INTERACTIONS OF SOME
HIGHER DIPTERA (FLIES) IN
THE FOREST FLOOR
ENVIRONMENT
THE ORDER DIPTERA
• SPECIES IN NORTH AMERICA – 20,000
• OHIO SPECIES IN FORESTED
ENVIRONMENTS – 3000?
FAMILIES TO BE DISCUSSED
HERE
• SCIOMYZIDAE – THE SLUG- AND
SNAIL-KILLING FLIES
• PLATYSTOMATIDAE – ROOT NODULE
FLIES
SPECIES OF SCIOMYZIDAE THAT
ATTACK SNAILS AND SLUGS IN OHIO’S
FORESTS
•
•
•
•
•
PHERBELLIA ALBOVARIA
SCIOMYZA ARISTALIS
OIDEMATOPS FERRUGINEA
TETANOCERA SPP. (3)
EUTHYCERA ARCUATA
EUTHYCERA ARCUATA
DISTRIBUTION OF EUTHYCERA
ARCUATA
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Eu th ycera arcuata
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PREY OF EUTHYCERA ARCUATA
• FAMILY POLYGYRIDAE
– MESODON INFLECTUS
– STENOTREMA HIRSUTUM
• FAMILY ZONITIDAE
– MESOMPHIX CUPREUS
– VENTRIDENS LIGERA
– DEROCERAS LAEVE
HOSTS OF SLUG-KILLING
TETANOCERA
• T. PLEBEJA – DEROCERAS
• T. VALIDA – DEROCERAS
• T. CLARA – PALLIFERA, PHILOMYCUS
TETANOCERA VALIDA
ADULT OF TETANOCERA
VALIDA
DISTRIBUTION OF TETANOCERA
VALIDA
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Tetano cera va lida
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TETANOCERA CLARA
DISTRIBUTION OF TETANOCERA
CLARA
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SIGNIFICANCE OF LAND
SNAILS AND SLUGS
•
SLUGS ARE IMPORTANT PESTS OF
AGRICULTURAL CROPS AND GARDENS
•
DEROCERAS SLUGS ARE HOSTS OF
LUNG ROUNDWORMS OF DEER AND ELK
•
SMALL LAND SNAILS ARE HOSTS OF
LUNG ROUNDWORMS OF BIG-HORNED
SHEEP IN WESTERN STATES
SLUGS NOT UTILIZED
THESE INTRODUCED SPECIES OF SLUGS ARE NOT UTILIZED
FAMILY LIMACIDAE
LIMAX FLAVUS
LIMAX MAXIMUS
FAMILY ARIONIDAE
ARION CIRCUMSCRIPTUS
ARION HORTENSIS
ARION SUBFUSCUS
PLATYSTOMATIDAE:
RIVELLIA
• GENUS IS FOUND THROUGHOUT THE
WORLD, AND IS THE LARGEST GENUS IN
THE FAMILY
• SOME 40 SPECIES IN NORTH AMERICA
• LARVAE FEED ON ROOT NODULES OF
LEGUMES
HOST PLANTS OF SOME
FOREST SPECIES OF RIVELLIA
•
•
•
•
RIVELLIA STEYSKALI – DESMODIUM
RIVELLIA VARIABILIS – APIOS
RIVELLIA PALLIDA – AMPHICARPAEA
RIVELLIA MELLIGINIS - ROBINIA
PROTEIN VALUES IN NODULES
AND ROOTS OF APIOS
• NODULAR TISSUE – 98
• ROOT TISSUE – 26
• (MG PROTEIN/GM OF TISSUE)
DEPTH DISTRIBUTION OF
LARVAE OF R. MELLIGINIS
•
•
•
•
•
•
DEPTH (CM)
0 –10
10 – 20
20 – 30
30 – 40
40 – 50
NO. OF LARVAE
5
0
0
0
1
FACIAL MASK OF RIVELLIA
INFESTATION RATES OF ROBINIA
NODULES (N = 20 IN EACH SAMPLE)
• SAMPLE
•
A
•
B
•
C
•
D
•
E
NO. INFESTED
5
3
2
4
3
% INFESTED
25
15
10
20
15
LEGUME NODULES CONSUMED BY
RIVELLIA MELLIGINIS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
SOYBEAN
BIRDSFOOT TREFOIL
SWEET WHITE CLOVER
YELLOW SWEET CLOVER
ALFALFA
RED CLOVER
WHITE CLOVER
AGRICULTURALLY IMPORTANT
SPECIES OF LEGUMINOSAE
INTRODUCED SPECIES
RELATED NATIVE GENERA
PEANUT
CHAPMANNIA
SOYBEAN
AMPHICARPAEA
ALFALFA
TRIFOLIUM
BEANS
PHASEOLUS
PEAS
LATHYRUS
DAMAGE TO LEGUME NODULES BY
RIVELLIA LARVAE
• LOCALITY
LEGUME
% DAMAGE
• AFRICA
PEANUT
50 - 60
• AUSTRALIA
•
• LOUISIANA
PASTURE LEGUME 50 - 70
SOYBEAN
UP TO 48
• OHIO
HOG-PEANUT
0 – 25
COMPOSITION OF OHIO
LEGUMES
• NATIVE GENERA – 25
• NATIVE SPECIES – 63