Фауна фитофагних врста мува галица у Србији (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae, Cecidomyinae)

Abstract

The paper presents a summary of data on the study of the fauna of gall midges species in Serbia during the 20th and the first two decades of the 21st century. The first more comprehensive list of gall midges species was compiled by D. Simova-Tošić, M. Skuhrava and V. Skuhravy (2000) who listed 283 predominantly phytophagous species of the Cecidomyiidae family in the fauna of Serbia, while zoophagous and mycophagous species are represented by a significantly smaller number. The introductory part of the paper offers the basic mophological and biological characteristics of the family Cecidomyiidae, a brief summary of the subfamilies (Lestremiinae and Porricondyliinae) necessary for the study of the fauna of gall midges. Some histological features of gall’s wall as well as the types of galls and organs on which galls can be found are also presented. According to histology structure of the tissue on the cross section of the gall’s wall, several groups can be distinguished: a) gall’s wall with similar structure as that in non attacked blade tissue, but with multiplied pallisad and spongy tissues depending on the swelling part (as by Conntarinia acerplicans); b) gall’s wall with very simple structure containig large undifferentiated cells and with distinct or less distinct epidermis (as by Spurgia euphorbiae); c) trough parenchyma tissue runs an of large oval cells, and one or two layers of upper epidermis can be present (as by Acericecis szepligetii); d) sclerenchyma cells can be found near upper epidermis or in the middle of the gall’s wall (as by Craneiobia corni); e) to the last group belong galls with more complicated wall’s structure and rich nurishing tissue arrond the larval chamber (as by Dasineura urticae). The illustrations used in the paper are hand drawn, as seen trough a stereo microscope that has 100-400× magnification, depending on the size of the object and the details to be displayed. All material presented is kept in the collection of the Natural History Museum in Belgrade. The drawings and illustrations of galls are original ones, with few exceptions, which are accompanied by references. The illustrations are drawn by Aleksandar Stojanović, BSc, who is an associate of the Natural History Museum, whereas the drawings are made by the author and Dragica Smiljanić, an engineer, from the Faculty of Agriculture in Zemun. The species are sorted in alphabetical order, while the nomenclature of the gall midge species used in the paper follows that proposed by Skuhrava [1, 27, 28] and Gagne [2, 12].For efficient species identification one may find useful to consult Gall Midges Illustration Book [29]. The following data are given for each of listed species: the host plant and the family to wich it belongs, brief morfology description, note on gall’s type, and biology based on literature data, or based on author’s own research, distribution, economic importance of some species (harmful, potentialy harmful or useful) and the localities inhabited by the species mentioned in this paper for the first time. References are given with abbreviated author’s name, who mentioned certain species in his one publications. An asterisk (*) in front of the species name indicates a new record for the gall midges fauna of Serbia. The previous study study of gall midges of the subfamily Cecidomyiinae in Serbia recorded 315 species. For the two of them (Asphondylia anchusae and Contarinia anchusae), descriptions have not been published yet. To this number additional 21 plants should be added that host gall midges species that have not been described and which are most probably new for the science. Out of the total of about 350 gall midge species of the family Cecidomyiidae established in Serbia, 336 species belong to the phytophagous complex. Many phytophagous larvae invade buds or other plant organs causing gall with specific shape, while others live in plant tissue without causing any significant deformations, or live in the galls of various gall midge species or by other insects. The largest number of phytophagous species is monophagous, and cause galls on a specific organ of a specific plant. Some are oligophagous and live on several plant species of the same genus, given that only a small number of species can be said to be poliphagous, i. e. that they can develop on several plant genera of one family. Zoophagous, mycophagous and other free-living larvae of the family have been scarcely studied and are not the subject of this paper. So far there have not been sufficient data on the presence of species belonging to the subfamilies Lestremiinae and Porricondyliinae and their distribution in Serbia. According to findings in other countries they are very rich in species diversity and that is why they should also be studied, in Serbia. The species listed in this paper are classified under 70 genera. The most common is Dasineura genus with 80 species, followed by Contarinia with 56 species, Asphonylia, with 21, Jaapiella with 14, and Rhopalomyia with 11 species. The genus Macrolabis and Rhabdophaga are represented by 9 species, Lasioptera by 7, Harmandiola, Janetia and Stefaniella by 5, Oligotrophus, Janetiella, Wachtlliella by 4 each, Ozirhyncus, Semudobia and Resseliella by 3 each, Bayeriola, Geocrypta, Macrodiplosis, Mayetiola, Physemocecis and Placochella by 2 each, while 31 genera are represented by a single species. In the fauna of Serbia dominate species with European distribution (202), followed by 71 species distributed in the Euro-Siberian region, 30 in the Mediterranean and sub-Meditterranean basine and 12 in the Holarctic, of which Dasineura gleditchiae, Oligithrophus betheli, Obolodiplosis robinae and Janetiella siskiyou have been only recently introduced from the Nearctic region in Europe, and are also recorded in Serbia. Of the total number of gall midges established in Serbia, 11 have been said to be harmful to fruit trees (Putoniella pruni to plums, Lasioptera rubi to raspberries, Contarinia pyrivora to pears, Dasineura pyri to pear leaves and D. tetensi to black currant. Contarinia tritici, Sitodiplosis mosselana and Haplodiplosis marginata can cause damage on wheat, while Asphondylia miki, Contarinia medicaginis and Dasineura medicaginis have been identified as pests of forage and fodder crops. Thirty species have been listed as being potentially harmful to cultivated plants and forests. Damage caused by the larvae is not constantly present in the entire territory of Serbia, given that it is conditioned by local climate variability, as well as by the agro-technical measures undertaken to increase the yield of certain agricultural crops. As beneficial are mentoned three gall midge species (Zeuxidiplosis giardi, Cystiphora sonchi and Rhopalomyia tripleurospermi) that are used in biological weed control in different countries, where they have been introduced for this purpose. New additions to the fauna of Serbia are: Contarinia acetosellae, C. aconitiflores, C. artemisiae, C. crispans, C. cucubali, C. echii, C. hypochoeridis, C. lonicerae, C. mollunginis, Dasineura excavans, D. virgaureae, D. berberidis, Janetiella siskiyou, Lasioptera artemisiae, Rhopalomyia syngenesiae and Trotteria obtusa. The fact that the gall midge fauna in Serbia is an insufficiently researched topic, especially zoophagous and mycophagous species of the subfamily Cecidomyiinae, in particular Lestremiinae and Porricondyliinae, has given us good reason to collect the existing data and to compile them in one place, so as to encourage some young entomologists to dive into the unknown but omnipresent world of gall midges. The existence of some favorable circumstances, i. e. the existence of an extensive literature and a collection as the basis for further study, would be of great benefit to every beginner in research.