Some Scarce Diptera from the Barnsley Area in 2011
Including Nine Species New to Yorkshire
J.D.Coldwell
Continued recording of Diptera, particularly the Calyptrata, in this district during 2011
resulted in the following noteworthy species, a number of which are new to the county.
PIPUNCULIDAE
Eudorylas fusculus (Zetterstedt)
A single female of this very small, dark ‘big-headed fly’ was swept from the rough meadow
below the main house in the grounds of Wentworth Castle on 2nd July. First recorded in
Britain as recently as 1992 from the New Forest, this species has spread fairly rapidly
since that time (Gibbs) and is thought to prefer wooded areas. The specimen was
identified using Ackland (2002) Test keys to British Eudorylini. The Piercer A
Pipunculidae Newsletter No.3) who states the view that it is unlikely that this species
belongs in Eudorylas s.s.
HELEOMYZIDAE
Tephrochlaena halterata Czerny
A female example of this mainly coastal fly was swept from wasteground at Manvers on 1st
June. It is listed in Grayson (in prep.) without vice-comital details, just the initials WAE.
ANTHOMYIIDAE
Chirosia similata (Tiensuu)
Breeding in ferns, as do all members of this genus, C.similata is one of the scarcer species
found mainly in southern England where it is regarded as very local by Ackland
(Anthomyiid Pack PDF file). Little else seems to be known about this species. A ♂ was
found by the side of an abandoned canal on 10th April at Low Barugh, a surprising
discovery for such a relatively fern-poor locality.
Delia interflua (Pandellé)
Single males of this scarce anthomyiid were collected from Clough Wood on 1st May and
Cawthorne on 4th June, the former site an old strip of damp woodland, the latter a lightly
wooded area set amidst old hedgerow and copse. A little-known northern species mainly
confined to Scotland, there is a previous Yorkshire record – not listed in Grayson (ibid.) from Slightholme Beck in 1981 (J.Cole) (Anthomyiidae Newsletter No.4 February 1998).
Pegomya meridiana (Villeneuve)
Stated by Ackland (ibid.) as common in the UK, the larvae developing in the seeds of
Hypericum. A male was swept from wasteground at Manvers on 25th May. This is a very
small and particularly undistinguished-looking anthomyiid, a circumstance that may have
helped delay it’s entry on to the Yorkshire list until now.
Sorby Record No.47 (2011)
Page 16
CALLIPHORIDAE
Angioneura acerba (Meigen)
A ♂ example of this small, rather drab, atypical-looking calliphorid was found on a patch of
wasteground between Dodworth and Higham on 10th August and a second ♂ on the 25th
September. First discovered in Britain in 1966 (Ackland, 1967), this species is now known
from a limited number of sites in southern England (S.Falk, pers comm) with one
Lancashire record (A.Godfrey, pers comm).The larvae are thought to be snail parasites, as
far as their biology is known. A closely related species, Melanomya nana, is frequent at
this site; both genera were at one time thought by some authors to belong to the
Rhinophoridae.
TACHINIDAE
Actia lamia (Meigen)
A number of ♀♀s were found at two upland sites, Winscar Reservoir and Langsett during
July and August. Both localities are relatively rich floristically, the former a damp slope
descending to the water’s edge, the second a seepage glade within a pine plantation.
Thistles grow profusely and it may be significant that A.lamia has been bred from tortricid
moths associated with Cirsium palustre (Belshaw, 1993).
Amongst the Siphonini, Actia lamia is easy to recognise as it has a truncated medial vein.
It is a fly of marshes, wet grassland and woodland and of uncertain status (JNCC
Calypterate Review 1996) but has a wide distribution, southern England to south midlands,
Wales and Scotland; it is therefore not particularly surprising that Yorkshire specimens
have now been found.
Siphona confusa Mesnil
A single ♂ was taken on 15th April by the roadside near Green Moor. Despite the problems
in assessing material belonging to this difficult genus, this specimen, in good condition,
keyed quite readily to confusa using Belshaw and Andersen (1996). Since S.confusa has
not been recorded in Yorkshire it was later decided, somewhat reluctantly, to detach the
abdomen in order to more clearly examine the 5th sternite, a procedure that served to
confirm the identity of this taxon beyond any doubt. It is one of only three Siphona whose
flight period encompasses April and is widespread but uncommon in Britain.
