A review of scuttle fly genera of Israel (Diptera: Phoridae), with new records and an identification key
Author
Mostovski, Mike B.
text
Zootaxa
2016
4137
1
61
72
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4137.1.4
1c6ab101-fab1-442b-aa9a-93f1824f298d
1175-5326
264841
722D15D8-4320-4034-A587-034A589DAA8F
Conicera similis
(Haliday, 1833)
Material.
Israel
:
1♂
Havat Matityahu [nr Bar'am,
33°03'52"N
35°27'13"E
],
10.ii.2016
, on
Tuber aestivum
;
2♂
Almagor [
32°55'N
35°36'E
],
7–30.iv.2011
, W. Kuslitzky, Malaise trap;
1♂
Ma'agan Mikha'el [
32°33'N
34°55'E
],
1–9.iii.2009
, W. Kuslitzky, Malaise trap.
Remarks.
There is certain variability in the size and shape of the sensory organ situated in the distal half of the mid tibia in this European species (
Mostovski & Disney, 2003
). However, the sensory organ opening and associated apical process of
C. similis
are consistently smaller than those of
C. tibialis
.
Of particular interest is record of
C. similis
on the summer truffle
Tuber aestivum
commercially grown in northern
Israel
. Unlike in
Megaselia
, association of
Conicera
species with fungi is sporadic and infrequent.
Conicera similis
is probably the only species in the genus to be known for such relationship; it has been so far recorded from
Boletus rhodoxanthus
,
Pluteus cervinus
and
Tuber aestivum
(
Disney 1994
;
Disney & Evans 1988
).