Pherbellia cinerella ( Fallén, 1820 )

Vala, Jean-Claude & Williams, Christopher D., 2015, Sciomyzidae Fallén, 1820 (Diptera) collected in the Mercantour National Park, France, Zoosystema 37 (4), pp. 611-619 : 613

Pherbellia cinerella ( Fallén, 1820)

Sciomyza cinerella Fallén, 1820: 14 .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Additional species collected by J.-C. Vala. Boréon: 13-17.VI.2014, 2♂. Valdeblore (2800 m), Larch forest , 1 ♀ ; Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée (2700 m), 3 ♂, 2 ♀.

DISTRIBUTION. — Common species with a wide distribution in the Palaearctic and Oriental Regions. Also collected in Israel, Turkey, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan.

COMMENTS

This species was not found in the material received from the MNHN. However, six males and three females had been already collected at Beonia in a chestnut grove (2060 m) on 7.IX.2009, and one couple (1232-1235 m) on 11.IX.2009. All specimens were identified by R. Rozkošný (ATBI + M Database: EDIT 2010). During subsequent surveys in the park, we collected eight specimens by sweep netting in the same coniferous forest type throughout 13-17.VI.2014. This Pherbellia species is very common in the Palaearctic region and can be collected in habitats ranging from dry areas to humid grasslands. Larvae attack and eat a variety of shoreline and terrestrial snails. Bratt et al. (1969) described all the immature stages and detailed the larval biology. This species is polyvoltine and overwinters as adult ( Vala 1984).