Siphona setosa Mesnil
Two ♂ examples of a Siphona species with strikingly long antennae (c.1.5 x frons length)
were swept from seepage vegetation by Winscar Reservoir on 3rd August. Possessing a
pair of median marginal bristles on abdomen 1 + 2 these specimens need only to be
compared with the common S.geniculata against which other small points of difference
also became apparent. S.setosa is widespread but uncommon in Britain and reported
here as an addition to the list of Yorkshire diptera. Confirmed by Chris Raper.
Sturmia bella (Meigen)
A ♀ of this rather notorious species was swept from rough pasture at Scout Dike on 28th
September. Not long established in the UK, this species, thought by some to be at least
partially responsible for a decline of the Small Tortoiseshell on whose larvae it is a
parasitoid, is spreading throughout England. This capture would appear to be the first
Yorkshire record.
Sorby Record No.47 (2011)
Page 17
FANNIIDAE
Fannia lucidula (Zetterstedt, 1860)
A ♂ of this uncommon species was swept from wayside herbage at Cawthorne on 4th
June. The globular apex of abdomen with downward projecting triangular plate renders
this Fanniid instantly recognisable. This discovery constitutes the first modern record for
Yorkshire, Meade (1882) first reporting the occurrence of this species - as Homalomyia
herniosa - in the neighbourhood of Bradford. His remark concerning males having a large
projecting sub-anal process points to this taxon which for many years was known as
Fannia glaucescens (Zetterstedt, 1845) of which H.herniosa is listed as a synonym in
Chandler (1998). Pont (2002) revised some names in the Fanniidae described by
Zetterstedt resulting in four new synonyms including glaucescens, which became a junior
synonym of Fannia armata (Meigen, 1826). The name Fannia lucidula (Zetterstedt, 1860)
was raised from synonymy to replace (glaucescens of authors [misident.]).
MUSCIDAE
Graphomyia minor Robineau-Desvoidy
Closely resembling its common umbel-frequenting congener, Graphomyia maculata
(Scopoli), G.minor is a scarce species in the UK although it surely must be overlooked to
some extent. A ♂ found at Gypsy Marsh on 1st June is perhaps only the second Yorkshire
record.
Polietes meridionalis Peris & Llorente
A large ‘blue-bottle’ type fly whose presumed recent arrival in the UK seems to have
occurred largely without comment. It closely resembles the common P.lardarius but has a
yellow anterior spiracle and deeper golden facial dusting. Single examples of both sexes
were taken in rough pasture at Scout Dike at the end of September and October – typically
late dates for this species which is probably now widespread in England although recorded
here for the first time in Yorkshire. Added to the British list in 2013.
References
Ackland, D.M. (1967) Angioneura acerba (Meigen, 1838) (Diptera, Calliphoridae)
New to Britain. Entomologist, 100, 122-123.
Andersen, S. (1996) The Siphonini (Diptera: Tachinidae) of Europe. Fauna Entomologica
Scandinavica 33: 1-148.
Belshaw, R. (1993) Tachinid Flies Diptera: Tachinidae. Handbk. Ident. Br. Insects.
10 4a(i). 1-170.
Chandler, P.J. (1998) (Ed.) Checklists of insects of the British Isles (New Series). Part 1:
Diptera. (Incorporating a List of Irish Diptera). Handbooks for the Identification of
British Insects 12(1), i-xix, 1-234. Royal Entomoogical Society, London.
Gibbs, D. (2010) Pipunculidae – David Gibbs entomology and natural history – The
Pipunculidae Study Group. http://davidjgibbswebs.com/pipunculidae.htm
(accessed 11.11.2010).
Grayson, A. List of Yorkshire Diptera (in prep.)
Meade, R.H. (1882) Annotated List of British Anthomyiidae. Entomologists’ Monthly
Magazine, Vol.xviii, 201-205.
Pont, A.C. (2002) The Fanniidae (Diptera) described by J.W.Zetterstedt. Insect
Systematics and Evolution 33, 103-112.
Sorby Record No.47 (2011)
Page 18