UK. J, INI NA I HIST. IV 2001 



Sciophilinae 

 Seiophila Meigen 



Additions reported here bring the total of British species of Seiophila to 21: a 

 further species collected in Scotland by Ivan Perry awaits description by Alexei 

 Polevoi. As indicated by Hutson et al. (19X0) there are few reliable external 

 characters for species recognition in this genus, colour characters being variable and 

 structure uniform, so most species can be identified only from male genitalia. Since 

 their work, S. antiqua Chandler had been added (Chandler. 1987b) and S. baltica 

 Zaitzev was reported from Britain on one male by Chandler (1998a). 



Some further specimens of S. baltica were unrecognised under S. hirta Meigen in 

 both the Natural History Museum, London and my own collection. It can be 

 confused with hirta due to the similar form of tergite 9, although this is relatively 

 shorter and the unique keyhole-like gonocoxal structure can be seen without removal 

 of the tergite. 



It has now been realised that another species has consistently been confused under 

 S. hirta in collections. I first recognised that material from Spain (Zaragoza. 

 Monegros) differed in some respects of its male genitalia from typical hirta and then 

 that the same form occurred in Britain; re-examination of the lectotype of 

 S. parviareolata Santos Abreu, 1920, which was synonymised with hirta by Zaitzev 

 (1982a), has confirmed the suspicion that this represented the second species. As the 

 type of hirta is evidently lost, the name is reserved for the species figured by Hutson 

 et al. (1980), which is the commoner species in Britain, and parviareolata is therefore 

 available for the second species. All material identified as hirta will need to be 

 checked. 



An undescribed Seiophila belonging to the lutea Macquart group occurs in the 

 Channel Islands and has been found in other parts of western Europe. This will be 

 described elsewhere (Chandler & Blasco-Zumeta, in press). 



Seiophila hirta Meigen and S. parviareolata Santos Abreu (Figs 24-29) 



These species appear to be inseparable on external characters, both being small 

 and mainly dark coloured with the sides of the thorax including the humeral areas 

 more or less obscurely reddish or yellowish; the legs are yellow with a dark tip to the 

 hind femur more or less apparent, although often vague, resulting in hirta being 

 included in two sections of the key by Hutson et al. (1980); the antennae are dark 

 with only the first flagellomere sometimes paler. 



The figures of the male genitalia (Figs 24-29) show that they are similar in most 

 respects, but draw attention to the points of difference: tergite 9 more evenly rounded 

 apically in hirta (Fig. 26), more angular in parviareolata (Fig. 29); gonostylus with 

 long macrochaetae on internal lobe usually longer and more numerous in hirta (27- 

 29) (Fig. 25), often fewer (21-25) in parviareolata (Fig. 28). but some specimens with 

 as many as in hirta; distal process of gonocoxal apodeme often broader laterally and 

 tapered apically in hirta (Fig. 24, a), but more straight sided and blunt in 

 parviareolata (Fig. 27, a); median sternal process between ventral lobes of 

 gonocoxites with apical half narrow but slightly broadened and blunt apicallj in 

 hirta (Fig. 24, b) while it is broad and bifurcate apically in parviareolata (Fig. 2". b). 

 The last mentioned character is considered diagnostic while other characters may 

 vary independently. The wing length of material examined is 3.3 -3. S mm (hirta) and 

 2.8-3.7 mm (British material of parviareolata; Spanish males 2.1 and 2.8 mm. 

 lectotype 3.0 mm). 



