Sphaeroceridae (Diptera) in burrows of rabbit and fox in central Bohemia (Czech Republic), with description of a new species of Minilimosina Roháček

Abstract

The communities of Sphaeroceridae in burrows of European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus and Red Fox Vulpes vulpes in central Bohemia (the Czech Republic) are described including number, dominance and constancy of species and compared by means of a similarity index. A total of 17 species were recorded from burrows of rabbit and 9 from those of fox. Spelobia talparum (Richards, 1927) and S. pseudonivalis (Dahl, 1909) are considered pholeobiont (= eucoenic) and Spelobia czizeki (Duda, 1918) pholeophilous to pholeobiont species in this habitat. Comparison of these two communities with those recorded from other mammal subterraneous habitats in Europe revealed that most similar are those from the same locality irrespective of the host mammal species or the size of the burrow. The species spectrum of European Sphaeroceridae recorded from mammal burrows is reviewed and discussed. Minilimosina (Minilimosina) speluncana sp. n. is described on males found in rabbit burrow and its relationship and habitat association are discussed.