1983).

Figures

Figs. 31–34. Spelobia pseudonivalis (Dahl, 1909), wings. 31 – submacropterous male (Czech Republic: Nízký Jeseník Mts.– Slunečná Mt.); 32 – slightly brachypterous female (Czech Republic: Hrubý Jeseník – Kouty nad Desnou); 33 – typical brachypterous female (Czech Republic: Horní Benešov env.); 34 – strongly brachypterous female with dm-cu cross-vein lost (Czech Republic: Moravský kras – Babice). Scale: 0.5 mm. Photo by J. Roháček.